Home Blog

Join MoodleMoot Australia 2024 on 26-27 November 2024 in Melbourne

MoodleMoot Australia 2024 will take place on 26-27 November 2024 in Melbourne. This year the edtech conference will be organized by the Moodle Premier partner Catalyst IT Australia. The edtech event will be a perfect opportunity for Moodle & elearning enthusiasts to network with like minded persons for a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and share insights.

The MoodleMoot Australia 2024 will take place at The Events Centre, Collins Square, Docklands, VIC, in Melbourne, Australia from 26-27 November. This year the theme for the edtech event is Transformative Learning Experiences, it will focus on the ways Moodle is helping to shape education and drive better outcomes through innovation and effective technology use.

The MoodleMoot Australia 2024 will see some of the most influential figures in the elearning community including Martin Dougiamas – founder of Moodle LMS. He will present about Using AI well in education, in which he will explore the role of AI in education, addressing both the potential benefits and the challenges of integrating AI into learning environments. His presentation will focus on how AI can effectively enhance educational experiences for both learners and educators.

The early bird registration discount for MoodleMoot Australia 2024 is available until 04 October 2024. This is a great opportunity to save on attendance and join a dynamic community of educators, technologists, and Moodle enthusiasts. With exciting presentations and valuable networking opportunities, it’s set to be one of the most engaging events of the year. Check out the registrations page for more details.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Participate in Moodle 4.5 QA Testing to contribute for a future LMS

Moodle 4.5 is the next LTS (Long Term Support) version of the Moodle LMS which is scheduled to be released soon. It is currently going under the QA testing by the actual Moodle community users.

Moodle 4.5 QA testing will continue till October 7th 2024. The QA testing is a crucial part of the Moodle development process as the actual Moodle users test out the new features to ensure the Moodle’s next version is of the highest quality, reliability, and usability.

If you are also a passionate Moodle user, you can also participate in Moodle 4.5 QA testing. According to the Moodle HQ team, here is how you can participate in the Moodle 4.5 QA testing:

  • Exploratory Testing: Try out the latest Moodle features on our QA testing site. Experiment, explore, and share your feedback with us.
  • Issue Reporting: If you find any issues, big or small, please report them on the Moodle Tracker. Your input is crucial to improving Moodle.

You can also follow this extensive QA testing guide to understand about the QA testing process.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

CLAMP Project Updates – New LAE releases for August 2024 available!

CLAMP Project which is a group of colleges and universities who collaborate to develop and support Moodle, with an eye toward the issues unique to a liberal arts environment. Recently, CLAMP Project team has released new LAE version updates for August 2024.

There are a total four new LAE versions released by CLAMP team. All the new versions are maintenance releases only without additional new features. The new versions are based on Moodle 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4.

Check out the release notes and grab the latest versions from the respective links below:

The next stable CLAMP versions are scheduled to be released by October 2024.

Read more about CLAMP Project on the official website here.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle Teachers – Create Awesome Moodle courses using the Designer Course format

Moodle Plugins allows you to extend the LMS functionality and customize it according to your requirements. Moodle LMS supports various types of plugins which can be used to customize appearance, add new activities, blocks, enrollment methods etc. In this post we will discuss about the Designer Course format Moodle plugin and how it can be used.

The Designer Course format plugin allows you to create unique and visually appealing course designs by mixing and matching different layouts. This course format plugin is packed with a lot of features for professionals that want to create stunning courses. Designer was built on the assumption that not all sections and activities in a course are equal or equally important. Teachers can choose different layouts for activities and sections, even in the same course. Activities can be displayed as cards, lists, links or circles.

The Designer Course Format plugin is a versatile and user-friendly tool designed to enhance the layout and presentation of courses in Moodle LMS. This plugin provides educators with the ability to create visually appealing and organized course formats, improving the overall learning experience for students.

The Designer Course Format plugin is ideal for educators who want to take their Moodle courses to the next level. By offering customizable layouts and improved navigation, this plugin enhances the overall user experience, making learning more enjoyable and effective.

The plugin supports four different course configurations with each designed to cater to different educational needs and teaching styles, “Course Types” enhances the learning experience by offering customizable and dynamic course layouts:

  • Flow
  • Kanban
  • Normal
  • Collapsible

You can download the Designer Course format plugin from the official plugins repository here.

What are the other useful Moodle plugins you are using to enhance your student’s experience? Please share with us in the comments section below.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle 4.4.2 released along with other minor versions

Moodle HQ has released minor versions of the Moodle LMS including the currently supported Moodle 4.4 version. The new released version includes other minor versions for the currently security supported branches.

The new minor version released includes the following branches:

The Moodle release calendar is as follows:

Version Release status Initial release date General support ends Security support ends
4.1 (LTS) Current security 28 November 2022 11 December 2023 8 December 2025
4.2 Current security 24 April 2023 22 April 2024 7 October 2024
4.3 Current stable 9 October 2023 7 October 2024 21 April 2025
4.4 Current stable 22 April 2024 21 April 2025 8 December 2025
4.5 (LTS) Future release 7 October 2024 6 October 2025 6 October 2027

 

Here is the current release calendar:

Release graph summarising the currently supported Moodle releases in a visual form

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle Administrators – Free Up your server space by automatically clearing backup files

Moodle LMS is the most flexible and customizable learning management system in the world with more than 420 million users. With such vast amount of users, it is pretty obvious for all Moodle administrators to keep a backup of their Moodle site at regular intervals.

Moodle LMS also offers different backup mechanisms such as complete site backup at server level, course backup, activity backup etc. We assume that if you are a server admin managing your Moodle LMS on server, you should be having a sufficient knowledge about the complete site backup. In this post we will see how you can manage the course backups & activity backup files in your Moodle.

The Course backup in Moodle allows the course creators to take a backup of their course for safe keeping. It also allows you to take a backup of an activity/activities from a course and then restore them in another course on same Moodle or another Moodle instance.

Over a period of time, there might be many backup files created on your Moodle site which will be taking up the precious server space. You need to periodically delete these backup files to keep the server space clear.

This is especially where the ‘Clear Backup Files’ plugin comes in handy. This admin tool clears all backup files from the server. It is useful for freeing up space from dev and test servers once they are refreshed from production.

You can download the ‘Clear Backup Files’ plugin from the official plugins repository here. Once installed, you can delete the backup files from /admin/tool/clearbackupfiles/index.php and after deleting you can find logs at /report/log/index.php.

In earlier version of the plugin, there were a few bugs reported by some users. So, I request you to please use this plugin at your own risk and after enough testing.

What are the other useful Moodle plugins you are using, Please let us know in the comments section below.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle Teachers – Easily move Course Activities to other courses using Sharing Cart plugin

Moodle LMS is world’s most popular open source learning management system with more than 420 million users across the globe. With more than 2,200 free to use plugins, Moodle LMS is most flexible and open to customization. In this post we will discuss about the Sharing Cart plugin and how you can use it.

If you’ve ever wished for a quicker way to duplicate course materials or share resources between courses, this Sharing Cart Moodle plugin might just be the answer to your prayers. The Sharing Cart plugin is a simple yet powerful tool designed for Moodle users, enabling them to copy and share content between courses.

The Sharing Cart Moodle plugin allows you to easily copy course material across different courses. You can use it to create template of your course activities, or if you want to share a resource across all your courses, you can simply add that in Sharing Cart and then create a copy in destination course easily.

This can include quizzes, assignments, resources, and more. Whether you’re an instructor managing multiple courses or a course creator looking to streamline your content development process, the Sharing Cart can save you time and effort.

Using the Sharing Cart can dramatically streamline your workflow. It reduces the need to recreate resources from scratch, thus saving time. For institutions, it means that best practices and high-quality content can be easily disseminated across departments and courses.

You can download the Sharing Cart Moodle plugin from the official plugins repository here. Recently the plugin was updated to support the latest Moodle 4.4 version with release 5. To use the Sharing Cart in your course, you can add the block to your course page.

Once set up, you can start adding items to your cart by clicking the ‘Copy to Sharing Cart’ icon next to the resource or activity you want to duplicate. Then, navigate to the desired course and drag the item from the cart to the course section.

Overall, it is one of the most popular and helpful Moodle plugin available in the Moodle repository. So, why not give it a try? Explore the Sharing Cart plugin today and take your Moodle course management to the next level!

Need help with Moodle? Our team of experts is here to assist you in optimizing your Moodle experience. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can support your e-learning initiatives.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle Workplace achieves WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance

Moodle HQ’s premium offering for corporate clients – Moodle Workplace has achieved WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance. This is the first time that Moodle Workplace has received this accreditation.

In a recent announcement, the Moodle HQ team posted about the accessibility compliance accreditation. While all the features of Moodle LMS were already certified, the certification now covers the workplace specific features also.

Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of workplace learning that ensures all employees, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, have equal opportunities to engage with training materials and professional development resources.

Moodle Workplace is built on top of Moodle LMS and adheres to the same rigorous accessibility principles. The accessibility conformance report for Moodle Workplace is based on a thorough audit conducted by GrackleDocs, complemented by internal testing and community audits.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 is the most recent version of these guidelines, and it includes a range of criteria aimed at improving accessibility.

Benefits of WCAG 2.1 level AA certification:

  1. Inclusivity and equal opportunity: Accessibility ensures that all employees, including those with disabilities, can participate fully in workplace learning programs. This fosters an inclusive work environment where everyone has equal opportunities for growth and development.
  2. Legal compliance: Many countries have laws and regulations requiring workplaces to provide accessible learning environments. Ensuring accessibility helps organisations comply with these legal requirements, avoiding potential fines and legal actions.
  3. Enhanced employee performance: When learning materials are accessible, all employees can effectively engage with the content, leading to better understanding and retention of information. This improves overall job performance and productivity.
  4. Employee retention and satisfaction: Providing accessible learning opportunities demonstrates that the organisation values all employees and their development. This can boost employee morale, job satisfaction, and retention rates.
  5. Innovation and creativity: Diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives and ideas. By ensuring accessibility, organisations can tap into the potential of all employees, fostering innovation and creativity in problem-solving and decision-making.
  6. Reputation and brand image: Organisations that prioritise accessibility are viewed positively by clients, customers, and potential employees. This can enhance the company’s reputation and make it a more attractive place to work.
  7. Adapting to technological advances: Accessible learning materials are often more flexible and adaptable to various technologies, ensuring that all employees can benefit from the latest tools and resources available for professional development.

For more details, please check out the Moodle Workplace with your nearest Moodle partner.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

Moodle Administrators – How to Restrict your LMS Course content to specific IP addresses

Moodle is world’s most popular open source learning management system with more than 420 million users around the globe. The collection of more than 2,200 free to use plugins makes it a popular choice among the elearning specialists. In this post, we will discuss how you can restrict your Moodle course content to the users coming from a specific IP address.

By default Moodle course allows the users to login from same account across multiple devices. You can make use of plugins such as Unique Login to restrict them to a single session. However, you might also be interested in restricting course content to your users having a specific IP address only.

For example, you are having a blended learning environment where you give course content to students in the classroom as well as from any remote location. Let’s say that you want the students to access a specific activity only when they are present in the classroom and now from their home.

You can setup a private classroom Wifi network and assign the IP address from a specific pool. When the user is connected to your classroom network they shall be using this IP address so they can access the course content but not when they are using any other IP address out of the range specified.

You can use the ‘Availability restriction by IP address’ Moodle plugin which allows you to add a new restriction condition under Availability settings. It can be used to enhance activity security by restricting access based on IP address. You can download the Availability restriction by IP address plugin from the official plugins repository here.

What are the other Plugins you are using on your Moodle LMS to make your content more secure. Please share with us in the comments section below.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.

byteXL Raises $5.9M in Series A Round funding

byteXL, India’s rapidly growing EdTech platform focused on revolutionizing engineering education, has raised $5.9 million in a Series A round. The funding round was led by Kalaari Capital, the lead investor, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. This investment highlights the company’s mission to provide high-quality, affordable tech skills to engineering students in tier II and tier III cities across India. It acknowledges its impressive growth over the past four years.

byteXL is on a mission to transform engineering colleges in India, not just by revolutionizing the education system, but by creating a pathway of opportunity for students. The company’s unique approach involves partnering with colleges and industry to integrate curriculum, content, and practical learning, thereby providing students with the skills and awareness they need for successful careers. This innovative approach is not just about education, it’s about empowerment. byteXL is empowering students, bridging the gap between academia and industry, and shaping the next generation of highly skilled professionals who will contribute to the nation’s development. The vision is a future where every engineering student has access to a holistic and industry-relevant education that enhances their skills and employability.

Speaking on the fundraising, Karun Tadepalli, CEO and Co-Founder of byteXL, said:

At byteXL, we’re not just teaching coding but shaping futures and driving innovation in tech education across India. This funding will boost our confidence in empowering engineers of tomorrow with cutting-edge skills and technologies and help us bridge the gap between academia and industry at a faster pace.

Since its inception, byteXL has formed successful partnerships with over 26 colleges and universities across India. These partnerships have resulted in the training of more than a lakh students in various software technologies, including programming, emerging technologies like cybersecurity, full-stack development, and cloud technologies. The success of these efforts is evident in the higher placement rates and increased student intake for their partner institutions—the recent collaboration with Microsoft to introduce a new B.Tech CSE course in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is a testament to the effectiveness of byteXL’s collaborations in meeting current industry demands.

Sampath P, Partner at Kalaari Capital, added:

Engineering schools in India and other markets are evolving to maintain high standards of curriculum, pedagogy and industry readiness in technology disciplines that are rapidly changing. byteXL is committed to being a true partner for universities and colleges, with operational expertise, high-quality educators and an interactive digital learning platform. Karun, Charan and the team have spent a long time understanding the core needs of each stakeholder involved in the delivery of technology and curriculum and are deeply committed to improving learning outcomes and the quality of tech talent in India. We are excited to partner with them on this mission.

For regular updates about Moodle, eLearning and edtech industry, please visit us regularly at https://lmsdaily.com. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or Subscribe our YouTube Channel.