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Moodle Admins – Automatically enroll users in Course groups by using this Moodle plugin!

Moodle user management is one of the key aspect of managing your Moodle LMS course. There are many plugins to enhance the user management in Moodle. If you are looking to enroll users to course groups automatically, then you can use the Automatic Enrollment in groups Moodle plugin.

The Automatic Enrollment in groups Moodle plugin allows you to auto enroll users in course groups. The plugin will enroll users randomly in different groups when they are enrolled in the Moodle course.

The plugin is not dependent on the enrollment method chosen by the student and it works with manual enrollment, cohort sync etc.

You can download the Automatic Enrollment in groups Moodle plugin from the official plugins repository here. Once installed on your Moodle site, you can go to any course > participants > Auto-enroll in groups.

On this page, you can enable this plugin for this specific course. But before you can use this plugin you need to have atleast one group created in your Moodle course. You can also choose specific groups in which you would like to enroll the users automatically.

What are the other useful Moodle plugins you are using? 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.

Digital Wellbeing Platform Stayf Raises $702k in Pre-Seed Round

Stayf, a B2B SaaS platform that aims to empower organizations to prioritize their workforce’s wellbeing, has successfully closed a $702,000 (€650,000) pre-seed round led by AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks and Smart Partnership Capital, launching a new investment program for early-stage startups called Pre-Seed to Succeed.

Stayf, launched in 2023 by seasoned entrepreneurs with experience in the wellbeing sector, enables employees to form social bonds through community functionality and wellbeing challenges. After four months of utilizing the platform, the overall happiness of 2000 employees increased by 13% on average. The Stayf app has an average engagement level of 70-80% because it incorporates nudge theory (changing the environment to affect behaviour) principles through digital technology and leverages the power of social influence within a community. So, the company is designed to significantly influence the likelihood that the user engages in activities that increase their wellbeing.

Speaking on the fundraising, Co-founder & CEO of Stayf, Max Zhurilo, said:

According to a Leadership IQ study, approximately 74% of employees who kept their jobs said their productivity declined after company layoffs. Staff retention can indeed be challenging after layoffs, so what we do is help businesses unite their workforce in the aftermath and keep them engaged. Implementing only science-backed interventions proven with real-world results (University of Oxford, McKinsey, WHO), Stayf achieves a high engagement rate of 50-80% by designing the program to fit around modern busy personal and corporate lives. The new round that became possible through the Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program allows us to build up the sales team, enhance the product, and prepare for launch in the US.

Since its inception last year, Stayf has swiftly increased its reach, serving prominent firms such as Schneider Electric, InDrive, MARS, Fresha, the University of Oxford, and Playrix in the UK and MENA region. The corporate wellbeing industry was worth around $60 billion in 2023 and is expected to rise at a 6% annual rate to $100 billion by 2032.

Igor Ryabenkiy, Managing Partner & Founder of AltaIR Capital & Partner of the Pre-Seed to Succeed program, commented:

There are many startups that help businesses enhance employee involvement and performance. The team that knows how to build a sustainable business, build a community around the product, and face current challenges in the market will win the race. We think that Stayf has everything that it needs to become the winner.

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 QA Updates – 51% tests are still open

Moodle 4.4 – the next major version of the Moodle LMS is scheduled to be released soon. It will be packed with a lot of exciting features and new improvements. But before it is released for general public it is going under Quality Assurance testing by the Moodle community members.

The QA testing is carried out before the release of every Moodle major version release by actual Moodle users. During the QA testing the community members check if the new features are working as expected and accordingly mark the tests as passed or failed. Quality Assurance tests look at the functionality of Moodle from a user’s point of view.

The QA testing for Moodle 4.4 started recently and currently 44% tests are marked as passed with an additional 51% tests still to be taken. Out of the total 478 tests, 215 are marked as passed while 14 are on hold and 6 tests are marked as failed.

So, if you are a passionate Moodle user, please feel free to contribute towards the Moodle QA testing and make Moodle LMS better than ever.

You can contribute towards Moodle QA testing by creating an account in Moodle tracker and subscribing to the Moodle Testing & QA forum.

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.

EdLight Raises $4M in Seed Round to Revolutionize Education

EdLight, a pioneering education technology company, has successfully completed its seed round, which raised $4 million. Founded in 2019, EdLight has been at the forefront of leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide teachers with essential insights into student development. The platform offers teachers real-time feedback and insights into student learning, allowing educators to support each student on their educational journey.

With significant experience in education and machine learning, the firm is particularly positioned to address the pressing need for more effective classroom feedback mechanisms. EdLight aims to drive substantial educational transformation by bridging the technology-education gap.

Commenting on the investment, CEO of EdLight, Teryn Thomas, said:

This funding round marks a significant step forward for EdLight and validates our commitment to revolutionizing Education through AI-driven insights. We are grateful for the support of our investors, including the Southern Education Foundation, Charter School Growth Fund, and Backstage Capital, who share our vision for empowering educators and students.

EdLight has received great acclaim in the technology industry in under five years, including accolades from Microsoft for Startups Founders and the Google for Black Founders accelerator. The company received grants from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Cambiar Education, and the Google for Black Founders Fund. Synaptic: The Next Big Wave, 50 Hypergrowth Companies to Watch Out in Q1 2024 and Google: Announcing the 2023 recipients of its Black and Latino Founders Funds recognized it.

Arlan Hamilton, Investor at Backstage Capital, stated:

This funding round is a milestone moment for EdLight. It showcases the power of innovation led by underrepresented voices in Education. Backstage Capital is proud to support EdLight’s mission of revolutionizing student learning experiences through AI-powered solutions.

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.

Veranda Learning Announces INR 425 Cr Funding Through NCD

Veranda Learning, a listed enterprise offering end-to-end solutions in the education space, has announced that it has received approval to raise funds of up to INR 425 crore through the issuance of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) to funds managed and arranged by BPEA Investment Managers Private Limited (BPEA Credit). This strategic move aims to fuel the company’s growth trajectory by financing acquisitions, refinancing existing loans, and bolstering working capital requirements.

Veranda Learning, started in 2018 by the Kalpathi AGS Group, provides a wide range of training programmes for competitive exam preparation, including State Public Service Commission, Banking, Insurance, Railways, IAS, and CA, as well as a variety of professional skilling and upskilling programmes. The platform integrates technology, processes, and methodologies to deliver high-quality, in-depth, personalized learning opportunities and content to students nationwide.

The organization offers services through several brands, including Veranda RACE, Veranda IAS, Edureka, Six Phrase, Veranda HigherEd, Edureka Learning Centre, SmartBridge, BAssure, Talent Academy, Talent Publications, PHIRE, Sreedhar’s CCE, JK Shah Classes, VerandaK12, and Logic School of Management.

Commenting on the latest development, Suresh Kalpathi, Executive Director & Chairman of Veranda Learning, said:

This decision aligns with Veranda Learning’s strategic vision to further solidify our position as a leader in the education space. The proceeds from the NCD issuance will be instrumental in supporting our expansion plans, enabling us to pursue strategic acquisitions, enhance operational efficiencies, and drive long-term value creation for our stakeholders.

Veranda Learning remains focused on driving innovation, expanding its reach, and delivering value-added solutions to its customers while consistently delivering strong operating margins. The firm’s strategic decision to raise debt through NCDs underscores its confidence in the education sector’s future growth prospects and its ability to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Speaking on this association, Ms Kanchan Jain, Head of BPEA Credit Group, commented:

We are pleased to partner with Veranda Group, a leader in India’s education space, to support initiatives that transform education delivery and enhance access to quality education, thereby creating a lasting impact. This investment aligns with our Fund’s objective of participating in growth-oriented businesses and partnering with industry leaders by providing bespoke capital solutions.

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 – Use Dynamic Cohorts plugin to easily manage your student cohorts

Moodle LMS is used by more than 410 million users around the world. With a vast collection of more than 2,200 plugins it makes it pretty easy to extend the features to meet specific learning requirements. In this post we will discuss about one such wonderful Moodle plugin which can help you easily manage your student cohorts.

The Dynamic cohorts plugin allows you to easily manage the students cohorts. The plugin allows you to dynamically add and remove users from cohorts based on configured rules, which are composed of conditions.

For the unversed Cohorts in Moodle terminology means site-wide or category-wide groups which makes it easier to enroll same set of users in different courses. Cohort sync enrollment method can be used to enroll users from a specific cohort in a group.

The Dynamic Cohorts plugin allows you to add conditions as rules which will be used to add user to the cohort. You can add multiple conditions in a single rule and configure if all of them required to be matched or any one of them (AND or OR).

The plugin supports various conditions which can be added to the rules, such as:

  • Authentication method (Manual, SAML and etc)
  • Cohort fields (if a user is a member of cohort(s) matching specific cohort fields like cohort name, context, custom fields and etc)
  • Cohort membership (if a user is a member of cohort(s)).
  • User standard profile fields (e.g. first name, last name, username, auth method and etc).
  • User custom profile fields (text, menu and checkbox types are supported).

There are similar plugins which perform similar management of cohorts such as Smart Cohort, Profile-field based cohort membership. But the Dynamic cohorts plugin provides an API for other plugins to implement pretty much any condition that can limit users from mdl_user table by SQL.

You can download the Dynamic Cohorts plugin from the official plugins repository 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 LMS – BigBlueButton now requires additional credentials for Free tier

Moodle LMS includes BigBlueButton – the open source web-conferencing tool in core to allow educators to host web-conferencing within their courses. By default, Moodle core offers a free tier plan through which you can use BigBlueButton for a maximum 25 users for an hour long meetings.

However, before the upcoming Moodle 4.4 release, Moodle HQ announced the change in the free tier plan of BigBlueButton in Moodle LMS. Earlier, the administrator just need to accept the data processing agreement to start using the free tier. With the new change coming in effect from April 22nd, all the Moodle users (including all previous Moodle versions) needs to get additional credentials from BigBlueButton to continue using the free plan.

New credentials can be obtained by via the “Blindside Networks Registration Portal” link. So, if you are using BigBlueButton Free plan you need to make sure to get the credentials to continue using the BBB activity in your Moodle course.

BigBlueButton offers built-in pedagogical tools, such as breakout rooms, multi-user whiteboard, smart slides, visual assessment, and polling to engage students in applied learning.

During live classes, BigBlueButton offers a live Learning Analytics Dashboard, providing insight into which students are struggling so you can give them feedback at the moment.

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.

AI-Powered EdTech Sprints Raises $3M in Bridge Funding Round

Sprints.ai, the AI-powered educational technology platform transforming education for the future, has announced a $3 million bridge funding round led by Disruptech Ventures. EdVentures and CFYE, among other investors, participated in the round. This strategic bridge financing boosts the company’s growth trajectory as it expands its impact on the tech talent landscape by entering ten new markets.

Sprints, co-founded by Ayman Bazaraa and Bassam Sharkawy, is the first end-to-end platform for bridging the tech talent gap, including talent assessment, personalized learning journeys, and top-paying job guarantees. It is the first EdTech firm in MEA to provide guaranteed hiring programmes, allowing graduates to pay only after successful hiring for three years. Since its inception in 2020, the startup has delivered over 2.5 million learning hours and secured graduate jobs with over 300 tech organizations worldwide.

Speaking on the fundraising, Chief Executive Officer of Sprints, Ayman Bazaraa, said:

Our team is the beating heart of this success. We’re a proud force of passionate trailblazers, consisting of over 100 employees and 300 trainers from 12 countries, united by a single mission: revolutionising education through AI. This investment is a resounding validation of the team’s tireless efforts and unwavering dedication. Today, I stand proud of what we’ve collectively accomplished and brimming with anticipation for the future we will pave together.

Sprints, with a vision to educate 1 billion learners in ten years, provides world-class, agile-based learning journeys that enable enterprises to establish top-tier tech teams in all academic fields, including but not limited to AI, data science, mobile, web, IoT, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. Contributing to a vital economic and social cause, the platform is shaping a generation of tech-savvy people who will succeed in the world of future jobs.

Commenting on the successful closure of the bridge round, Yehia Abouelwafa, Co-founder & Chief Investment Officer at DisrupTech Ventures, stated:

We are proud of Sprints for decoding the growth dilemma with their All-in-One Tech Talent platform, which seamlessly integrates talent assessment, hiring, payroll, and upskilling to empower companies and governments alike to build world-class teams more efficiently than ever. We are firm believers in Sprints’ mission. We will continue leveraging our 70 years of combined know-how to unleash the potential of regional talent to develop the necessary calibre for digital economies.

Sprints’ geographical growth will not only bridge the regional talent gap but also establish MEA as a regional talent hub. The firm aims to equip more than 200,000 learners with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the face of tomorrow’s technological workforce challenges.

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.

eDaktik becomes Moodle Certified Premium Partner in Austria

eDaktik, a leading provider of Moodle services in Austria, has achieved the Moodle Premium Certified Partner status. This achievement signifies eDaktik’s commitment to delivering exceptional, secure, and sustainable eLearning solutions. As a Moodle Premium Certified Partner, eDaktik can now directly offer Moodle Workplace, further empowering organisations to create dynamic workplace learning environments.

Founded in 2003, eDaktik is a full-service eLearning provider with extensive expertise in technology, didactics, and organisational development. The company offers a complete range of services to support Moodle projects, from initial consultation and process mapping to hosting, design, training, software development, and ongoing support.

Andreas Hruska, CEO of eDaktik, said:

We are thrilled to be recognised as a Moodle Premium Certified Partner. This validates our commitment to providing sustainable and effective learning solutions that empower people to excel. Since 2003, we have been at the forefront of eLearning in Austria, and this partnership strengthens our ability to deliver exceptional value to our customers.

With this the total Moodle partner network count increased to 108 across the 242 countries.

For more information, please check out the official announcement from Moodle HQ 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.

StraighterLine Announces Acquisition of ProSolutions Training to Provide Early Childhood Education

StraighterLine, a creator of affordable, flexible, and career-aligned postsecondary courses, has announced the acquisition of ProSolutions Training, a professional development division of Care Solutions, Inc. that provides training for early childhood educators. This deal will expand StraighterLine’s early childhood education training and certification solutions as ProSolutions Training (PST) joins the ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) as the newest subsidiary under the platform.

ProSolutions Training, established in 2008, provides over 120 unique online professional development training courses, multi-course packages, and credentials in early care and education. The courses, designed for busy adult learners, are self-paced and available around the clock to fit their different needs. IACET approves PST and CCEI and offers an online programme to get the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ from the Council for Professional Recognition.

Speaking on the acquisition, Shweta Kabadi, Interim CEO of StraighterLine, said:

Now more than ever, there is a great need for qualified early care and education workers nationwide. We are excited to join together to provide the best-in-class early childhood training and certification services to upskill this industry. The combination of our companies will allow us to create more opportunities for early childhood educators to advance their careers, attain their degrees, and realize a higher earning potential.

This acquisition underlines StraighterLine’s commitment to expanding its early childhood education course offerings and developing career paths to suit the requirements of future educators. Adding PST to StraighterLine’s family of companies follows BV Investment Partners’ significant investment in April 2020.

StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to offer students and employees flexible educational alternatives that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. In 2022, the company acquired ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), one of the significant online training providers for early care educators. Every year, 150,000 StraighterLine and CCEI students pursue one of 250+ online courses or certification programs to advance their careers or earn credit from over 3,000 schools and universities worldwide.

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.