Hints, Tips and Tricks

of Moodle
Administration
Jonathon Sweetin, Applications Integrator
North Carolina Community College System Office
 Goals

The goals of this presentation are:

Inform Moodle administrators about changes in
configuration settings that will be useful to them.
Answer current Admins questions about Moodle
functionality.
Provide a resource for Moodle admins to refer to
when a need arises.
 Audience

This presentation will be most beneficial to the

experienced Moodle administrator who is
comfortable making configuration changes to the
application.
Some of the tips in this presentation will require the
Moodle admin to have access to the server back-
end such as FTP rights.
 Overview

What does a Moodle admin do?

Tips on the customization

Changing the front page settings.
How to load Moodle themes.*

Tips on User Management

How to add and/or lock fields on user profiles.
How to add custom fields to the students profiles.
How to batch create users and enroll them into courses from a txt file.
How to review student pictures in bulk.
Overview Continued

Tips on Course Management

How to use meta-courses.
Moving/Restoring large courses backups

Tips on Reporting
How to use Moodle reports.
How to set up Google Analytics to track your Moodle
server.*

Tips for Blackboard to Moodle course migration

Ways to convert courses
Using Course Conversion Tools
Using the Cut & Paste Method
 Moodle System Admins

In general Moodle Admins are the everyday

administrators of the learning management
system.
Their duties may include: making course shells,
uploading users, reporting, faculty trainingetc.
Their main way of using the learning management
system (LMS) is through the Moodle admin
interface.
They may or may not have access to the server
directly.
 Customizations Changing the site front
page

Navigation: Admin Block> Front Page >Front Page settings

There are many important

setting on this screen but
the one that is a little
confusing is the list of
courses option.

The List of Courses option

should be thought of as
My Courses
because it shows the
student only the courses
which they have been
enrolled.
 Loading Theme
Customizations Templates*
(Advanced Users Only)

To load a new theme template to your Moodle server,

you need:
FTP Access to your Moodle server
Basic understanding HTML
Ability to alter images used in a theme
(FTP view of Moodle server)
1. Go to Moodle.org > Downloads >Themes and download
a zip file of a theme you like.
2. Upload the theme files to your Moodle sites theme
folder.
3. In an images or pics folder you should find a header
image and other images that you can brand with your
institutions logo.
4. Go to Admin Block>Appearance>Themes>Theme
Selector to preview your new customized theme.
 User Locking User Fields
Management on Profiles

Navigation: Admin Block> Users>Authentication>Manual accounts

This tip is very helpful

when a institution
supplies the students
with an email address
that should not be
changed. This will lock
the field so students will
not be able to change it.
 User Adding Custom Fields to
Management Profiles

Navigation: Admin Block> Users >Accounts> User profile fields

This tip is very helpful

when you need to
gather info about
students and the field
is not already supplied
by Moodle.

Example: Student ID #,
Student Type (ConEd, Cur,
Duel enrollment..etc)
 User Batch Adding Users by
Management Flat File

Navigation: Admin Block> Users >Accounts> Upload Users

Example of a valid CSV import file:
username, password, firstname, lastname, email, lang, idnumber, maildisplay, course1, group1, type1
jonest, verysecret, Tom, Jones, jonest@someplace.edu, en, 3663737, 1, Intro101, Section 1, 1

When you upload a

formatted csv file, you
can automatically enroll
users into existing
courses.
 User Reviewing User
Management Pictures

If you suspect that your learners are likely to misuse the user pictures
feature by uploading unsuitable pictures, you can review all uploaded user
picture by go to your Moodle url>/userpix/ (a login is required).

You can also disallow this

functionality by going to the Admin
Block>Security > Site policies and
tick the Disable User Profile
Images option.

Warning: Once this feature is

disabled, pictures cannot be
assigned to any user (except the
administrator) until turn back on.
 Course
Using Meta-courses
Management

A meta-course is a course that is "with" or linked to

one or more courses for its student enrolment.
I think is should be called meta enrollment and it does
not share content between course.
One way to use meta courses is
in a many to one format.

Hint: This set-up works well if

your want students to access a
resource course or orientation
course.
 Course
Using Meta-courses
Management

Another way to use meta courses is in a one to

many format.
One parent course that auto-populates students
in many child courses.
Hint: This set-up works will
in setting up cohort groups
where all students have the
same course list. (i.e. Dental
Schools, Nursing Schools, Learning
Communities..etc)
 Course Moving/Restoring Large
Management Courses

On most Moodle servers, there is an overall

upload size limit on files loaded through the
Moodle interface. (64 MB..most of the time)
The course backups may be larger than the
upload limit. You dont want to raise the limit
too high because it will effect server
performance. (Interface File Upload Tool)
 Course Moving/Restoring Large
Management Courses

The answer is to move the backup files using

server FTP and not with the file upload
button.
Note: If you dont have access to your Moodle server through FTP you
can always open a helpdesk ticket with your hosting vendor to have
them do it for you.
 Reporting Using Moodle Reports

Navigation: Admin Block> Reports>Logs

Reporting logs will let you view all of the user activity of your Moodle instance by
date. There is also a customized 10% attendance report for reporting of DL
students available.

Tip: You are trying to promote

interactivity in your distance
learning courses, you can
use the reports area to give
recognition to the faculty
members who have the most
student activity in their
courses.
 Reporting Setting up Google Analytics*
(Advanced Users Only)

What is Google Analytics? It is a web

analytics solution that gives you rich insights
into your website traffic.
You can setup Google Analytics to monitor
your Moodle instance by following these
simple steps:
1. Create an account at
http://www.Google.com/analytics/sign_up.ht
ml
(Note: you must have a gmail account to use analytics.)
 Reporting Setting up Google Analytics*
(Advanced Users Only)

2. Next, you should add a new profile (domain

name) on your account to your Moodle server.

You should choose the Add a

Profile for a new domain option in
the Profile Type area.

You should paste the URL to your

Moodle site in the field and select
the correct time zone.
 Reporting Setting up Google Analytics*
(Advanced Users Only)

3. Next, you should cut and paste the code that

Google analytics supplies into the footer.html
page of the theme used by your Moodle site.
Google Tracking Code Page
(FTP view of Moodle server)
 Reporting Setting up Google Analytics*
(Advanced Users Only)

3. Lastly, you should be able to view data coming

from your Moodle server the day after you install
the tracking code.

You will be able to review info from your

site in the following data set areas:
Visitors
Traffic Source
Content

You can also run customized reports for

cross-indexing of data.
 Converting Bb Ways of Converting
courses Courses

There are basically two ways to convert

courses from Blackboard to Moodle.
1. Using a conversion tool. (i.e. LSU)
2. Moving course files and content by hand.
(cut & paste method)

It is not fun either way but the method you

use depends on the structure and content
type in the course you wish to convert.
 Converting Bb Using course conversion
courses tools

You can use the LSU course conversion

tool at http://Moodleconverter.lsu.edu/ if:
1. The Bb course has a very shallow folder structure.
2. The Bb course is mostly text has few local files loaded into the
course. (Word, PowerPoint, Imagesetc.)
3. Few quizzes or quiz pools.

The LSU tool has some problems

with files, quizzes, quiz pools but will
re-structure a Bb course into
sections well.
 Converting Bb Using the Cut & Paste
courses Method

You should use the cut and paste method if:

1. The Bb course has a very deep folder structure.
2. The Bb course is mostly files loaded into the course. (Word,
PowerPoint, Imagesetc.)
3. Has many quizzes or quiz pools.

Tip: Each Moodle course

has a Files area that holds
the files used in the course.
You can load zip files directly
to this area, unzip the file
and the folder structure of
the zip is reproduced in the
course files folder.
 Converting Bb Other Useful Conversion
courses Tools

UNC created a tool call bFree. It is a Blackboard course

archive extractor that will make a website of your
blackboard course. This application helps when looking
for files to load into your Moodle course files.

The output of the extractor

will duplicate the folder
structure in your Bb course
thereby adding in the file
moving process.
 More Resources

Moodle.org Community
docs.moodle.org
moodle.nccomunitycolleges.edu >Moodle Users
Group
www.explorethelor.org North Carolina Learning
Object Repository

Jonathon Sweetin: Applications Integrator

NCCCS System Office, 252-737-2766
sweetinj@nccommunitycolleges.edu