About Moodle FAQ

PLEASE NOTE: Teacher FAQ is currently being (heavily) edited and updated (23 - 25 Nov 2010). You can check Teaching and Learning with Moodle course for answers to many of the common questions asked by educators.

General

Below is a list of the most general questions many educators have about Moodle. For questions relating to a specific Moodle tool (eg. Forum, Wiki, Assignment ...) and its use, please refer to the FAQ pages for each.

Starting with Moodle

• What is Moodle?
• How do I start using Moodle?
• Where do I get it (from)?
• Do I have to be really good with technology to use Moodle?
• Are there any technical essentials that are really good to know as I start to use Moodle?
• What age of learners and educational settings is Moodle most appropriate for?
• Is Moodle just for online learning?
• Are there any provisions in Moodle for people with disabilities?

Basic Moodle jargon

• What is a Course?
• What is a Category?
• What is an Activity?
• What is a Resource??
• What is a Block?
• What is a Plugin?
• What is a Filter?
• What is a Section?
• What is a Role?

Navigation and settings

• How do I login to Moodle?
• How do I get around Moodle?
• How do I edit things?
• How do I find things in Moodle?
• Who can edit things on the site?
• Who can create and edit the courses?
• Who can create and edit activities and other things in courses?

Security

• How secure is Moodle?
• Can Moodle get hacked into and student data stolen?
• What if I did something wrong and accidentally broke it - could it be easily fixed?
• Is my student data safe on a cheap or free webhost?
• Can I track and search what people do and post in Moodle?
• Can I backup Moodle so I don't lose things?

Technical

• Do I need my own server to run Moodle?
• Do I have to install Moodle myself?
• Can I customise a theme and make it about our school?
• Does it matter what computer type or browser I use for Moodle?
• Can you use Moodle from anywhere?
• Can access to Moodle be restricted to just our school?
• Can I access Moodle from a mobile device?
• I've come from a school that used a different VLE/LMS Can I move my stuff over to Moodle?
• I spotted a bug in the system. What do I do?

Cost

• How much does it cost to download and use Moodle?
• How much does it cost to run Moodle?
• How much does it cost to have Moodle hosted?

Getting help

• Is there an official support desk for Moodle?
• What do I do if I am stuck?
• Are there any good tutorials around?
• How do I get better at using Moodle?
• What if I have a specific question about a tool, where can I find out more?
• How can I suggest improvements and put forward what I would like to see in Moodle?
• Where can I get training on the best use of Moodle in my teaching & learning so I am not dependent on my ICT team at school?

Examples

• Are there any good examples of Moodle use I can see?
• How do I share ideas and learn from other educators using Moodle?
• Are there any good sources for shared courses?
• Is there any support for K-12 particularly using activities?

Students

• How long does it take students to learn to use Moodle?
• What do my students need to know before using Moodle?
• Do students have to be online all the time to use Moodle?

Learning with Moodle - pedagogy

• What is the best way to use Moodle?
• Are there any teaching DO’s and DON’Ts?
• Can Moodle be used in different subject (say maths, languages, art, media, science...)?
• How can I use Moodle to stimulate students think harder and ask good questions?
• How can I communicate with students by using Moodle?
• How can we share resources with Moodle?
• How can Moodle help people collaborate?
• How do I grade in Moodle?
• Can students do self and peer assessment type tasks with Moodle?
• Is 'social constructionist' approach necessary when using Moodle?