Prepare for new academic year guide

After import or rollover, the module page should be given a spring clean.

• Remove any out-of-date information and upload updated files. Remember to use the inbuilt accessibility features in Office and Adobe when updating your files.
• Delete content that you are not using.
• Amend titles of content as required.
• Review the Ally accessibility indicators alongside the files and the module-level Accessibility report to address accessibility issues.
• Move content to new location in module as required.
• Edit settings for activities and resources. You will need to update due dates for Moodle Assignments and Quizzes.
• Apply restrict access and activity completion settings.

Please note that the new version of the file needs to have the same name as the file you are updating.

1. Turn Edit mode on.
2. Open the three dots menu alongside the file. Choose Edit Settings.

3. Add instructions to the  Description.

   •  In Moodle 4, Labels do not display to students in the new Module index. Students may miss information about a resource or activity if this is added in a Label. Add any instructions to the Description field.

     

4. Check to Display description on module page. 
5. Select the file icon in the Select files area.
6. Select Browse...
7. Navigate to the folder on your computer where you have saved your file.
8. Choose the updated file and select Open.
9. Select Upload this file.
10. Select Overwrite.

    

11. Select Save and return to module.
12. Select the file to open it and confirm it has updated

If you no longer need a resource/activity on your module page you can choose to delete it.

1. Turn Edit mode on.
2. Open the section where content is located.
3. Select the three dots to the right of  the resource/activity that you want to delete. Select Delete.

If you accidentally delete content, you may be able to restore this by using the Recycle bin function or you can import from last year's module.

1. Turn Edit mode on.
2. Open the section where the content is located.
3. Select the quick edit icon alongside the content.
4. Type the new title and then press Enter on your keyboard. Selecting outside the editable area will not save the changes.

1. Turn Edit mode on. 
2. Open the section where the content is located.
3. Open the three dots menu alongside the content.
4. Select Edit settings.
5. Make your changes and select Save and return to module.

You can use the Restrict access settings to control the availability of content and activities based on one or more conditions, including date and group. 

Activity completion allows you to set completion criteria for a specific activity or resource.

Activities or resources with a completion criteria display a circle next to them in the Module index. The circle turns green (and is filled in) when the student meet the criteria. On the main module page, a tick and the word "done" appears against the item when the student meets the criteria. This helps students manage their progress on a module and staff can easily review student engagement and progress against key activities.

You can combine Restrict access and Activity completion to provide structured pathways through your module.

Apply the settings

1. Open the activity or resource.
2. Select Settings from the contextual navigation menu above the module name. This opens the activity settings.
3. Change the settings required.
4. Select Save and return to module to save any changes made.

Related guidance

When you add new content to a section it defaults to the bottom of the section. You can move it to a new location within the section it was created in or move it to a new section.

1. Turn Edit mode on.
2. Open the section where the content is located.
3. Open the section to where you want to move the content. 
4. Ensure all other sections of the module are closed.
5. Using the left button on your mouse, click and hold the white space surrounding the file name. The cursor will change into a four-arrowed shape and the white space will be highlighted pink.
6. Drag and drop the file into its new position.
7. Drag your file to the section you want it to display, then release the mouse button.
   • If you are working on a long module, keep the left mouse button pressed and select the up or down arrow on your keyboard to navigate to the new location for the content. Release the mouse button when the content has reached the correct location.

You can also move content using module index.

1. Turn Edit mode on.
2. Open module index on the left of the screen.
3. Using the left button on your mouse, click and hold the content on module index, then drag and release it to the section you wish to move it to.

In Moodle 3.9, Module index is not available. You will need to click, hold and drag the grey four-arrowed shape above the content name in the main body of the module to move it to a different location.

If you have linked to external content or other modules, check your links at the start of each term to confirm that the link is still working.

Ensure that you are still linking to a page that is not restricted and is open to students. For example:

• Students will not be able to view a link to a resource on a Moodle module that they are not enrolled on. Creating links to resources in different Moodle modules is not a recommended method of displaying and presenting content to students.
• Students will not be able to view a webpage that is behind a paywall that the University does not subscribe to.
• Links to reading list material should be presented using Reading Lists Online resource and not added as a URL.
• Title your URLs with descriptive titles.
• Ensure that any URLs that you add via the text editor in Moodle are hyperlinked so that students can easily access them.

You should also ensure that the content on the webpage is accessible to students (e.g. works with screenreaders and captions are available on video content.) Accessibility guidance is available.

Archive Moodle to Moodle 4

The upgrade to Moodle4 has introduced a new URL. In practice, students enrolled from 2023/24 will not be able to access any links to archive Moodle as they are not enrolled on archive Moodle.

An example

In 2022/23 there was a link to https://www.moodle.city.ac.uk/your-old-module/your-lecture-slides within a label or a page. When this 2022/23 module was transferred to Moodle4 for the 2023/24 academic year content that is dynamically created within Moodle was rolled over, so sections are still sections, and quizzes still quizzes. However, links to external sites or archive Moodle are not edited.

- https://www.moodle.city.ac.uk/your-old-module/section-3/your-lecture-slides
Did not become...
- https://www.moodle4.city.ac.uk/section-3/your-old-module/your-lecture-slides
It remains a link to archive Moodle and inaccessible to new students.

What you can do

Check all your links. If the link takes you to moodle.city.ac.uk, consider whether this is something that is available in your moodle4.city.ac.uk module, if not, re-create the resource it is linking to and ensure the link points to the current Moodle.

 

1. Select the accessibility indicator to the right of the file to open the feedback panel. The feedback panel opens in an overlay on the Moodle module.
   • The left panel displays the file with areas highlighted in red and numbered that need action to improve accessibility. The panel on the right contains guidance on how to improve the file.
2. Open the original file on your computer/OneDrive.
   • If you don't have the original file you can select the download icon from the top of the feedback panel.
3. Select the link to All issues from the panel on the right to review all issues and decide which one to work on first.
4. Work through the guidance in the panel on the right to improve your file.
   • You can use the up and down arrow from the top of the left panel to move between related accessibility issues.
5. Once your file has been updated, save it.
6. Re-upload the file using the drop file/upload field in the panel on the right. This will update your score.
7. Select the X on the top right to close the feedback panel and to return to your Moodle module.

Screencast: Review and fix accessibility issues with Ally

You may wish to consider disabling the alternative format for a specific file if:

• the alternative format(s) is known to be incorrect.
• reviewing the content in a different format may reveal the answer to an activity that students are required to undertake while studying the content.

1. Select the alternative formats icon alongside the accessibility score indicator that appears next to the file resource. 
2. Select the down arrow that appears on the Download alternative formats overlay window. Select Disable alternative formats for this file.

   

3. Select the x icon on the top right of the overlay to return to the module page.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for any other files for which you want to disable alternative formats.

When students select the alternative format icon to download the content in a different format they will receive a message that The alternative formats for this file have been disabled.

You can re-enable alternative formats if required.

1. Select the alternative formats icon alongside the file.
2. An overlay will display. Select the Enable for this file button.

   

3. The alternative formats will display. Select the x in the top right to close the overlay and return to the module page.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each file where you want to re-enable alternative formats.