Structure your module guide

Getting the structure and organisation of your Moodle modules right can help your students find the relevant information at the right time. This guide will help you structure your module using a course format, sections, blocks and labels.

Course formats in Moodle control the layout of the module page and how lecturer content is organised. The same course format must be used by all modules on a programme. City Course Format is applied by default to all new modules. Grid format is available as an alternative format. 

Both formats present content in a three column layout.

1. Content is presented in the central column in collapsible sections in City Course Format and in grids in Grid format.
   • Sections in City Course Format can be displayed as topics or by week.
2. The Module index in a panel on the left provides a table of contents view of the module content. The panel can be closed and opened and the sections within the index can be collapsed and expanded.
3. Additional information and functionality provided via the Block drawer on the the right-hand side of the module. 

Feedback from students on what makes a good Moodle page highlighted the importance of clearly labelled content.  Students appreciate modules which are easy to navigate and organised so that resources were easy to find. Some tips:

• Organise your module into meaningful sections with unique names.
• Use descriptive titles and labels to put things in an order with related resources grouped together.
• Use meaningful names for files and activities, such as Reading for Week 1 Topic X instead of File3.
• Display resource or activity descriptions on the module page.
• Use the default font in Moodle. It is readable with enough contrast from the background.
• Use Moodle’s integrated headers.
• Make important information easy to find. Highlight the current section as live and use text styles in the text editor to add emphasis.
• Provide descriptive hyperlinks that can be understood out of context.
• Ensure that module content can be navigated using a keyboard only.
• Provide a staff email and phone number on each Moodle module for students to contact if they find content that is not accessible to them.
• Our Digital Accessibility guide provides advice on how to create, design and structure your content to ensure that it is accessible to your students.