Is your LMS falling short of your expectations? Are you able to teach online as effectively as you want? Whether you are a Moodle administrator or not, this guide will introduce you to three must-have plugins that can supercharge your online teaching experience. If you’re not an administrator, you’ll be able to provide clear guidance to your Moodle admin on implementing these tools.
The Power of Active Learning
Engagement is the key to better learning outcomes. Uncommon Sense Teaching highlights the profound impact of active learning—where students are immersed in the material, interacting and engaging both cognitively and emotionally. The plugins covered here are designed to enhance this engagement and make learning more meaningful.
1. Board: A Collaborative Learning Space
With the discontinuation of Jamboard on October 1, 2024, educators need an alternative for collaborative brainstorming and sharing. The Board plugin offers a similar functionality, allowing students to post thoughts, share images, and interact with their peers.
Why Use Board?
- Encourages student participation and creativity.
- Allows for structured collaboration with customizable columns.
- Includes a rating feature for peer and teacher feedback.
How to Set It Up
- Navigate to Activities and Resources and select Board.
- Name your board and provide a description (which can double as instructions).
- Customize the appearance with background colors and images.
- Enable or disable student contributions as needed.
- Embed the board into your course page to boost visibility and engagement.
2. H5P: Bringing Active Learning to Life
The H5P plugin is a powerhouse for interactive content creation. It supports various activity types, from simple multiple-choice questions to complex branching scenarios that simulate real-world decision-making.
Key Benefits
- Enhances retention through interactive activities.
- Provides retrieval practice with comprehensive feedback.
- Allows for multimedia-rich experiences, including videos, quizzes, and simulations.
Example Use Cases
- Interactive Videos: Present decision-making dilemmas, like those in the Apollo 13 mission, where student choices determine outcomes.
- Branching Scenarios: Use multimedia to create immersive learning experiences.
- Drag-and-Drop & Fill-in-the-Blanks: Reinforce concepts in a dynamic way.
3. Quiz Venture: Gamify Your Assessments
Gamification can significantly boost student motivation, and Quiz Venture turns traditional multiple-choice quizzes into an arcade-style shooting game.
How It Works
- Multiple-choice questions are converted into a game where answers appear as moving targets.
- Students must select the correct answer by shooting the right target.
- Ideal for reinforcing quick recall of key concepts.
Best Use Cases
- Vocabulary drills
- Math fact practice (e.g., multiplication tables)
- Quick review sessions
Installing Moodle Plugins
If you’re an administrator, follow these steps to install new plugins:
- Go to Site Administration > Plugins > Install Plugins.
- Choose to upload a downloaded plugin file or install directly from the Moodle Plugin Directory.
- Select the version that matches your Moodle installation.
- Moodle will check for compatibility and guide you through the installation process.
- Configure plugin settings as needed to match your course requirements.
Experience These Plugins in Action
To explore these plugins firsthand, visit our Mini Moodle Course, where you can interact with each tool in a live environment.
What’s Next?
In our next video, we’ll dive into three more plugins that will take your online teaching to the next level. Additionally, we’ll explore premium plugins that can elevate your Moodle site even further—without breaking the bank.
Make sure to watch the full video and subscribe to stay updated. Happy teaching; let’s get in touch!