Faculty Guide to New Features in Moodle 4.3

1. Look and Feel

The new version of Moodle has an updated look and feel, while maintaining much of the same structure and layout.

2. Editing Mode Toggle

The Turn Editing On button as been replaced with an Edit Mode toggle. Click on the toggle in the upper right corner of the screen to turn on editing mode.

3. Course Index

The Course Index has replaced the left navigation panel. Use this to quickly navigate through course content by scrolling up and down. You can also move course items from within the Course Index when editing mode is turned on.

Opening the Course Index

To access the Course Index, click the green tab located at the upper left of your screen.

Closing the Course Index

To close the Course Index, click on the X at its top.

Using the Course Index to Move Items

To move items from within the Course Index, first make sure that editing mode is turned on. Then simply click on the item you want to move and drag it up or down to the desired location.

Menu items like Grades and Participants, formerly in the left navigation, and various course settings and options, formerly found by clicking on the gear icon, have been combined into a new horizontal Course Menu found at the top of each course page.

5. Course Visibility

To access the Show/Hide setting for your course, click on Settings in the Course Menu.

6. Collapsible Sections

You will now have the ability to expand and collapse individual topic or week sections within a course to make it easier to focus in on content that is most relevant during a given time.

Collapsing Sections

Click on the downward facing arrow beside a section name to collapse that section. Click on the Collapse All link at the top of the course content area to collapse all sections.

Collapsing and expanding sections only impacts your view of the course. Students also have the option to collapse and expand sections within their personal view of the course.

Opening Sections

Click on the right facing arrow beside a section name to open that section. Click on the Expand All link at the top of the course content area to collapse all sections.

7. Importing, Backing Up, and Restoring Courses

Options for importing, backing up, and restoring courses have been combined into the Course Reuse page. To access this page, click on More in the Course Menu and then select Course Reuse.

Accessing the Course Reuse Page

To access this page, click on More in the Course Menu and then select Course Reuse.

Select the Desired Reuse Option

At the top of the screen, click on the dropdown menu to select the course reuse option you would like to use. The default option is Import. Other aspects of this process have not changed.

Be aware that choosing the Course Reuse option will directly take you to the Import page. Ensure this is the action you intend to take before continuing with the process.

8. Collapsible Block Drawer

Blocks, found on the right side of your screen, are now contained within the Block Drawer, which can be toggled open and closed.

Opening the Block Drawer

To access the Block Drawer, click the green tab located at the upper right of your screen.

Closing the Block Drawer

To close the Block Drawer, click on the X at its top.

Location & Customization

The Block Drawer can be found on all course sites and on your Dashboard. You may find that the Block Drawer is empty if you haven't added any blocks yet. You can customize the blocks found in a course or on the Dashboard by turning on editing mode and selecting Add a block at the top of the Block Drawer.

When viewing an an activity or resource, the Activity Menu at the top of the screen makes it easy to access all activity settings within one place. The menu options are unique to the activity type.

Be aware that if you switch between tabs, you must save your changes first. If you select a different tab without saving, any unsaved changes will be lost.

10. Bulk Actions

The new Bulk Actions feature makes it easy to Show/Hide, Duplicate, Move, or Delete multiple items within a course at once.

Access Bulk Actions

With editing mode turned on, click on the Bulk Actions link in the upper right corner of the main course content area.

Select Items to Update

To select course items for a bulk action, click on the checkboxes next to each item. You have the option to select entire sections as well. Please note that you can only perform one type of bulk action (such as duplicate or delete) at a time.

Select Bulk Action Type

In the footer at the bottom of the screen, select the action you would like to perform with the selected items.

11. Add an Activity or Resource Options

In addition to using the Add an Activity or Resource link at the bottom of a section to add a new item, you can also insert a new Activity or Resource between existing items. To do this, hover your cursor over the line that appears between two items. When you see a circle with a plus sign inside it, click on it to open the Activity and Resource menu.

12. Course Update Notifications

Instructors now have the ability to send a notification when a new item is added to a course or an existing item is updated. To activate this notification for a specific item, access the settings for that item and click the checkbox beside Send content change notification before saving. All course participants, including both instructors and students, will receive the notification in their email. Please note that users may turn these notifications off in their notification settings.

New Content Notification Sample

Content Change Notification Sample

13. Access Recent Courses

To see a list of recently accessed courses from within a course site, click on the grey circular arrow icon at the upper right of the main course content area.

14. Access Course Activities by Type

To view course activities by type (e.g. Assignments, Forums, Quizzes, etc.), click on the grey menu icon at the upper right of the main course content area.

15. Manage External Tools for Textbook Integrations

External tools, used to manage integrations with publisher content, can be enabled at the course level. Popular tools available to all Manhattan College users are listed directly in the Activity chooser.

To learn more, visit this tutorial:

External Tools and Textbook Integrations

16. Text and Media Area

The Text and Media Area is now the new name for what was previously known as the Label resource type.

17. Timed Assignments

You can now set a time limit for Assignments, similar to the time limits in quizzes. This feature is especially useful if the Assignment module is being used for exams. To enable the Time Limit option, go to the Assignment settings and find it under the Availability section, where other date-related options are also located.

18. Assignment Description and Instructions

The information for assignments is now categorized into two distinct sections: Description and Activity Instructions.

Activity Description

This section is the existing feature for Assignments. The Activity Description is displayed to students on both the initial landing page of an assignment and on the submission page. It should always be used to provide essential information relevant to all assignments.

Activity Instructions

Activity Instructions are only visible on the submission page of an Assignment. This section is particularly useful for conveying additional details right before a student submits their work. For instance, you can include reminders about the required file format here. You may leave this field blank if it doesn't serve your needs.

Use the Description section for conveying the bulk of the assignment information, as this is the first thing students see when accessing the assignment. Vital information included only in the Instructions section might be overlooked by students.