Moodle 3.4 is here and we’re looking at all the Possibilities!

Rucha Gotarkar

With so many tweaks and updates going on for Moodle and by Moodle, it is always a genuine surprise when Moodle announces a full-fledged update.

Well, Moodle 3.4 is here and we can’t wait to explore it’s possibilities!

What exactly can we expect from Moodle 3.4?

Upgrade: A Modified Dashboard

The students can now simply cruise through their courses- thank the new swanky dashboard that shouts out “convenience”!

• The modified dashboard gives access to a timeline of all activities that span across a course.
• Direct links to activities will save a student’s time and effort.
• Imagine a progress bar for every course you’re enrolled into- one quick look and you will know just how much more you need to complete those courses
• When it comes to learning, Moodle doesn’t believe in wasting time. You can start learning right away with easy links on the screen.
• With a seamless page navigation and overview, students will be able to move through the pages and retract all information necessary for progressing ahead.

Upgrade: More visibility of the Moodle Mobile App

Aiming to increase users of the mobile app, you will see a lot of notifications and messages about the app on the Moodle site.

• With increased use of the app, more possibilities can develop for the same over time.
• Learners spend more time engaged in their cell-phones than the desktop. This fact can be used to design courses and quizzes that way.
• Moreover it eases connectivity issues as mobile phones are easily accessible. Constant updates and reminders could be given out.

Upgrade: In-built Analytics Module

Project Inspire for course analytics has been taken very, very seriously and is finally incorporated in the Moodle Core.

• A dedicated dashboard for course analytics will increase the user’s ability to continuously assess their own performance and improve it henceforth.
• This AI based information sharing solution can go a long way in providing instinctive results to the students
• Trends can be identified from the scores and performances of learners, obtained from the analytics dashboard, which can point to the required changes in the learning system.

Upgrade: Improved Calendar Usability

Moodle has made the calendar a lot more easier to use than it was before.

• The calendar page can be turned into a template, so that it becomes a cakewalk to edit, add or remove events.
• The new calendar can be used to create activities there itself, instead of creating an activity first and then linking it to the respective dates.
• Some events that recur every year can be set as default.
• Events that go on for a duration longer than a day can have sub-events for every step/ process of the event.
• Calendars with customised dates and settings can be saved as templates to avoid having to make the same changes again and again.

Upgrade: Merged Participant-User Lists

To avoid repetition of data which is used for the same purpose, Moodle 3.4 finally merged user lists and participant lists.

• The database could have features to add, remove or edit information of enrolled users and participants.
• The entire tables should be compatible with import and export features in Moodle.

Upgrade: Dynamic SCSS Compilation and Caching

Relief for the Moodlers! This version has introduced dynamic SCSS compilation and caching for Moodle developers.

• Loading time for pages could be reduced to a minimum.
• Codes will be easy to edit and compile.
• Coding standards are to become cleaner with better flow and structure.

Well, well. Now that you’ve seen our perspective on what we should and can achieve with Moodle 3.4, we would love to know your version!

Email your suggestions at support@wisdmlabs.com or engage us in a conversation in the comments section below!