Creating (or updating) an e-learning environment can seem incredibly daunting, particularly if you’re new to Moodle. You’ll have a solid concept and a good idea of what completion should look like, but the bit in the middle is a mystery.

Happily, Moodle’s modular design, customisable architecture, and vast array of optional plugins offer everything you might need for an engaging e-learning experience. Of course, ‘everything you might need’ means you have to know where to look…

How to choose a Project Support level

For those who want help building their e-learning environment, we offer a range of time-restricted project support hours. Some just want a bit of a boost at the beginning, while others prefer we handle it all on their behalf – the choice is entirely yours.

→ Project pricing is resource-based, so only pay for the time you need

→ Start with a basic bundle, then add another if you want more hours

→ We can be light-touch or fully involved – whatever your budget dictates

If you aren’t sure what your e-learning strategy will ultimately require, project support can also be staged as an ad-hoc service, based on immediate needs and short-term goals. While every project pathway is org-specific, a general guide is:

Low or no course materials

Go QuickStart Basic for kickoff, using the hours for initial customisation support, configuration help, and course framework creation. Need more at a later date or when you’ve gathered more materials? Buy another bundle.

Course materials, but no urgency

Go QuickStart Core or QuickStart Premium for kickoff, and see how far you get in tasks and asks with paid-for hours. Based on your build status, when you’ve reached your paid-for limit, we can estimate additional time required (if necessary) to help you reach your goal.

Course materials, complexity and/or deadline urgency

Tell us what you’ve got and what you want to do with it, and we’ll suggest a Flexi Parcel (or combination of QuickStart bundles) for kickoff, based on the details you provide. As the build progresses and time taken is tracked, you can consider the balance of hours in line with your deadline/assessment of ongoing needs.

Our support services are modular and exceptionally flexible, so if your long-term plans are more of a marathon than a sprint, you can coordinate Moodle expertise in a timeframe that suits every stage of your e-learning journey.

Moodle customisation categories

There are multiple areas to an LMS build, but it all starts with a core Moodle ‘shell’. Once that’s set up on our servers, everything happens in stages, and you’ll get regular check-ins for configuration and feedback Q&As. Project pathways are scalable, so any stage can be repeated (in line with your chosen project bundle) until you’re ready for your first set of learners…

UX Design

It’s easiest to think of Moodle like Lego – there’s a full framework provided on install (core) that you can build on by adding the additional functions you want (optional plugins), and everything can be customised and configured to suit.

Give us a list of required features and functions and any optional plugins you’d like to try. We can add the plugins to the site as part of the initial setup or ad-hoc as/when instructed if something comes up as part of the build.

UX (user experience) covers the whole journey, from log in to log off, so the build process also includes recommending micro and macro scaffolding (e.g. signposting, learner pathway guidance, contextual explanations, etc.) where appropriate, enhancing end-user experience as your project progresses.

UI Design

The biggest impact on your UI (user interface) is the Moodle theme you choose. For cost-efficient future-proofing, we always recommend customising a pre-built theme rather than paying for something completely bespoke.

There are plenty of no-cost and low-cost designs available that can all be customised for branding (i.e. colours, logos, fonts), while some will also have options for layout (i.e. homepage sliders, advertising hotspots, menu positioning, etc.)

As every Moodle version upgrade will need a theme version upgrade to stay compatible, keeping a bespoke theme current can get pricey, fast. Instead, pick a pre-built option based on budget and function, and we can help with configuration and customisation to ensure a cohesive brand aesthetic.

Integrations

From analytics to accessibility, language learning to virtual classrooms, Moodle Certified Integrations are designed to elevate the learner experience. But there may also be third-party solutions you want to integrate to support your wider activities.

Depending on the platform, you might need an active license, but the Moodle integration plugin is free (e.g. Turnitin, Zoom). Alternatively, you’ll need a license for the platform, and the integration plugin is also a paid-for tool (e.g. Salesforce, iMIS).

We can help with setup and configuration, but you should always purchase third-party tools directly so subscriptions/license keys remain under your control.

NB: If no integration plugin currently exists, core Moodle has built-in web services that can be developed to deliver the integration you need.

Course Design

Designing a course starts with choosing the best course format for your content delivery. While core Moodle has options, you’ve got plenty more to choose from in the plugins database, and they all come with customisation settings that can be tweaked to get things just right.

Next, you need to structure the interactive elements of your courseware. These are the Activities that a learner directly contributes to in order to complete a course, and include Quiz, Assignment, H5P, and more. Is group participation important? Then add a Forum…

If you’re transitioning from F2F or another platform, everything can be customised to reflect what users are familiar with. No matter the stage in your e-learning journey, we can recommend plugins that deliver the functionalities you need, then tailor course delivery to your requirements.

Site Configurations

On a server level, our web hosting stack has been built specifically with Moodle in mind and is tuned for the best performance. Which means you can concentrate on pedagogical best practices and get your learning online efficiently and effectively.

We can recommend and implement example configurations in Site Administration (enrolment methods, tracking progress, custom reporting, etc.), but you always have full administrative access for all site-level changes, including plugin installation.

You also have full control over your Moodle site’s domain, so while most sites start out on a placeholder URL, we can support you through the process of org-associating your URL, step by step. At every stage of your project pathway, you control every task and ask (and paid-for hour) until you’re ready for sign-off.

Project timelines

The most important thing to keep in mind is that populating a Moodle site ready for learners is always client-led in terms of timescale. We can build your courseware and apply all best-practice configurations, settings and customisations, but you are the subject-matter experts for your e-learning, so all course materials must come from you.

We can recommend formats or point out areas that seem a little sparse (where signposting would improve learner experience, for example), but the ultimate speed of completion isn’t something we control – it’s down to how fast you can gather everything you need and pass it over. Which means the more you’ve got organised before project launch (course materials, images, grading details, quiz questions, test answers, etc.), the more efficient your start-to-finish timeline will be.

If you’re planning to source content from a third-party provider, it will be handled in exactly the same way as if you’d created the materials yourself – pass it over, and we’ll build a course environment that is optimised for learner engagement.

Once you’re ready to get started, the process goes something like this…

→ Tell us what you want to do and how much of our involvement you’d like, and we’ll get back to you with an estimate of hours required and a proposed timescale, based on the details provided. If the hours and timescale suit, we’ll send you a formal quote and specification for acceptance; with that in hand, we’ll be able to coordinate a kickoff date.

→ Particularly for time-sensitive projects, we’ll agree on a client-side response turnaround in advance of kickoff (48 hours is common) so we know when it’s appropriate to chase for answers to questions (or outstanding materials) in order to maintain momentum.

→ All tasks and asks are instructed via email/ticket so that time taken can be accurately tracked. Project updates are also provided in writing, so you have full oversight of progression.

→ Project updates may include requests for feedback or missing materials, questions about configuration objectives, or anything needed to complete a task or ask. As everything is tracked in email/tickets, you’ll be able to see what has been completed from the original specification, and track additional tasks and asks.

→ Project updates will include letting you know where you stand on hours if you’re getting close to your paid-for limit. If necessary, we’ll quote for additional hours required and can provide a ticket-time-taken-to-date CSV on request at any stage.

All-inclusive project support

If you want a full-service solution, our flexible support packages cover all the project essentials without the individual fees. Providing a collective allowance with no restrictions on allocation, Flexi Parcels can be used for design, development, consultancy, training, integration, and support. If you also need strategic post-deployment services, a concierge suite can be arranged, tailored to your preferred term or timeframe.