The era of distance learning (FAD) continues. Online training courses are an integral part of the journey towards digital transformation for every company, from SMEs to large corporations and the public administration.
Classroom lessons have not disappeared altogether, but in most cases they have been complemented by digital paths or materials. In this way, employees can enjoy continuous training, which they can use by organising their working time and commitments independently.
What are the benefits of e-learning for companies?
There are many advantages for companies that decide to adopt a digital training model such as e-learning:
Continuity: in the absence of time-consuming organisational steps, a higher number of online courses can be scheduled. Moreover, the continuous training of one's employees is also synonymous with competitiveness.
Reduced costs: with online teaching, the costs of travelling for lecturers and employees are contained and the costs of finding suitable premises are reduced. In addition, more employees can be trained at the same time, without the need to organise travel.
Monitoring: it is easier to effectively monitor the learning process and change when the results are not as expected.
Time and schedule flexibility: lessons can also be taken from home, without moving and at a time that suits you.
Effectiveness: distance learning is often more effective because the multimedia content (written documents, video, audio, animations, presentations) is more varied.
Moodle 4.0 is the right platform.
If you are planning an e-learning course, or if you want to refresh what you have already done with the previous versions of Moodle (Moodle 2x, Moodle 3.5) to make it easier to use and more attractive to your users, Moodle 4.0 is the solution you are looking for... and we at NSI can help you implement it.
Moodle LMS 4.0 is the fruit of 300 million users whose user experience has made this new version intuitive, fresh, and bringing a new contemporary look and feel. The course experience has been redefined by simplifying the creation and editing of courses by trainers, prioritisation and completion of course work by learners.
What exactly changes?
1. New design and easier navigation
Moodle 4.0 has introduced a new design, a responsive visual style and consistency across devices. The new navigation hierarchy is simple and shows what is relevant to a course participant. Access to the most frequently used elements is provided via tabbed navigation, so that it is consistent from both desktop and smartphone. These improvements reduce cognitive load and allow trainers and learners to easily find what they want, when they need it.
2. More effective course page and revamped dashboard
The course page clearly displays all relevant information and actions required for each activity, including description, completion conditions and status, activity dates and restrictions (if applicable). Learners can also compress or expand sections within the course pages to focus on particular content or activities.
The dashboard welcomes the learner and summarises important activities within a time sequence with clear call-to-action buttons. The dashboard also includes a single-view calendar of requirements, where learners can import or export other calendars.
These enhancements allow learners to anticipate deadlines and manage their time more efficiently.
3. Table of contents, update priority and 'My courses' page
To achieve more efficient teaching and learning, here are 3 new additions to Moodle.
With the new compressible and expandable course index on the page, it becomes easier and faster for learners and trainers to find resources and activities or to keep track of their completion.
Another new expandable and compressible component on the right-hand side of the screen allows trainers to prioritise blocks showing course-specific updates, information and reminders. Learners, on the other hand, can choose to compress or expand blocks to reduce visual clutter and focus on learning.
In addition, 'My Courses' is a new page that helps trainers and learners quickly search, visualise and navigate through all their courses.
4. Open source virtual classroom - BigBlueButton
Students become more engaged with BigBlueButton, the open source web conference and virtual classroom integrated into Moodle 4.0.
BigBlueButton provides real-time sharing of audio, video, chat, slides, screen, multi-user whiteboard, group rooms, polls and emoji. A key tool for promoting engagement.
5. Easy Quizzes and Tasks
The quiz has been improved so that trainers can analyse the success of particular question types within the quizzes and create different versions based on assessment performance. In addition, the introduction of time allocation allows trainers to improve trainee concentration and minimise distractions.
6. Improved accessibility
Moodle 4.0 is developed according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Improvements to the text editor make it easier for people using keyword navigation or screen readers to create and edit content.
7. Other improvements...
- Content creators can automatically alert learners about new content or updates via the Moodle app or email, so learners can keep up to date with new course requirements.
- With Report Builder, trainers can generate customised reports to measure learners' progress and improve learning programmes.
- All new users will get to know the platform quickly thanks to Moodle's updated user tours that orient newcomers and provide quick tips on key features.
Here is a short video that elaborates on what we told you above.
