Moodle 2.0 Terms

Theme

A "skin" to completely change the look and feel of your site or an individual course.

Activity chooser

A popup tool that allows teachers to add both activities and resources to a Moodle course. It contain descriptions and examples about each activity or resource module.

Available for group members only

An experimental setting that must be enabled if you want to show resources just to one group and not another.

Standard forum displayed in a blog-like format

An open forum where anyone can start a new discussion at any time, and in which discussion topics are displayed on one page with "Discuss this topic" links.

Course layout

The course setting which determines whether the whole course is displayed on one page or split over several pages. The setting currently applies to the topics and weekly course formats.

Dock

An area, typically on the far left, where blocks can be moved to and from. Docking is control by rectangluar icons on each block.

Folder

The resource module which enables a teacher to display a number of related files inside a single directoryr, reducing scrolling on the course page.

URL

The resource module which enables a teacher to provide a web link as a course resource.

Label

The resource module which enables text and multimedia to be inserted into the main course page in between links to other resources and activities. They are very versatile and can help to improve the appearance of a course if used thoughtfully.

Q And A Forum

This forum requires students to post their perspectives before viewing other students' postings. After the initial posting, students can view and respond to others' postings. This feature encourages original and independent thinking.

A single simple discussion

This forum type is best for discussion of a single topic. Posts all appear on one page. This forum is most useful for short, focused discussions.

Book

This module creates multi-page resources with a book-like format. It allows you to have main chapters and sub chapters. Books can be printed entirely or by chapter.

Conditional activities

A feature that enable teachers to restrict the availability of any activity or even a course section (in Moodle 2.3+) according to certain conditions such as dates, grade obtained, or activity completion.

Each person posts one discussion

A forum type which allows students to post exactly one new discussion topic, which everyone can then reply to.

Repository

A storage area, either within Moodle or external to Moodle, from which users can retrieve files to add to their course.

Chat

An activity module enables participants to have text-based, real-time synchronous discussions. Sessions are saved and can be made available for everyone to view or restricted to users with the capability to view session logs.

Plugin

An add-on for Moodle that adds functionality to it. Also referred to as a module.

Resource

Content or information the teacher brings into the course. These can be prepared files uploaded to the course server; pages edited directly in Moodle; or external web pages made to appear part of this course.

Completion tracking

Feature that allows the teacher to set completion criteria in a specific activity's settings and/or the entire course.

Block

Items which may be added to the left, right or center column (theme dependent) of a Moodle course. Used to display data from elsewhere in your course.

Drag and drop

The ability to move files from a users computer directly into a Moodle course by means of manipulating the mouse.

Forum

The activity module in which students and teachers can exchange ideas by posting comments. There are several forum types.

Assignment

The activity module which enables a teacher to communicate tasks, collect work and provide grades and feedback.

Wiki

The activity module which enables participants to add and edit a collection of web pages. This activity can be collaborative, with everyone being able to edit it, or individual, where everyone has their own page which only they can edit.

Quiz

The activity modules that enables a teacher to create assessments comprising questions of various types, such as multiple choice, matching, short-answer and numerical.

Format

The general organization and display features of a Moodle course

Glossary

This activity allows participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary. The entries can be searched or browsed in many different formats.

Lesson

This activity delivers content in an interesting and flexible way. It consists of a number of pages. Each page normally ends with a question and a number of possible answers. Depending on the student's choice of answer they either progress to the next page or are taken back to a previous page.

Feedback

This activity module allows you to construct questionnaires (surveys) using a variety of question types, for the purpose of gathering data from users.

Standard forum for general use

This an open forum where any one can start a new topic at any time. This is the best general-purpose forum.

Portfolio

This feature allows for student work to be exported from Moodle. When enabled, forum posts and other exportable data have an export icon or link beside them.

Choice

This poll-like activity module enables a teacher to ask a single question and offer a selection of possible responses. Results may be published after students have answered, after a certain date, or not at all.

Page

This resource module enables a teacher to create a web page resource using the text editor. This resource can display text, images, sound, video, web links and embedded code, such as Google maps.

Group

A collection of users within a course or particular activity.

My Home

A customizable "dashboard" page for providing users with links to their courses and activities within them, such as unread forum posts and upcoming assignments.

Breadcrumbs

A navigational aid that tracks the path a user takes through a Moodle site. It allows for quick navigation to a previously viewed page.

Workshop

A peer assessment activity with a huge array of options. It allows participants to assess each other's projects, as well as exemplar projects, in a number of ways. It also coordinates the collection and distribution of these assessments.

Private files

A repository unique to each user. The files in this area can only be viewed by others when linked within a course.

Grouping

A set of groups.

Community hub

A space to search, enroll in, and download shared courses.

Topic

The course format in which content is organized into topic sections that a numbered or titled.

Weekly

The course format in which content is organized week by week, with a clear start date and a finish date.

SCORM

The course format which has only has 1 section, and allows a teacher to insert a pre-built package.

Social

The course format which is oriented around one main forum. The forum introduction is displayed at the top of the course page.

File

The resource module which enables a teacher to add any digital file to a course.

File picker

Tool that enables files to be selected and displayed in Moodle.