What do we mean?
Course Contact = a nominated staff member to act as the main contact for the Course
Moodle Course Page = a landing page for the entire course (either all years groups, or per year)
Moodle Unit Page = a Moodle page for an individual unit (e.g for AB10001)
Moodle Course and Unit Template = a template for the Course and Unit Pages. The template consists of two parts: (1) an Essential Unit Information Area; (2) and a Content Area
Moodle Essential Unit Information Area = an area which appears by default at the top of each Moodle page for manual entry of key information in a consistent way
Moodle Content Area = is the main body of your Unit page – in other words, the place where you can upload content, resources and activities
Further information
The Bath Blend
Bath Blend Baseline For Moodle
Moodle Essential Unit Information area
Quick Guides - The Bath Blend Baseline Templates for Moodle
The University's approach to course delivery is called the Bath Blend. To enable staff to deliver the Bath Blend within Moodle, we have a Bath Blend Baseline for Moodle and have developed a Moodle Essential Information Area, which appears at the top of every Moodle unit page. Unit and course-level templates are also available.
The Moodle Templates provide staff with a quick and easy way to provide structure, consistency and clarity to Moodle spaces, but at the same time provide the flexibility to layout content as benefits your subject or discipline. The Templates also use the Moodle theme that determines the colours and layout of your Moodle spaces, and is more mobile-friendly and accessible so that all users will benefit from a better online experience.
Consistency and why it is important
We recommend that you work as a team across a Course, under the co-ordination of a nominated Course Contact, to ensure a consistent approach for students across their Course. The recommendation is for each Course to have a corresponding Moodle Course page (that is, a landing page for the Course, with key information such as a programme handbooks and a forum to build a sense of community and engagement at Course level) that is linked to the individual Moodle Units in that Course. For each Moodle Unit, it is essential that there is a clear and consistent layout to key information and resources that is similar, or coherent, across the entire Course. In other words, there is a coherent look and feel to each Moodle Unit in a Course. You do not have to use our templates to achieve this, but for staff who need a structured example, or want to start afresh on a blank page, our templates provide a great starting point to developing your pages.
Certainly, it is no coincidence that most online learning providers (such as Wiley – Bath’s chosen partner) use clear, consistent and well-structured courses to guide online learners through content and activities. Well-structured content, that makes clear to students what they are expected to do and by when, can support students to work independently (when accompanied by a course-wide approach to developing independent and active learning). Clear and consistent availability of information enables also students to better understand and locate course content and resources, their assessment deadlines, and how and when they need to communicate with tutors and fellow students. This in turn can lead to students asking fewer questions of staff as the information they need is visible and easy to find.
No, the templates are on an opt-in basis, but they are highly recommended. If you opt-in, the TEL team will create you a new blank course with the relevant template applied, for you populate with content (either new or existing). The templates can not be applied to existing Moodle pages.
Considerations
- The templates are more mobile-friendly. Please note: staff will notice that the right-hand block area is removed in the new theme (but blocks are still available in the left-hand side)
- The template will continue to be developed and refined with staff input
As a Course Team, please read and discuss the Key Developments and Key Decisions information below, and take a look at the Moodle Templates at the bottom of the page. Once the course Team have reflected on their approach to CASE on their Moodle pages, and have decided as a Team if they wish to use the templates or not, please contact the TEL team using our online form, ideally via a course leader/contact.
Considerations
- Be consistent on your Moodle Units across a Course – e.g. in terms of layout, structure and formatting
- Where a Unit is delivered in conjunction with another Department or Faculty/School, there should be coherence across these Units where possible
- Pay particular attention to any Units you teach across year groups (e.g. first year and second year) to ensure there is consistency for both groups
Moodle Unit template online guide
This online guide explains how to populate your Moodle unit template and provides examples of learning activities and guidance for students
For support contact the TEL team
Updated on: 16/09/2022