Page Layout & Blocks
The main course page in Moodle is divided into blocks and weeks/topics. Blocks are located on the left and right columns of the window. Your instructor can customize the blocks in your course to meet the needs of the course. Course content is organized by either weeks or topics and is the middle column of the course.
Blocks
Blocks are tools located in the left and right columns. There are many different blocks or tools that your can instructor can make available to you. Some common blocks are included in the image below -Activities, Latest News, Participants and Recent Activity. Your instructor may choose to create a custom block that includes specific information related to your course.
Weeks/ Topics
Course content, or resources and activities, is typically organized by week or by topic. Weekly organization is indicated by dates for each section of content. The course in the image below is organized by weeks.Courses organized by topic, will have the label "Topic" and the topic number instead of dates. You may see all weeks/topics at once, or the weeks/topics may be made available as your course progresses.
Description of items:
- Your Name/ Logout - Click on your name to view your profile. Click Logout to exit Moodle.
- Bread Crumb Trail – The last item in the trail represents your current location. The move to the previous screen, click on the next-to-last item in the bread crumb trail. To return to your main course page (view seen here), click on the course name. Clicking on Home, will return you to the main Moodle home page listing all available courses.
- People block – Clicking on Participants under the People block, will take you to the course participant list. From here you can see all participants in this course and send messages to other participants and your instructor.
- Activities block – This block lists the types of activities deployed in your course. Clicking on any of the items will provide a list of all activities of that type. For example, if you click on Quizzes, you will see a list of all the quizzes for your course and the week/topic they are deployed in. Please note that some activities and resources are time restricted and may only be available during a specific time period.
- Search Forums block – Enter keywords to search discussions in the forum.
- Administration block – Provides access to your grades or profile.
- Latest News block – Contains recent news or announcements for your course.
- Upcoming Events block – Contains any activities or quizzes with upcoming due dates.
- Recent Activity block – Lists recent course activity including forum posts, activities or resources.
- Course Information area – This area contains course information such as the syllabus, news forum, social forums, and other materials you will refer back to during the semester.
- News Forum – The News Forum is where your instructor will post announcements and course updates. You should check the News Forum often.
- Week/Topic Heading – Your course will be organized by weeks or by topics. Each week/topic will have a heading with an overview of the covered material.
- Collapse/ Expand Week – This button on the right of each week/topic will allow you to collapse the view and see only the current week/topic or expand to see all weeks/topics.
- Course Links – Items highlighted or shaded represent a course link or a glossary link. Clicking on the highlighted word will take you that specific resource or activity.