MAQ is designed around the 31 digital competences of the DigCompLMSAdmin, adapted to a Moodle environment:

Implementation

An appropriate LMS is installed on an agreed OS with appropriate institutional safeguards in place.

  • Installation – Set up an LMS on a suitable hosting environment.
  • Security – Incorporate good practice in embedding security in the LMS.
  • Privacy – Enable agreed privacy procedures appropriate to the institution and location.
  • Site policy – Enable agreed site policies appropriate to the institution and location

Maintenance and support

The LMS is regularly maintained and upgraded according to agreed deadlines.

  • Performance – Use recommended performance measures for optimisation and scalability.
  • Upgrading – Implement an agreed policy of regular upgrades.
  • Year end / Rollover – Incorporate regular backups and resets in line with institutional requirements.
  • Support structures – Support learners and staff to use the LMS.

Site structure

The LMS is organised in line with institutional requirements.

  • Site / course defaults – Enable and record the most suitable site settings for the institution. Consider the use of course templates and site admin presets.
  • Course / Category management – Organise the LMS learning pathways in line with the needs of the institution.
  • Repositories / portfolios – Select the appropriate standard repositories and portfolios for learning and teaching.

User management

Access to the LMS meets requirements and can adapt to changing needs.

  • Authentication – Identify, enable and monitor authentication methods relevant to the institution.
  • Enrolment – Identify, enable and monitor enrolment methods relevant to the institution.
  • Roles – Assign, adapt and create roles appropriately.
  • Capabilities and Permissions – Make thoughtful use of permissions to extend or restrict capabilities.

Site appearance and functionality (UX)

The LMS is appropriately branded and offers an accessible, inclusive user experience

  • Navigation – Use appropriate settings and features to ensure users can easily locate everything in the LMS.
  • Customisation – Brand or personalise the LMS with standard or contributed options.
  • Accessibility – Ensure the LMS meets official accessibility standards.
  • Inclusion – Ensure access on mobile devices, via mobile browsers and the mobile app, and mobile-friendly courses.

Monitoring

Relevant reporting and analytics processes optimise the LMS for learning.

  • Site reports – Run, create and, where appropriate share, relevant site reports with appropriate stakeholders.
  • Course reports – Understand and promote the use of course reports.
  • Analytics – Critically evaluate and implement, where appropriate, learning analytics.
  • Event monitoring – Critically evaluate and implement where appropriate event monitoring.

Plugins and Extensions

Plugins and external services extend the LMS.

  • Integration policy – Implement and update plugins and other integrations in line with an institutional policy.
  • Community contributions – Install agreed useful plugins from https://moodle.org/plugins/.
  • Commercial add-ons – Connect to agreed purchased integrations such as Student Management systems or LMS integrations.
  • LTI – Evaluate and implement requested External tools, mindful of appropriate security and privacy settings.
  • Web services – Understand and, where appropriate, enable and use relevant web services.
  • Open Educational Resources (OER)- Enable and promote the sharing of open content via Moodle.Net.

Professional practice

Experience is shared with appropriate personal, institutional and community connections

  • Community troubleshooting and collaboration – Report bugs and raise queries in the Moodle community via the Tracker and Moodle.org and contribute to the Moodle docs. Contribute within the organisation’s local or regional communities.
  • Reflective practice – Engage in post-upgrade reviews, discussions with other admins, personal journals / blogging.

 

In the MAQ, candidates have access to detailed information about the digital competences that are the foundation of effective Moodle LMS administration.
The eight MAQ courses, matching the eight competence areas, are online, asynchronous and facilitated.

In each course there are formative questions to evaluate each competence, along with a summative knowledge quiz and short written assignment giving candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and share their experiences of managing their own Moodle site.