Moodle Administration Course

Lesson 1 • What Is Moodle

Covers Moodle's history, open-source model, and pedagogical philosophy. Establishes context for all subsequent administrative decisions.

Lesson 2 • Navigating the Admin Interface

Introduces the Site Administration panel and dashboard layout. Enables confident navigation before deeper configuration tasks begin.

Lesson 3 • Moodle Architecture Overview

Explains the server-side components, database layer, and file storage structure. Provides the technical map administrators rely on throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Server Environment Preparation

Covers OS selection, required software stack, and firewall configuration. Correct environment setup prevents the majority of installation failures.

Lesson 2 • Running the Installation Wizard

Steps through the browser-based installer, database creation, and admin account setup. Completing this section yields a working Moodle site.

Lesson 3 • Configuring Cron and Background Tasks

Sets up the Moodle cron job and task scheduler for automated processes. Many core features depend on reliable cron execution.

Lesson 4 • Downloading and Deploying Moodle Files

Walks through obtaining the official package, verifying integrity, and placing files correctly. Ensures a clean, secure starting point.

Lesson 1 • Language and Localization Settings

Manages language packs, default locale, and date/time formats. Supports multilingual deployments and regional compliance.

Lesson 2 • Email and Notification Configuration

Sets up outbound mail, notification defaults, and digest options. Reliable email delivery is critical for user engagement.

Lesson 3 • Authentication and Registration Policies

Defines how users authenticate and self-register on the site. Policy decisions here affect security and user onboarding.

Lesson 4 • Theme Selection and Customization

Covers installing, selecting, and configuring themes for consistent branding. Visual identity is established through theme settings.

Lesson 1 • External Authentication Methods

Configures LDAP, SAML, OAuth2, and other external identity providers. Enables single sign-on and centralized identity management.

Lesson 2 • Cohorts and User Segmentation

Builds site-wide and category-level cohorts for mass enrollment. Cohorts are the primary tool for scalable user grouping.

Lesson 3 • Manual User Account Management

Covers creating, editing, suspending, and deleting individual accounts. Foundational skill before automating user provisioning.

Lesson 4 • Custom User Profile Fields

Creates organization-specific profile fields for reporting and segmentation. Extends the default user record to capture institutional data.

Lesson 1 • Course Categories and Hierarchy

Designs the category tree that organizes all courses on the site. A logical hierarchy simplifies navigation and permission delegation.

Lesson 2 • Course Templates and Defaults

Establishes default course settings and template courses for consistency. Standardizes structure across the catalog without manual repetition.

Lesson 3 • Bulk Course Operations

Uses course upload, backup, and restore tools to manage courses at scale. Saves significant time when deploying or updating many courses.

Lesson 4 • Creating and Configuring Courses

Sets course format, dates, completion tracking, and summary fields. Each setting directly affects learner experience and reporting.

Lesson 1 • Role Assignments and Delegation

Assigns roles at system, category, course, and activity levels. Delegation allows department heads to manage their own spaces.

Lesson 2 • Security Policies and Risk Mitigation

Configures site security settings, trusted hosts, and anti-spam measures. Proactive policy reduces breach risk and data exposure.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Capabilities and Contexts

Maps every capability to its applicable context levels and default values. Precise capability knowledge prevents accidental privilege escalation.

Lesson 4 • Auditing Permissions and Access Logs

Uses built-in reports to audit who has which role and what actions they performed. Regular audits detect misconfiguration and unauthorized access.

Lesson 1 • Managing Plugin Updates and Notifications

Monitors available updates, schedules maintenance windows, and tests updates safely. Keeping plugins current is essential for security.

Lesson 2 • Configuring Key Plugin Types

Configures activity modules, blocks, authentication, and enrollment plugins. Each plugin type has distinct configuration patterns administrators must know.

Lesson 3 • Plugin Troubleshooting and Removal

Diagnoses plugin conflicts, failed upgrades, and uninstallation procedures. Safe removal prevents database corruption and site breakage.

Lesson 4 • Moodle Plugin Ecosystem Overview

Surveys plugin types, the official plugin directory, and quality indicators. Informed selection prevents compatibility and security problems.

Lesson 1 • Database and File System Optimization

Tunes database indexes, table maintenance, and file system storage. Database health directly impacts page load times and reliability.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring and Performance Reporting

Uses built-in performance overview, server metrics, and external monitoring tools. Continuous monitoring enables proactive rather than reactive administration.

Lesson 3 • Caching Architecture and Configuration

Configures MUC stores including APCu, Redis, and Memcached for optimal speed. Proper caching is the single largest performance lever in Moodle.

Lesson 4 • Executing Moodle Version Upgrades

Follows the official upgrade path including pre-checks, file replacement, and post-upgrade validation. Structured upgrades prevent data loss and downtime.