On October 6, the major release Moodle 5.1.0 will be released with a support period of 18 months - the next LTS release will be Moodle 5.3 (LTS stands for Long-Term Support). The support period for LTS versions is 3 years. Security fixes from currently maintained versions are also checked and fixed in the LTS versions).
One of the most obvious changes for teachers and trainers has been implemented in Moodle 5.1 in the activity selection function. As soon as you activate the edit mode in the course and click on the plus sign at a desired point and then "Select activity or material", the activity selection opens. It shows all available activities and resources that you can add to your course.
You have two options for adding an activity:
- Click on the icon and then on "Add"
- Or: double-click on the icon to go directly to the settings form for this activity
New structure: colors and categories
Previously, course content in Moodle was categorized into "Activities" and "Resources". The new activity selection now groups the elements according to their pedagogical purpose - each category is identified by its own color. This provides a better overview and makes selection easier.
| Category | Typical activities | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | Tools for course management | Purple |
| Rating | Assignments, tests (quizzes), workshops | Pink |
| Cooperation | Forum, glossary, wiki, database | Blue |
| Communication | Chat, Survey (Choice), Feedback, BigBlueButton, Survey | Orange |
| Interactive content | H5P, lessons, SCORM packages, IMS packages | Brown |
| Resources | File, folder, book, page, URL, text/media areas | Turquoise |
Functions of the activity selection
The selection window for activities is divided into categories that are displayed as tabs. The exact categories depend on the administrator's settings and can include the following:
- All - a complete list of all activities and resources. Each activity has a star icon to mark it as a favorite and an information icon to open a window with more details and a link to documentation.
- Marked with an asterisk - any activity or resource that you (as a trainer) mark as a favorite. Activities marked with an asterisk are always displayed first.
- Recommended - Activities selected by the site administrator under Site Administration > Courses > Activity Selection > Recommended Activities. For new Moodle installations, this category is displayed by default.
- Categories - Each of the educational activity groups: Assessment, Collaboration, Communication, Administration, Interactive Content and Resources. Each pedagogical group has a matching icon color.
- MoodleNet - If this option is activated, a link to MoodleNet can be displayed in the footer of the selection window.
Please note that when using the search field, the results are displayed on the "All" tab and are not opened in a separate tab.
