Comparing Moodles

Before carrying out any user testing on Moodle, I decided to look at various universities to see if there is a similar structure. Although I cannot log on to any of these websites I could still compare the homepage structures to see if there are any differences or common features. 

I have displayed various Moodle home pages  from a variety of universities below:

Oxford Brookes

Cardiff

A feature I liked about the Moodle displayed below is the ability to choose a preferred language, this would serve as a benefit for students who are not native English speakers even though they have to earn the language when handing in assignments they need to feel comfortable and understand the requirements of using the website. I feel that this method could serve as a security to the student as they will be able to understand how to use the system and what needs to be handed in. Another form of practicality is that it gives those students studying a language the ability to practise it further. Although I like this feature and think it would be very useful I will not consider it for my project due to the time constraints that I have to complete it. 

Plymouth

Manchester

Trinity Saint David Swansea

Similarities

• They all identify the university either by a logo or displaying the name
• A login form is provided for staff and students to access the system
• Links to other features/websites seem to be incorporated (these can be as a form of aid to students or just another way to access things)

Comparing the Website:

• Each Moodle has it's own unique colour combination
• Content displayed on the homepage differs some provide more text whereas other use images/icons
• University logos are barely used on the site
• They all provide the ability to login and access services
• Only once logged in can the services be accessed

Out of the Moodle pages I have looked at I do feel that Trinity Saint David Swansea is the most appealing looking one. There seems to have been a more creative input other than just a simple looking page with information scattered. The text within this website has been kept to a minimum and used only when it is needed. The website provides students with direct links other useful websites, such as the library where they can access resources for projects. Their email accounts are also connected to the Moodle page therefore attracting a large amount of traffic as there are multiple feature that can be accessed from one website.  Social networking sites and the university's official website can also be found at the bottom of the page as an icon which if you hover over it tells you what it is. The page uses large image icons displaying important information that students will need to use, this is also an effective method to fill blank spaces without clattering the page. The TSD page also has the official logo incorporated which I found effective as the rest do not seem to have this.