E-learning and LMS blog articles

For any organisation looking to utilise e-learning technology to cultivate a culture of continuous learning, Moodle is likely to be at the forefront when identifying a suitable solution. Having been developed over 20 years ago, Moodle has stood the test of time with millions of global users benefitting from this leading LMS to this day – making it one of the world’s most popular e-learning solutions. In this blog, we’ll explore why Moodle remains indispensable for so many organisations by counting down the five top benefits of using a Moodle LMS.

What is a Moodle LMS?

Moodle is a learning management system (LMS) used to manage, deliver and measure online learning and development activities. With a Moodle LMS, organisations can build, upload and manage e-learning content and deliver it to learners in a centralised online learning environment.

Learn everything you need to know about a Moodle LMS and its range of features by reading our ultimate guide to Moodle.

Let's explore some key Moodle benefits

1. User-friendly interface and functionality

One of the biggest benefits of Moodle is that it is widely renowned for being easy to use and developed with even the most inexperienced users in mind. Hubken client, Distance Learning Centre, came to us looking for an LMS with an intuitive and easy to use user-interface and certainly found it in their chosen Moodle solution.

With elements such as a responsive design, simple activity set-up, and straightforward drag-and-drop course builders, Moodle benefits any L&D admins and managers who are carrying out the process of moving their training initiatives onto a digital platform.

What’s more, a Hubken Moodle solution features our unique enhancements, designed to further improve the user experience and UI. We’ve made modifications such as enhancing the homepage, site navigation, and course view; all with ease of use in mind. Find out more about the unique UX modifications we offer by visiting our HubkenCore UX page.

2. Flexible and customisable

Moodle is an open-source platform, meaning its code is freely available to use and can be modified by anyone with an understanding of programming. But its user-friendly functionality makes it easy for even those with little understanding of programming to use and develop the out-of-the-box version of Moodle. As an open-source platform with a user-friendly interface, Moodle is configurable, highly customisable, and fully flexible; as a result, Moodle can be tailored to suit the individual training needs of a business or organisation.

Moodle admins can customise elements such as dashboards, site layout and navigation, keeping specific users in mind and mapping out the desired journey that learners should be taking when using the platform. Admins can also make the most of a wide range of course designs, content types such as text, videos and audio clips, and a diverse array of activity options such as quizzes, forums and wikis – allowing organisations to align e-learning content with their own L&D objectives and requirements.

Additionally, the functionality of roles and permissions in Moodle allows admins to customise and define an individual user’s ability to use the platform. This is beneficial for admins looking to have control over access and visibility, such as granting teachers access to a wider range of LMS reports than students. It’s worth noting here, however, that Moodle’s roles and permissions functionality is somewhat limited, whereas an LMS such as Totara Learn offers a more complex and powerful hierarchies tool.

3. The global community of Moodle users

As a well-established platform with a long history and a huge number of users, Moodle boasts one of the largest communities of global users. The benefit of this is that Moodle users can easily seek out advice, top tips and any help with troubleshooting and issues with a quick internet search. There are a great many Moodle group discussion boards and forums, with readily available answers to previously asked questions.

However, while Moodle users may have the solution to most straightforward platform issues, many users will rely on the expertise of their hosting provider when in need of support. When opting for a fully hosted Moodle solution, it's best to choose a provider with years of experience and product knowledge, along with support services that don’t come at an additional cost. That’s why we offer unlimited support to all of our clients, along with a full training video library with our HubkenCore package – find out more about Hubken’s powerful all-in-one e-learning solutions here.

4. Moodle is a cost-effective LMS

Moodle is a free-to-use open-source platform, meaning there are no upfront costs and no licence fees. As a result, Moodle costs a fraction of the price to run when compared to proprietary LMS software. So, does running a Moodle LMS cost nothing? The short answer is no, and the final cost can vary depending on whether you opt for a fully hosted solution or choose to host it yourself.

However, Moodle’s initial free-to-use business model is highly attractive to organisations looking for a cost-effective LMS, such as third-sector organisations that need to work within strict budgets. Our client Princess Alice Hospice, a charity organisation, came to us in need of an LMS that was competitively priced and would meet within their budget. Moodle was the perfect solution to meet all their L&D requirements whilst proving to be a cost-effective platform that kept within their budget.

If you’d more information on how much it costs to run a Moodle LMS, whether opting for a fully hosted solution or self-hosted, we have put together a comprehensive pricing guide offering everything you need to know about the true cost of Moodle.

5. Plugins and integration options

Moodle can be used as a standalone platform, but a significant benefit of Moodle is the ability to seamlessly integrate it with other platforms, plugins, and software. As a well-established solution with plenty of users and industry prominence, Moodle is compatible with a huge library of powerful integrations.

A great example of Moodle integrations in practice is the BigBlueButton integration, used by our client HEE West Midlands to deliver educational programmes in a virtual environment. HEE West Midlands successfully uses Moodle’s BigBlueButton virtual classroom software, engagement tools and analytics to interact with students remotely.

Moodle’s wide array of available integrations and plugins offer even more flexibility and customisation capabilities for organisations looking to further mould their LMS in order to achieve the best outcomes and increase the ROI of their e-learning platform. Some more popular examples of Moodle integrations and plugins are H5P, a free content authoring plugin that we’ve integrated with our Moodle LMS allows users to create and share rich HTML5 interactive content, or Microsoft Teams which allows users to interact with each other via video calls and instant messaging.

Ready to experience the benefits of a Moodle LMS?

Moodle offers a huge inventory of significant benefits and we’ve only just scratched the surface in this blog. If you like the sound of the five Moodle benefits explored above, or if you’d like to find out more, get in touch with one of our Moodle experts to discover what a powerful LMS from Hubken can do for your L&D initiatives. Or, if you’d like to do some more research before you get in touch with us, read our ultimate guide to Moodle or explore some of our Moodle client case studies.