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Share your thoughts on the LSE Moodle Baseline. We have designed an anonymous survey to gather feedback on the LSE Moodle Baseline, including the clarity, and practicality of its principles, recommendations, and supporting resources. Your feedback will help us identify areas for improvement.
What is the LSE Moodle Baseline?
The LSE Moodle Baseline is a set of standards designed to support consistency, clarity, and accessibility across course pages. This guidance page provides Moodle editors with principles to support good practice across their Moodle pages and provide an effective experience for learners.
How do I start using the LSE Moodle Baseline?
The LSE Moodle Baseline comprises 33 principles distributed across 6 key areas of practice:
Whilst it is recommended to understand and practice each principle, the Moodle Baseline supports an iterative approach to course page development. This means focusing on a selected key area of practice within the Moodle Baseline, applying improvements, reviewing what works (though students feedback), and continuing to build on this over time.
View description below
Continuous course page improvement can take place using a 4-step iterative cycle when applying the Moodle baseline
Prioritise a key area of practice: Select an area of practice within the Moodle baseline to improve your course page, based on feedback or a quick improvement opportunity.
Apply informed updates: Use the Moodle baseline and supporting resources to make improvements to your course page.
Feedback & Review: Review engagement with the course page and gather student feedback.
Identify the next area of improvement: Reflect on what worked and choose the next area to improve.
What resources are available for support?
This guide supports and informs course design practice by providing clear standards and guidance. A range of additional supporting resources are available to help with implementation:
An interactive self-assessment tool to support course editors in applying the iterative workflow to develop their Moodle course page. Prioritise and develop specific areas of their course page. The tool helps users identify areas for improvement, prioritise actions and recommend practical next steps aligned with the baseline. Results are emailed to the user as a PDF, providing a record they can revisit whilst they make ongoing improvements to their course page.
A Moodle Baseline checklist to support course editors in applying the Moodle baseline with clear, actionable steps.
The LSE Moodle Baseline has been developed to support Moodle editors. It doesn’t assign responsibility to specific roles. Ownership of different elements can be agreed locally within departments and programmes, depending on existing workflows and responsibilities.
The LSE Moodle Baseline uses the following tags to indicate priority and purpose:
CORE – Key elements that are strongly recommended to support a positive learner experience.
ENHANCED – Additional elements that further improve the learner digital experience.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT – Essential elements to meet accessibility and regulatory standards.
Relevant guides and useful resources are highlighted in (pink) information panels with a purple note icon on the left hand side.
Actionable steps to achieve principles are highlighted in (green) information panels with a tick icon on the left hand side.
The LSE Moodle Baseline
1: Layout and navigation
A Moodle course is often the bridge between classroom teaching and independent learning. The aim of a Moodle course is to support clear, organised engagement with course content beyond the classroom.
Consistency across course pages enables learners to focus on learning, rather than navigating different course structures. Consistency can be addressed by programme teams agreeing on the layout and navigation within the department. In addition, Moodle templates are being developed to support consistency at the School level. Further information is available on the Moodle Baseline Templates page
CORE 1.1 Choose a course format learners are familiar with.
To design a consistent learner experience, choose a course format that is used for the majority of course pages within the department.
Consider using the Grid format. Whilst a few formats are available within LSE Moodle, the most accessible course format is the Grid format
When using the Grid format, sectionimages should be uploaded to avoid the default image giving the impression that a section is empty. Using images that reflect the section can also support predictive navigation and help learners easily recognise the section they need to navigate to.
Useful resources: Aetopia for photography of LSE campus. Pixabay and Unsplash for additional free image repositories.
CORE 1.2 Organise the course page with clear and concise section names.
Naming conventions should be clear, consistent and concise, so that learners can predict what information is contained within a section.
Pick a single, suitable naming convention for the course page and use it consistently: Week (default), or Topic, Session and Day. Don't mix naming conventions on one page.
Name each section using the format<Sequence> <Number>: <Descriptive title> For example, "Week 1: Introduction to Causal Inference" or "Session 3: Market Failure".
Group related learning materials together and clearly label the section. Avoid scattering materials from one week across multiple sections, or combining multiple weeks into a single section.
CORE 1.3 Order content to reflect the learning journey.
The sequence of learning materials should reflect the learning journey. Structure course content in the order learners would expect to engage with it.
Throughout the Moodle course page, content should be arranged in the order learners are expected to engage with it. This applies to both the structure of section on the course page and the content within sections.
Thelayout of sections on the course page should reflect the course structure. For example, for teaching delivered weekly, sections should be presented in the chronological order (e.g Week 1, Week 2, Week 3).
Within each section, resources and activities could be arranged in a logical order that reflects the intended learning journey. For example, learners should have the opportunity to first review learning materials before completing a related activity or assessment.
Numbering resources and activities could further aid learners in following the intended sequence.
Display descriptions on resources only where they are concise and support leaners with easy scanning.
EXAMPLE
Example of sections organised in chronological order
Example of content displayed within a section using a logical order
CORE 1.4 Declutter the page to reduce cognitive overload and remove duplicated or outdated materials.
Decluttering the page of outdated content will support staff and learners in being able to navigate the page and reduce cognitive overload. Older materials can still be accessed by staff and learners through archived versions of the course page. It is essential to update learning materials and ensure all links are working before the teaching term begins.
Do not overload the top “General” section (Also known as Section 0) with text, resources or activities. Keep it minimal, and only add things to the general section that learners might visit regularly e.g. Link to the full reading list or lecture recordings.
EXAMPLE
General section (Section 0) on a course home page (Grid format course)
Ensure learners only see content relevant to them. For example, learners should not see materials intended for a specific subgroup they are not part of (IRDAP assignments). Use appropriate restrictionsettings and ensure learners only access relevant content.
Reduce cognitive overload on the course page. If the text displayed on the course page goes beyond 250 words, consider using a suitable Moodle resource so that content is still available without overloading the course page. The Book resource is ideal for displaying lengthy information such as a course handbook.
Review the course page by switching your role to a student before making it available to learners. This can help identify any inconsistencies such as resources that have accidentally been hidden from the student view.
Moodle can also be accessed through a smartphone or small tablet, consider testing the course page on a smaller screen size to support accessibility and navigation across different screen sizes.
ENHANCED 1.5 Support learners with well-paced content.
Moodle should reflect the diversity of how learners manage their learning in their own time. Delivering materials ahead of a teaching session ensures that all learners have the resources they need, whilst providing them with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the materials. This practice strongly aligns with Universal design principles, which focus on making learning inclusive, flexible, and accessible for everyone.
Identify needs ahead of teaching. Where access to materials is restricted, consideration should be given to the needs of learners with My Adjustments to ensure appropriate access is in place.
Provide key resources (such as slides and readings) in advance of live sessions to support learners with well-paced content.
Highlighting the relevance and value of learning is a key component to engage learners (as outlined in the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines). A Moodle course page can reflect this through a clearly structured welcome and introduction that clearly communicates the learning objectives, structure of the course and how learners are expected to use and engage with the Moodle course page.
CORE 2.1 Create a section on the course page dedicated to the course introduction.
Course introductions should be placed within the first section of the course page, rather than the ‘General’ section (Section 0). This avoids unnecessary use of space in the General section, whilst ensuring that the introduction remains the first point of engagement for learners.
Clearly name the section containing the introduction materials (e.g Course Introduction or Course Information)
Include a welcome message, this could include a short welcome video to introduce learners to the course.
Course introductions should focus on essential information that supports orientation. When additional detail is included beyond a simple welcome message, it should add clear value, such as outlining expectations, contact details or directing learners to key support resources.
‘Course Information’ displayed as the first section on Moodle course home page
CORE 2.2 Within the introduction section, include the learning outcomes.
Having a clear space on the course page for learning outcomes supports learners in being able to easily refer back to the set expectations of the course.
Present the learning outcomes in the introduction section of the course page. Learning outcomes can be displayed in any preferred structure, as long as it is accessible and consistent with other course pages within the programme.
Use the most recent version of the learning outcomes as published in the course handbook, without revising them.
Use a clear and consistent format to present the learning outcomes, ensure it is easy for learners to read and refer to.
CORE 2.3 Within the introduction section, introduce staff and provide their details.
learners often feedback on feeling more engaged with course pages where a clear teacher presence is visible. Introducing staff and providing their details makes it clear who is leading the course and where to go for guidance or support.
Display staff information within the introduction section in a clear and consistent format.
Use the same layout, headings, and order for each staff member e.g. ‘Lecturer Prof. Richard Smith, Contact: Richard.Smith@lse.ac.uk', 'Class Teacher: Matthew Cameron, Contact: Matthew.Cameron@lse.ac.uk’.
Include office hours and relevant booking links. Optionally, include a photograph to help learners recognise staff.
Use the ‘Text and Media’ Resource on Moodle to display this information, applying clear headings and avoiding tables for layout purposes (tables should be used for data only).
ENHANCED 2.4 Within the introduction section, signpost learners to digital skills and support resources.
Ensure learners can easily access guidance on key digital tools that they are expected to use. This supports learners in digital learning environments, aligning with external digital frameworks (such as Jisc) definition of digital teaching. It is important learners feel supported and are able to succeed in digital settings.
Use the course introduction to clearly highlight the key digital tools learners are expected to use and signpost relevant support.
Provide links to relevant guidance and support resources (e.g. LSE Life, Library resource guide, Extension Policy).
Highlight opportunities for practice or training, particularly where tools contribute to summative assessment. For example, where Turnitin is used, it might be helpful to remind learners of the LSE Life Moodle page, for guidance on the submission process.
ENHANCED 2.5 Provide key course handbook information in a Moodle Book.
Course handbooks contain important information, and learners should be able to quickly locate relevant guidance when they need it. To support navigation and make key information easier to find, the content from the course handbook can be summarised and presented in a Moodle Book. Organising content into chapters and subchapters helps learners quickly access relevant information
Use a Moodle Book to present key course handbook information and place it within the Course Information section of the course page.
Use meaningful chapter titles that help learners locate information quickly.
3: Communication
Some learners may access their learning materials and activities (including messages) at any time and from different locations. Clear and consistent communication supports learner engagement by ensuring key messages, updates, and guidance are easy to access and act upon throughout the course.
CORE 3.1 Outline a clear communication strategy and how learners are expected to use Moodle.
Clearly explain how, when, and where communication will take place on the course page (e.g. which Moodle forum should be used for course related questions), and set expectations for how learners should use Moodle to access materials, prepare for sessions, submit work, and engage in activities.
The purpose of any forum should be made clear to learners, including details such as the expected engagement from learners and staff response time. These details can be displayed in the forum description.
The Announcement forum can be used to communicate key course updates e.g. timetable changes, deadlines, session reminders. learners will receive an email notification for posts made in the Announcement forum.
Use an approachable tone when communicating to learners through Moodle.
CORE 3.2 Set up a forum to provide learners with methods of asynchronous communication.
Set up a general discussion forum which can be used for learners to communicate asynchronously. This enables learners to ask questions and participate in discussions at their time and pace.
Once you have added a forum, it is usually good practice to add a starting message. Click Add discussion topic. Give your topic a Subject and write your Message.
Where learners are asked to engage in a forum and expect a response, clear responsibility should be assigned to a member of staff to monitor and respond.
Do not create multiple Forums for different topics. Instead, use one central forum where each topic is introduced as a new discussion thread, and learners reply within that thread or to each other.
Do not create different Forums for different seminar groups. Instead, make use of Moodle Groups and Groupings settings to filter forums by group.
ENHANCED 3.3 Create opportunities for learners to interact with one another and use appropriate activities.
Moodle can be used to support collaborative learning through the activities that are available. They can be used to support blended learning by combining asynchronous tools (e.g forum and blogs) with synchronous discussions.
Consult the Moodle activity choice matrix for an overview and inspiration of which activities can best support collaborativelearning.
ENHANCED 3.4 Create opportunities for learners to feedback on the learning environment.
Collecting feedback supports student voice, and evaluating feedback can help identify where improvements can be made with the additional opportunity for timely enhancements to enhance the course page.
Include a space for ongoing communication, where learners can report any issues experienced with the course page (e.g encourage learners to report broken links). This could be a forum post dedicated to ‘Moodle issues’, which is monitored regularly (e.g. weekly) by a member of staff.
Include an opportunity for anonymous feedback, typically positioned mid–late in the course, to gather reflections on the course page and identify areas for improvement.
When collecting course feedback, ensure learners are aware of deadlines.
ENHANCED 3.5 Review engagement with resources and activities to identify areas that need support.
Reporting tools available on Moodle can be used to identify learners that are struggling to engage with course materials. Reports can also be used to highlight patterns across the group, indicating where particular resources are not effectively supporting the majority of learners and may need to be reviewed or redesigned to better align with support needs.
Use reporting tools to support learner learning rather than to draw conclusions about ability.
Ensure learners are appropriately supported and signposted to additional resources where needed.
Learning resources and activities should be clearly organised, up to date, and purposefully designed to support learning. Within each teaching section, materials and activities should be structured in a logical order, clearly labelled, with their purpose explained in the description.
CORE 4.1 Ensure learning resources and activities are up to date and relevant.
Resources and activities across the course page should be reviewed before they’re signposted to learners. All resources and activities displayed on the course page should be up to date and reflect current course delivery.
Checkdates displayed on the Moodle page and within resources (e.g Powerpoint slides) are correct.
Delete any outdated resources/ activities that won’t be needed by learners. Content intended for the previous academic year should be available in the archived version of the course page (subject to the courses rollover method).
CORE 4.2 Use the ‘Reading List (Leganto)’ Activity in Moodle to display the full course reading list in 'General'.
Reading lists are created outside of Moodle via a system looked after by the LSE Library team. The Reading List (Leganto) activity in Moodle can be used to display a reading list on the course page.
Whilst sections throughout the course page can contain relevant parts of a reading list, learners have reported than an additional single central link supports easy navigation, and reduces the risk of key materials being overlooked.
Using the Reading List (Leganto) activity, publish the full reading list and place the activity within the ‘General’ section of Moodle.
To avoid authentication or loading issues, set the reading list to open in a new tab or window. In the activity settings, change the Launch container to New window or Existing window.
Whilst sections throughout the course page can contain relevant recordings, learners have reported than an additional single central link supports easy navigation, and reduces the risk of key materials being overlooked.
Using the Echo360 Lecture Recording activity, publish the full lecture recording list and place the activity within the ‘General’ section of Moodle.
Ensure that learners are aware if sessions are being recorded and when they’d be made available on the course page.
CORE 4.4 Ensure the relevant AI policy is clearly signposted and easy to locate on the course page.
Guidance on the use of generative AI is set at the departmental level. AI policies must be consistently displayed across course pages, so that they are easily discoverable by learners.
Ensure a link to department or course guidance on the use of Generative AI is placed in a visible location, such as a dedicated ‘Course Information’ section.
ENHANCED 4.5 Enable completion tracking settings on resources and activities.
One of the main frustrations faced by learners, is not knowing what is compulsory to complete. Lack of completion tracking settings on Moodle, can further confuse learners.
Enable activity completion tracking, especially for compulsory materials. For example, apply completion criteria to activities that contribute towards assessment to help learners track their course progress..
Make use of completion settings, so that activities are marked as complete automatically once learners have met the required criteria (e.g. assignment activity is automatically marked as complete once a submission is made).
ENHANCED 4.6 Consult the activity matrix to determine appropriate activities.
Use the Moodle activity choice matrix to determine which activities best support your teaching and learners learning. Explain the purpose of the activity, and how it aligns or supports the learning outcomes
Consult the Moodle activity choice matrix for an overview and inspiration of which activities can best support learning.
5: Assessment
Assessment details must be clear, accessible and consistent on course pages. learners should receive transparent information on assessment requirements and settings (e.g. use of Turnitin), alongside clear communication on feedback methods and timelines.
CORE 5.1 Create a dedicated section on the course page for assessment related information.
learners should be able to easily locate assessment details and supporting assessment resources. On the Moodle course page, have a clear, dedicated assessment section, positioned consistently with other course pages in the department.
Create a clearly labelled ‘Assessment’ section on the course page. This section should be located near the top of the course page to support navigation.
Within the Assessment section, clearly communicate the timeline learners can expect for assessment and feedback.
Assessment-related resources should be clearly organised and located within the assessment section. This should include departmental policies and key information that learners may need to refer back to when competing an assignment.
Assessment area displayed in the second section in the course home page
CORE 5.2 Use appropriate assignment settings to provide clear assessment details.
Using a consistent structure and recommended settings within the Moodle Assignment activity, supports clear navigation and helps learners focus on their assessment requirements rather than how to locate the relevant information.
Use a clear and concise name in the Assignment name field. Long assignment names can cause download issues. Learners find it helpful when the assignment name contains the course code and assignment type e.g. ‘EX101 Summative Essay’.
Avoid using long names in the Assignment name field such as ‘Click here to submit EX101 Summative Essay by X day 12pm' or 'EX101 Summative Essay Submission Portal’
Use the activity instructions field to describe what learners need to do for the assignment. Include word count, formatting requirements and anything they will need before they submit.
Use the due date field to set the correct deadline, so learners can trust that the timeline in their Moodle calendar is up to date.
CORE 5.3 Outline expectations for academic integrity.
Clearly outlining the expectations for academic integrity helps learners understand how to engage with their learning ethically, supports the development of good academic practice, and reduces the risk of misconduct.
This information should be clearly presented within the dedicated Assessment section in Moodle. Having it in the same section as the assessment activities makes it easy for learners to find and access when working on their assessment. Where assessment activities are signposted in weekly sections, links can be provided back to the assessment section to maintain a single, consistent source of information.
Signpost learners to support for digital tools used in maintaining academic integrity.
ENHANCED 5.4 Ensure learners can easily access the departmental Generative AI policy when accessing their assessments.
Ensure learners can easily access guidance on the appropriate use of generative AI. Including this reinforces expectations at the point of submission and helps prevent uncertainty.
This information should be clearly presented within the General section of the Moodle course page. A link to the AI policy can also be included within the Assessment section to support learners.
ENHANCED 5.5 Use one assignment activity for separate teaching groups.
Some courses use separate assignment activities for each teacher or class. However, it is possible to use a single assignment activity to achieve the same aims. Applying this practice can simplify the management of assessments and reduce unnecessary clutter on the course page. It is strongly recommended to follow the assignment activity for separate groups guide.
Ensure marking workflows are enabled in the assignment settings. This allows teachers to release marks for their class/group independently of other teachers on the course.
Make use of the common module settings within the assignment settings. Selecting Separate Groups allows teachers to filter submissions by their teaching group.
It is essential that all learners, including those with disabilities can access and engage with course content. Applying the accessibility principles supports an effective learning experience for all, not just those with disabilities. Many of the recommendations below address our legal requirement to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards. Additionally, when uploading content in Moodle, it is important that content complies with copyright laws and policies. Recommendations that support these obligations are identified using the Legal Requirement tag.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT 6.1 Ensure coloured text has high contrast against backgrounds. Avoid red, green, yellow and pink text.
Ensure that any use of colour on any course materials has enough contrast between the text and background, any combination that may be difficult to read should be avoided.
To check if a colour contrast meets the accessibility requirement, use a contrast chekcer such as the WebAim contrast checker.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT 6.2 Ensure links are descriptive.
learners should be able to understand the purpose of a link from the link text alone. Assistive technology provide users with a list of all links available on a web page.
Link text should be descriptive and meaningful. This will aid learners who want to choose from a list of links.
EXAMPLE
This example isn’t accessible. To find out more about the use of Turnitin, click here!
This example is accessible. The Turnitin FAQ Guide provides an overview of how you could use Turnitin as a student.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT 6.3 Ensure relevant images are accessible and contain appropriate alt text.
When you add an image using the HTML editor, you'll see a window to add image details. Provide alt text for images where they convey meaning, ensuring descriptions clearly communicate the key learning points for screen reader users.
Alt text should be concise (under 125 characters) and purposeful, avoiding unnecessary detail.
Decorative images that do not add information should be marked appropriately. This avoids clutter for screen reader users.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT 6.4 Ensure compliance with intellectual property and copyright policies.
Moodle is a closed system (available only via login with LSE credentials), but the CLA (Copyright Licensing Agency) are allowed to audit our Moodle site. Don’t upload files that you do not own copyright to (that includes your own published work).
Provide links to journal articles instead of pasting the content into Moodle.
LEGAL REQUIREMENT 6.5 Ensure data is handled appropriately and avoid uploading personal files to Moodle.
Anyone with access to personal data through Moodle, should ensure that it is handled appropriately and in accordance with the School policies and LSE Moodle Terms of Use
Do not use Moodle as a general storage area for personal files. Where files aren’t required for course delivery, they should be stored in a personal network area.
ENHANCED 6.6 Use the Panorama accessibility checker on your course page.
Moodle editors are encouraged to use Panorama accessibility reports to identify potential accessibility issues.
Panorama support materials in being more accessible and improve the learners experience on Moodle.
Use the Panorama Course Report page as a dashboard for checking course accessibility
Apply suggested fixes directly within Moodle or update source files where needed. Prioritise severe issues.
ENAHCNED 6.7 Run the Microsoft accessibility checker before uploading files to Moodle.
Running the Microsoft accessibility checker identifies barriers that could prevent learners from accessing their content. The Digital Education team have created a practical guide to creating accessible resources.
Use the Accessibility checker in Word and PowerPoint before uploading resources to Moodle. Review flagged issues and apply the suggested fixes.
The LSE Moodle Baseline was last updated in June 2026. We aim to review and update the Baseline every two years to ensure it continues to reflect sector-wide practice, institutional priorities, and developments in digital education. Where significant changes are introduced in future iterations, such as new principles, these will be clearly highlighted to support implementation.
We are always looking to improve the support and guidance we provide to staff, ensuring it is accessible and easy to use. We have designed an anonymous survey to gather feedback on the LSE Moodle Baseline, including the clarity, and practicality of its principles, recommendations, and supporting resources. Your feedback will help us identify areas for improvement.
If you require additional support with implementing the Moodle Baseline, or would like a member of the Digital Education team to review your Moodle course page and provide recommendations, please contact us at eden.digital@lse.ac.uk.
