Setting Up Your Moodle Course Page
There's no one-size-fits-all template for a Moodle course at Hollins, but a few habits go a long way toward helping students find what they need.
Start with the essentials. Put your syllabus, course description, and contact information at the very top of your page — ideally in a clearly labeled introductory section. Students should be able to orient themselves without scrolling.
Choose an organization that fits your course. Moodle lets you organize content by week or by topic. Weekly organization works well for courses with a clear chronological flow; topic-based organization suits courses built around thematic units or modules. Either way, consistent section labels help students know where they are.
Label everything clearly. Avoid vague labels like "Week 3 materials" in favor of something that tells students what they're actually doing: "Week 3: Close Reading & Annotation" gives context that a date alone does not.
Use text blocks to provide context. A brief note at the top of each section — even just a sentence or two — helps students understand the purpose of the materials and what's expected of them that week. Moodle has also reintroduced the ability to indent and added subsections to help with visual flow.
Keep it tidy. Hide sections or resources that aren't ready yet rather than leaving empty placeholders. If you have a very long course page, you can also hide upcoming weeks and reveal them on a rolling basis to reduce overwhelm.
Some specific suggestions and templates are coming soon. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at spraguesa@hollins.edu for help designing your course page.