1. Quick tabs – Innovating with themes and blocks Presented by Lindy Klein (@moodlechick) at Moodlemoot AU 15 Melbourne, Australia

2. Course navigation – straightforward? Image Tony & Wayne 2013Tony & Wayne https://www.flickr.com/photos/bonitoclub/8596415705/

3. Our students didn’t think so… Image clement127 2014clement127 https://www.flickr.com/photos/clement127/15083721153/

4. Traditional Moodle Navigation… Also known as the Scroll of Death - rather unappealing!

5. Traditional Moodle Navigation…

6. The challenge? Image Michael Dales 2011Michael Dales https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdales/6602332085/

7. At the heart of the issue Image India Edu 2012India Edu https://www.flickr.com/photos/educationinindia/7703376790/

8. So the search began! https://moodle.org/plugins/index.php

9. Options – OneTopic Course format Available from https://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopichttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopic Maintained by David Herney Bernal

10. Options – OneTopic Course format Available from https://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopichttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopic Maintained by David Herney Bernal

11. Options – OneTopic Course format Available from https://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopichttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_onetopic Maintained by David Herney Bernal

12. OneTopic format: Pros and cons Pros Tabs now show at the top of the course home page Cons No real reduction in scroll of death on the page No ability to highlight the key areas of the page Extra tweaking required to “pretty” the look of the tabs

13. Options – Flexible sections Course format Available from https://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_flexsectionshttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_flexsections Maintained by Marina Glancy

14. Options – Flexible sections Course format Available from https://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_flexsectionshttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/format_flexsections Maintained by Marina Glancy

15. Flexible sections format: Pros and cons Pros Topic sections can be nested within sections – simplifying the course home page Cons No more Orphaned activities Limited ability to highlight the key areas of the page No extra navigational elements on activity pages

16. Our solution – Quick tabs + Flex sections + A little something More

18. Our solution – Quick tabs + Flex sections: Pros and cons Pros Quick tabs appear on all course pages Quick tabs highlight key areas Topic sections can be nested within sections – simplifying the course home page Cons No more Orphaned activities Tabs are hand- coded, and hard linked (makes updating time consuming)

19. Quick tabs – Under the hood… More theme with customisations to available block regions HTML block with links to selected topic sections HTML block configured to appear on all course page types CSS styling to make links show as tabs (no images were loaded in the making of this navigation method!)

20. More theme adjustments //This code has been added to setup the new regions (post-course and pre-course) //To match these changes the layout directory has also been added. The files in that directory //Have been added to this theme from the parent theme and then had the extra regions specified. //You can consider all the layout files as a part of the modification however only the extra //region specifications really matter. If the parent theme is upgraded you can always recopy the //layout files and re-add the extra region inserts. Gerwood Stewart Twitter @gerwoodstewart@gerwoodstewart Amazingly patient/supportive husband Previous life as an LMS Administrator Programmer in various languages, inc PHP Adapted the More theme to include two extra block regions – one appearing before course content (such as topic sections, or activity pages) the other appearing after (just above the footer of the page)

21. Making adjustments Nicolas Connault Twitter @nicolasconnaultnicolasconnault Director SMB Streamline Particularly Helpful Moodler (2014 and 2013) All round awesome Moodler! Nicolas has been involved with Moodle for years – we first met at Moodlemoot AU13. We caught up over Skype earlier this year about online learning ideas, and touched on navigation…

22. Making adjustments Available: https://moodle.org/plugins/view/block_tabbed_navigationhttps://moodle.org/plugins/view/block_tabbed_navigation

23. SMB Streamline: Tabbed Navigation Pros and Cons Pros Being a block, can appear on all course pages Works with Topics and Weekly course formats Auto-creates links to every section Appears center area, cannot be docked Cons Links to every section Doesn’t work with Flexible sections format Only shows current tab/topic section on course home page

24. Together we grow Image from Innisfree Hotels 2015Innisfree Hotels https://www.flickr.com/photos/riptidessportsgrill/17087135436/

25. Together we grow David Herney BernalMarina GlancyGerwood Stewart Nicolas Connault These four individuals have nothing in common but Moodle. Some have met me, others not. Some have met each other – some haven’t. Each of them has contributed something to arrive at a solution for making Moodle better fit our needs. By using Moodle, we identify how we want to continue using it, how it needs to adapt and why. By sharing ideas, building code, testing code, and sharing some more…

26. Thank you! David Herney BernalMarina GlancyGerwood Stewart Nicolas Connault HUGE thanks to these folks, and to all the wonderful people who contribute to Moodle!

27. Wondering how this relates to you? Got a burning idea/want to help but not sure how? Connect with the Community! You don’t have to have money (although it can help!) You don’t have to be a programmer (although being able to talk your ideas out coherently with a programmer can help) See a need, fill a need! Together we grow Moodle!

28. Questions? Comments? Lindy Klein Twitter @moodlechick @moodlechick lindyklein.com Thank You!!