Maximising Your Moodle LMS: An Interview with an Expert
As 2019 comes to an end, it's the perfect time to improve your Learning Management System (LMS) to enhance efficiency in managing student progress. What do you think?
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing a Moodle expert to help RTOs get the most out of their LMS. Here’s our conversation:
Michelle: Please introduce yourself to our audience.
Jerry: Hi, I’m Jerry Stefik, co-founder of Celox Group for Education. We specialise in delivering Learning Management Systems (LMS), systems integration, and systems migration across all education sectors. Our primary goal is to reduce operational costs while improving efficiency for our clients. We work with institutions ranging from under 300 students to over 18,000 students.
M: What are the essential LMS functions for Higher Education?
J: Higher Education requires data analytics to track student progress. For example, attendance and grade reports help identify students at risk. An LMS should provide a dashboard where administrators can monitor student performance and generate reports.
Additionally, an LMS should support interactive video quizzes, assessments, and plagiarism detection to enhance student learning. These features can all be customised in Moodle.
M: What about vocational colleges? What LMS functions are essential for them?
J: VET colleges can deliver up to one-third of their courses online, making online learning crucial for reducing costs and providing flexibility.
However, monitoring student engagement is essential. The LMS should track students' time spent online and their grades, ensuring compliance and effective learning.
M: And for ELICOS providers? What should an ELICOS LMS offer?
J: An ELICOS LMS must be highly flexible, allowing administrators to change student levels and courses weekly.
Many ELICOS providers have rolling intakes, meaning new students start and complete courses every week. A well-structured LMS removes administrative headaches and streamlines operations for both academic and admin staff.
With an ELICOS LMS:
Students can complete weekly assessments online.
Learning resources can be digitally stored, reducing photocopying costs.
Academic records can be automatically archived for compliance.
M: What common mistakes do colleges make with their LMS?
J: There are four major mistakes colleges make:
1️⃣ Believing there’s "No Maintenance"
Some institutions are still using Moodle from 2001!
Outdated Moodle versions create security risks and may fail to comply with GDPR for student data protection.
Keeping your LMS updated eliminates vulnerabilities and ensures compliance.
2️⃣ Deleting Student Data
Many colleges reuse the same course shell for every intake, erasing student progress.
This increases compliance risks and prevents tracking student achievements.
3️⃣ Not Archiving Data
LMS performance slows down if data isn’t archived.
Colleges should archive student records annually to improve system performance and avoid unnecessary storage costs.
4️⃣ Relying on Outdated Third-Party Plugins
Many colleges stick with old Moodle versions because new updates don’t support their custom features.
However, expert support can recreate missing functions or help transition to updated alternatives.
M: How much does it cost to get expert LMS support?
J: Millions!! Just kidding! 😆
We assist colleges with hosting, upgrades, server performance, migration, and data backups. Most institutions have in-house staff to manage front-end tasks (e.g., adding course content, enrolling students, and setting up grade books).
We provide backend support starting at $450 per month, including hosting.
M: And what’s the special offer for CRICOS Consultancy clients?
J: We’re offering a FREE Moodle review for the first 10 clients! Contact me to book your review.
M: How can colleges reach you?
J: You can call me directly at (02) 9194 3342 or send me an email at jerry.stefik@celoxgroup.com.au
