
#MootUS16 has just completed and we are already seeing some impressive outputs! The Moodlerooms Snap Theme has received a warm welcome since its launch. Its focus on whitespace and decluttering reminded tense students to breathe. Now CASS takes the idea further by decluttering the decision making process itself. CASS Business School’s Leonard Houx showcased a fork on the already versatile Snap Theme.
Check out the short video here on Google Drive.
The video argues that common Moodle themes makes several options compete for your attention. To fight this, the fork suggest many design improvements, some of which we list here:
- After logging in, the course and the current section are on top with only relevant updates. You can navigate to other sections, but the idea is that it shows a strong indication of what the next step is.
Acoursepageredirect.php
allows to place the student right into the course after log in. Amodule.js
extends controls for current module. - All remaining elements from the Moodle Dashboard are hidden under a Menu button.
This is done by makingheadroom.js
optional inconfig.php
. - Stronger headers for starting activities. First paragraphs in this section even begins with a drop cap.
A change inrest.php
provides “global awareness” of the specific module and course a student is. - Notification for activities completed. After you receive the notification, a “Next Activity” link appears.
New variables insettings.php
, likenextactivityinfooter
,nextactivitymodaldialog
allow customization of timing for this option. - Redesigns and integration of default Moodle sections.
Addition ofcore_question_renderer
andmod_quiz_renderer
torenderers.php
Under the hood:
- Support for
TweenMax.js
for advanced JavaScript animations. - It fixes a bug from Snap
Gruntfile.js
in Windows where Moodle cache could not be purged. - Lots of adjustments and reorganizations to
settings.php
, for changes in headers and breadcrumbs. - Options like
hidequiznavigation
andcollapsecompletedactivities
takes sections out of sight if they are not relevant at the time. - Creation of
completion.js
with functions that allow visualization of progression and completion of activities. - Layout changes reflected in
course.php
,footer.php
,header.php
andnav.php
. - Changes to renderers
core_question_renderer.php
,course_renderer.php
,mod_quiz_renderer.php
andsnap_shared.php
In conclusion, this visual layout has connectedness in mind. With a more guided flow, it keeps students from second guessing themselves. Applied on Moodle it is likely to positively impact your student analytics.
Check the GitHub repo for this fork here.
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Give the theme a try! And let us know how did it go in the comment section below!