Have you noticed fewer classes in your Moodle dashboard this week? That’s not a fever dream, but the result of a new Ed Tech policy regarding the number of past classes being maintained on our Moodle server (we reduced the number from 2 years + 1 semester of courses to 1 year + 1 semester).

Why the Change? Here’s why:

• Improved Moodle Performance: You should notice that Moodle is operating smoother than at the start of the spring semester. That’s because the year’s worth of courses removed amounting to almost 700 gigabytes of data. This reduction should translate into the faster processing of course content
• Easier to Locate Courses: Fewer courses in Moodle will make it easier for instructors to locate their active courses on their profile page
• Reduced Risk of Crashing Moodle: Each course maintained in our Moodle server functions the same, even courses that aren’t being regularly accessed. This means that old courses are backed up as often as current courses (daily), which slows down the server. It also means that those old courses’ applications/plugins/tools/quizzes/links are live and functioning. If an application in an old course becomes corrupted, it negatively impacts the function of all Moodle courses. By eliminating 1/3 of the courses stored in Moodle, we reduce that risk by at least 1/3

So, what if you need access to a past course no longer in Moodle? Courses dating back 5 years are still maintained on a hard drive by the Ed Tech department. Simply contact us or submit a Help Desk ticket and we’ll import, restore, or recreate the needed course (usually within a few hours).