Moodle

Each new version of Moodle allows teachers to create more engaging online courses, and do so more easily as Moodle becomes more user-friendly. It also puts extra strain on the server(s) it runs on. I have been asking myself for a while: “Just how much more horsepower do each new versions of Moodle require?” October being Oktobertest for me, I thought I’d investigate further and run some tests of my own....

Note: this post is part of the Oktobertest Moodle series Loadstorm is a web based load testing service. Their business is to simulate multiple virtual users simultaneously navigating a website, following a scenario that you pre-recorded using the loadstorm point and click interface. This tutorial will show you how to test your Moodle installation with 25 simultaneous users, as you get 25 lifetime free virtual users with loadstorm. It also turns out to be the maximum number of students I have in my classes....

Note: This is by no means supposed to be a definitive guide to load testing. It is an introduction to what can be done to ensure a Moodle installation can cope with a specific number of simultaneous users. It is aimed at Moodle admins who haven’t really done load testing before. Be careful, load testing can crash your server and you could get in trouble with your host company – always check with them first....

Note: apologies for the poor sound quality, I didn’t have access to my usual recording equipment.

1. Do some of the work for them Don’t you love it when you come back to a hotel room to find out that it has been tidied up for you, bed made and a chocolate left on the pillow, maybe even some cool towel art? Before creating new Moodle courses for teachers, I ask Heads of Department/Faculty for their unit/subunit titles for each course. I then create the course ‘shells’ or ‘templates’, so that the first time the teacher logs in to their course (even if they are first time Moodle users), they feel as though they are in known territory, as their syllabus is there right in front of them looking all pretty....