How to Use Moodle: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers
Formswrite Team
•
February 15, 2026
How to Use Moodle: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers
Whether you're a student logging in for the first time or a teacher building your first course, this guide walks you through everything you need to know about using Moodle.
Moodle Requirements
Before getting started, here's what you need:
For Students
- A web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
- Internet connection
- Your Moodle site URL (provided by your school)
- Login credentials (username and password)
For Teachers / Admins
- Same as above, plus:
- A Moodle account with Teacher or Manager role
- For self-hosted: a server running PHP 8.0+, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL, and a web server (Apache or Nginx)
System Requirements (Self-Hosted Moodle)
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| PHP | 8.0 or higher |
| Database | MySQL 8.0+, MariaDB 10.6+, or PostgreSQL 13+ |
| Web Server | Apache 2.4+ or Nginx |
| Memory | 512 MB RAM minimum (2 GB+ recommended) |
| Disk Space | 200 MB for Moodle + storage for course files |
Does Moodle Have an App?
Yes. The Moodle App is a free mobile application available for both iOS and Android. It lets students and teachers access Moodle on their phones and tablets.
What the Moodle App Does
- Browse and access enrolled courses
- View and download course materials
- Take quizzes and submit assignments
- Receive push notifications for deadlines and messages
- Participate in forums and messaging
- View grades and feedback
- Work offline (download content for later)
How to Get the Moodle App
- Download "Moodle" from the App Store or Google Play
- Enter your school's Moodle site URL
- Log in with your username and password
The Moodle App connects to your institution's Moodle site — it's not a standalone platform.
How to Use Moodle as a Student
1. Log In
Navigate to your school's Moodle URL (e.g.,
lms.yourschool.edu) and enter your username and password.2. Find Your Courses
After logging in, you'll see your Dashboard with all enrolled courses. Click on a course to enter it.
3. Navigate a Course
Courses are organized into sections (topics or weeks). Each section contains:
- Resources — files, links, pages, videos
- Activities — quizzes, assignments, forums, workshops
4. Take a Quiz
- Click on the quiz activity
- Read the instructions and time limit (if any)
- Click "Attempt quiz"
- Answer the questions and click "Next page" to move forward
- Review your answers on the summary page
- Click "Submit all and finish"
5. Submit an Assignment
- Click on the assignment activity
- Read the instructions and deadline
- Click "Add submission"
- Upload your file or type your response
- Click "Save changes"
6. Check Your Grades
Go to your course and click "Grades" in the navigation menu. You'll see all graded activities with your scores and feedback.
7. Participate in Forums
Click on a forum activity to read posts. Click "Add a new discussion topic" to start a new thread, or "Reply" to respond to an existing one.
How to Use Moodle as a Teacher
1. Turn On Editing
After entering your course, click the "Edit mode" toggle (top right) to enable course editing. This lets you add, move, and configure course content.
2. Add Course Content
Click "+ Add an activity or resource" in any section to add:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Resources | File, Folder, Page, URL, Label, Book |
| Activities | Quiz, Assignment, Forum, Workshop, Wiki, Glossary, Database |
3. Create a Quiz
The traditional way:
- Click "+ Add an activity or resource" → Quiz
- Configure settings (time limit, grading, attempts)
- Click "Save and display"
- Click "Add question" → choose type → enter question details
- Repeat for each question
The faster way with Formswrite:
- Write your quiz questions in a Google Doc
- Go to Formswrite and convert to Moodle XML
- In Moodle, go to Question Bank → Import
- Select Moodle XML format and upload the file
- Create a quiz and add the imported questions
This saves hours compared to entering questions manually.
4. Set Up the Gradebook
Go to Grades → Gradebook setup to:
- Create grade categories
- Set weights and aggregation methods
- Add custom grade items
5. Enrol Students
Go to Participants → Enrol users to:
- Add students manually (by email or username)
- Set up self-enrolment (students enter an enrolment key)
- Bulk upload via CSV
6. Track Progress
Go to Reports → Activity completion to see which students have completed which activities.
Tips for Teachers
Save Time Creating Quizzes
Instead of entering quiz questions one by one in Moodle, write them in a Google Doc and use Formswrite to convert them into Moodle XML. Formswrite's AI automatically detects question types, answer options, and correct answers.
Use the Question Bank
Store questions in Moodle's Question Bank and reuse them across multiple quizzes. Formswrite imports directly into the Question Bank.
Enable Completion Tracking
Turn on Completion tracking in course settings to let students see their progress and to generate completion reports.
Use Groups
Organize students into Groups for differentiated instruction, separate discussion forums, or group assignments.
FAQ
Is the Moodle App free?
Yes. The Moodle App is free to download and use on iOS and Android.
Can I use Moodle on my phone without the app?
Yes. Moodle works in mobile browsers, but the app provides a better experience with push notifications and offline access.
How do I reset my Moodle password?
Click "Forgotten your username or password?" on the login page and follow the email instructions.
Can teachers see when students access content?
Yes. Teachers can view Activity logs and Completion reports to see when students accessed courses and completed activities.
How do I import quiz questions into Moodle?
Go to Question Bank → Import → choose a format (Moodle XML, GIFT, Aiken) → upload your file. Use Formswrite to generate these files from Google Docs automatically.
Get Started
Whether you're a student navigating your first online course or a teacher building assessments, Moodle has the tools you need. For faster quiz creation, try Formswrite — convert your Google Docs to Moodle quizzes in seconds.