Step-by-Step Moodle Course Creation Guide

  1. Develop a plan
  2. Set up your Moodle course
  3. Create course sections and internal structure
  4. Set up your gradebook
  5. Add your instructional content
  6. Access additional resources

This guide provides a step-by-step approach to creating a basic Moodle course at NC State. It walks you through planning, structuring, and building your course—from developing an outline and setting up your gradebook to adding content and exploring additional resources. Along the way, you’ll find suggestions that incorporate instructional design best practices to make your course more efficient for you and more engaging for your students.

Depending on your needs and experience, you may choose to follow every step or skip ahead to specific sections. At the end of this guide, you’ll also find links to additional resources for deeper exploration.

Step 1: Develop a plan

Before diving into Moodle, take time to plan. A little preparation makes the course creation process more efficient and manageable.

1a. Determine course learning objectives. Course learning objectives (also called student or course learning outcomes) describe the actions or behaviors students should be able to demonstrate by the end of the course. If your objectives are already set by your department or program, you can move ahead to Step 1b: Plan the Course Format and Structure. When writing or refining your own objectives, follow established best practices. These resources can help: 

1b. Plan the course format and structure.

Identify the major topics in your course and break them into meaningful chunks of instruction, often called modules, units or topics. Once you’ve identified the chunks, create a course schedule that aligns them with your delivery format (e.g., weekly, biweekly, or thematic). A clear structure makes it easier for students to navigate the course and for you to organize content consistently.

1c. Determine your grading policy. Establishing a clear grading policy early will guide your course setup and help students understand expectations.

  • Identify graded work. Decide which assessments and activities will count toward the course grade.
  • Plan exam logistics. If using, schedule your exams with DELTA Testing Services as soon as possible.
  • Choose grade calculation methods. Determine how you will calculate final grades (e.g., weighted categories vs. points).
  • Set late-work policies. Decide whether you will accept late work, under what conditions, and with what penalties, if any.

1d. Construct your syllabus

A syllabus is essential for clearly communicating your course’s structure, expectations, and logistics. Use the NC State Syllabus template to ensure you include all information required by the NC State syllabus policy as well as the details students need to navigate your course successfully. Follow the template instructions and replace placeholders with information specific to your course. This ensures your syllabus is complete, consistent, and student-friendly.

Step 2: Set up your Moodle course

2a. Request your online course space. Before you can build in Moodle, you’ll need to create a space in WolfWare and activate Moodle for your class. For detailed instructions, see the Knowledge Base article on creating a Moodle space.

2b. Consider starting with a course shell. You don’t have to start from scratch. Use the Moodle Course Copier to import content from our Quick Start Course Shell which guides you through best practices for laying out your Moodle course, a Moodle course from a previous semester or a Moodle project space. Explore the Quick Start Course Shell preview and Quick Start Course Shell User Guide to learn more about using the Course Shell. 

2c. Become familiar with the Moodle interface. Take time to learn how to set up and navigate Moodle from the instructor’s perspective. If you need support, NC State offers several training options: Teaching with Moodle self-paced training and the Teaching With Technology bootcamp, which is offered twice a year.

Step 3: Create course sections and their internal structure

Use the plan you developed in Step 1b to guide how you organize your Moodle course. A clear, consistent structure makes it easy for students to find information quickly—so they spend more time learning and less time searching. On your main Moodle page, you can create major divisions called custom sections. Within each section, use consistent formatting and clear headings to guide students through the content. The Quick Start Course Shell (see Step 2b) already includes several organizational features that can save time and provide a solid model for course design.

3a. Put course resources in the top section. Place items here that students will need throughout the semester. Common examples include:

  • Announcements Forum – the main channel for sharing important course updates. [Learn more: What’s an Announcements Forum?]
  • Syllabus – a central reference point for course expectations and logistics.
  • Reference materials – resources students access regularly, such as textbook links or other key documents.

3b. Create a “Start Here!” section (especially for fully online courses). A Start Here! section (see an example in the see an example in the Quick Start Course Shell Preview) gives students a clear entry point into your course and tells them exactly what to do first. It can also:

  • Welcome students and set the tone for the course
  • Share expectations and key policies
  • Explain the course structure and flow

3c. Decide on a structure for course content sections. Two key principles for designing Moodle sections are clarity and consistency. Once students learn the flow of a section, keeping that structure the same throughout the course makes navigation much easier. Use headings and indentation to organize content within each section. For examples and additional tips, see:

Step 4: Set up the gradebook

Students rely heavily on the Moodle gradebook to track their progress. A well-structured gradebook provides grading transparency, reduces stress and anxiety, and supports student success. Make sure your gradebook setup aligns with the grading policy outlined in your syllabus. Note: This step is about setting up the structure of your grading policy, not creating assignments or assessments. Use these resources to get started:

Step 5: Add your instructional content

5a. Consider accessibility. Your course should be designed so that all students can use and benefit from the materials you provide. Refer to the Digital Accessibility Guide to ensure that documents, videos, and other resources meet NC State’s Digital Accessibility policy and are easy to access and navigate.

5b. Add Moodle resources and activities. Moodle offers a wide range of resource and activity types for delivering content and engaging students. Enroll in Teaching With Moodle and refer to Module 3 to learn about common types and how to add them to your course.

Step 6: Access additional resources and learning opportunities

Once you’ve completed Steps 1–5 to set up your basic Moodle course, consider exploring ways to further enhance the student learning experience. DELTA offers a variety of tools, guides, and trainings to help you continue developing your course. Explore these resources

Ask for help!

If you need assistance with instructional technology or course design, DELTA is here to support you. Contact the LearnTech Help Desk any time: