This FAQ pertains to Moodle usage in the 2024-2025 academic year at UMass Amherst. If you're looking to request an exception to use Moodle during this time, please fill out the Moodle Exception Form. Moodle will no longer be available for teaching after the Spring 2025 semester.

I’d like to remain teaching in Moodle for the 24-25 academic year. How can I be eligible for an exception?

Exception forms are processed through the Dean of your school or college, who has full discretion to grant or deny your request. Reasons for why a request for exceptions could be approved include:

• Course will not be offered in the future by this faculty member at any point past Spring 2025 (e.g., discontinued course, or retiring faculty member).
• Course requires specialized features that have not yet been fully addressed in Canvas (such as quizzes with multiple variables).
• Course for which the instructor has a plan (with timeline and milestones) to convert to Canvas during academic year 2024/25, together with a statement that the instructor acknowledges the complexities and additional work that may arise from continuing to use Moodle in AY24/25 (e.g., for processing grades that are filed as incomplete).

Will exception forms remain available throughout the 24-25 academic year?

The exception form process is planned to continue through the end of the 24-25 academic year, when access to Moodle will officially shut down. 

What does “limited support for Moodle” mean?

The transition to Canvas as the University's primary learning management system will involve significant resource allocation beginning Fall 2024. Documentation for Moodle will still remain available, though updates to the platform may not be incorporated in existing instructional material. While Moodle is not anticipated to face significant technical challenges in its final year at UMass Amherst, no development work beyond maintenance of core functionality will be done, no new features or external tool integrations are planned, and some features or tool integrations may experience difficulties with dedicated support for unforeseen issues.

How will incompletes be handled in Moodle going forward?

When the contract with our cloud host for Moodle ends, all users - faculty, students, and staff - will lose access to Moodle courses. With Moodle’s end of life scheduled for Summer 2025, courses taught in Moodle during the AY 24-25 may necessitate students to complete any remaining coursework outside of Moodle.  To accommodate incompletes and limit disruption, it is strongly encouraged to move to Canvas. 

How do I get help transitioning from Moodle?

While concierge migration services will end after May 3rd, 2024, content-copy migration services will continue to be offered through the end of AY 24-25, as well as the option to request a blank course shell and build a course manually by emailing instruct@umass.edu.

Once in Canvas, there are plenty of resources available to support instructors in Canvas, including:

• Comparison of Moodle, Blackboard, and Canvas
• Canvas Training and Resources Course
• 24/7 Support Chat from Canvas

A full list of Canvas resources for UMass instructors is available on the Canvas Support Options and Resources page. 

For questions regarding using and teaching in Canvas, please reach out to the IDEAS Team at instruct@umass.edu