Updates to the Question Bank and Activities in Moodle 4.5
Moodle 4.5 includes thoughtful improvements to the Question Bank and Activity features that make course maintenance easier and assessments more flexible and engaging.
What’s new at a glance
- Purge and bulk rename question categories returns.
- New Ordering question type for quizzes (drag-and-drop).
- Instructors can now submit quizzes on behalf of students.
- Screen recording added to Moodle's text editor.
Better Question Bank Management
The return of purge and bulk rename options in the question bank helps instructors keep their categories clean and current. This is especially useful at the start or end of term.
- Quickly remove outdated or unused question categories.
- Rename multiple categories at once to match current curriculum.
Why it matters: Managing your question bank each term helps keep questions aligned with current learning outcomes and reduces reuse of compromised or outdated items.
New Question Type: Ordering
A new Ordering question type has been added to Moodle Quiz, letting you create drag-and-drop questions where students arrange options into the correct sequence.
- Ideal for process steps, chronological events, or ranked choices.
- Highly visual and interactive, improving student engagement.
📸 Suggested screenshot: The Ordering question type in the question creation interface, or a student view showing items being dragged into order.
Why it’s cool: Ordering questions give you a fast way to assess conceptual understanding and diversify question formats in your quizzes.
Submit Quiz Attempts on Behalf of Students
Forgot to click “Submit” before time ran out? In Moodle 4.5, instructors can now submit a student’s quiz attempt on their behalf if it was left in progress.
- Helps reduce grading issues for incomplete attempts.
- Ensures students’ work is reviewed fairly and in time.
Steps
Step 1: Go to Quiz → Settings
Step 2: View quiz results and select Reopen
Step 3: Choose the appropriate option (available choices depend on whether the quiz deadline has passed)
Why it’s helpful: This reduces stress for students and prevents loss of work due to common submission mistakes.
Screen Recording Built into the Text Editor
You can now record your screen directly inside Moodle’s text editor. This is available in forums, quizzes, assignments, and more.
- Students can submit explainers, demos, or presentations.
- Instructors can add quick tutorials or clarifications inline.
Use case: Ask students to create short walkthroughs of their projects or problem-solving steps directly inside a discussion post or assignment.
Suggested next steps
- Review your question categories and try the bulk rename tool.
- Test out the new Ordering question in a low-stakes quiz.
- Enable students to use the screen recorder in an upcoming forum.
Moodle 4.5 Update Series
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