Label Resource

Labels are a type of resource in Moodle that allows us to place content directly on the front course page, as opposed to creating a link to takes users to another view.  Labels can be used to help us format the course page, emphasize certain pieces of information, and (embed information not otherwise available in Moodle.)

A label will look much like a Section Header within a course but you are able to move it around or duplicate it independent of a week or topic.

Adding Labels in Moodle

Adding a label is just like adding any other resource. They can also be easily duplicated for a consistent look across weeks without boring yourself with reentering the same data and images over and over again.

Turn Editing On in your Course

Turn Editing On button is found in the top-right corner of a Moodle page you have permission to modify content for.

Navigate to the Week/Section/Topic of choice

Click the Add an activity or resource link

Select Label from the options provided (it will be near the bottom located under Resources)

Click the Add button.

Add your content to the Label text‘s editor.

This is almost exactly what will appear on your course page. (You can adjust it further after seeing it in context by editing the resource like any other.)

When content, click the Save and return to course button to see your work.

Review your label.

If you want to make changes, click the Edit menu to the right and click Edit Settings.

Examples of Effective Labels

Example of Labels being used for Section headers and class summaries

Editing Turned On

Editing Turned off (What Students See)

Why are the above examples effective?

  • They feature just enough media (pictures) to make the topic easy to spot and identify.
  • Small, non-vital headers for visually breaking up assignments by time (in-Class vs Homework) so again, students can easily find the work they need.

Are there problems with the above examples?

Yes! Visible in the first shown section are reading assignments (not highlighted). While they don’t take up much space, any student determining work solely by the Navigation block will NOT see those instructions to read chapters.

Instead consider:

  • Putting reading instructions like that into a Page Resource with a breakdown of WHY to read and what to look for (perhaps a study guide)
  • Putting reading instructions within a no-credit practice quiz to encourage reading the chapters and then testing their knowledge in a low-stress environment.

Labels aren’t for everything

Strengths
  • A great way to break up and clarify or drive home OTHER content by adding:
    • reminders
      supplemental information or clarification for another activity or resource
    • separators
      horizontal rules, line breaks or supplemental images.
    • headings
      Sort your course content by:
      • Activity types such as: Reading, In-class Activities, Homework Assignments
      • Time: Monday Meeting, Wednesday Meeting, Friday Meeting
  • Easy to move around course and duplicate for consistent look from week to week.
Weaknesses
  • Not listed in the Navigation Block and may be missed
    some students primarily navigate courses from that block
  • Too many or too long labels can cause issues.
    Consider tucking long instructions and multimedia into a Page resource or within the relevant Moodle Activity (Put Assignment instructions inside the Assignment activity’s Description)
    You can also ease concerns about scrolling by adding a Section Links block or changing your course layout to single topic per page.
    • Long labels can increase scroll time making it hard for students to find relevant data and make students feel overwhelmed
    • Lots of multimedia like sound, images or video can cause your page to take longer to load, making it much harder for students on slower connections to access their course.