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Learning Map Activity

The Learning Map is a Moodle plugin that allows learning content to be visually represented as an interactive learning path. Activities are displayed as locations on a map and connected to one another via paths.

The learning map is particularly well-suited for

  • Illustrating learning paths and/or the course structure
  • Gamification (playful learning)
  • branching learning paths
  • Visualizing learning progress

Students move from a starting point to destination points along predetermined paths and can track their progress at any time.

Instead of a percentage or similar metrics, students can see on a map how much they have already accomplished.

You can upload any background image you like.

“Locations” are created on this image, each of which is linked to a course activity.

Paths are created between these locations.

Locations are designated as starting points and can be visited from the very beginning.

Students can select locations for which they have “unlocked” the path so far. So, if there is a path between locations A and B, B can only be clicked if A is marked as completed.

Prerequisites

The course must contain activities that have the “Activity Completion” setting enabled. The learning map can later use only those activities that have this setting enabled.

Add Activity

  • Enable editing in the course
  • Create an activity or resource -> Learning Map
  • In the “Background Image” section, upload an image to be used as the base map

Using the Editor

The basic functions of the editor are explained below. If everything has gone correctly so far, your background image will now be displayed in the editor.

Add a Location

Double-click (left mouse button) to create a new location.

Set a location as the starting point

Right-clicking on a location opens the Location menu.

At least one location must be selected here as the starting point. By default, this checkbox is already selected for the first location created, but you can define as many locations as you like as starting points. All locations designated as starting points can be selected by students from the very beginning; they therefore have no prerequisites.

Select an activity for a location

In the drop-down menu within the location menu, you can now select an activity that students can or should complete at this location.

Note the prerequisite: Only activities that have a completion condition can be selected here.

Once students have completed the selected activity (according to the completion criteria you defined), the location is considered completed, and students can visit additional locations (see below).

Close the Location Menu

Left-click anywhere on the learning map outside the Location Menu to close it.

Create Next Location

You can now create additional locations by double-clicking on the learning map. Locations can be moved later on the learning map using drag-and-drop. Locations remain transparent until an activity is selected for them.

Create a Path

When a location is selected with a single left-click, it is highlighted in color.

If a second location is then selected (left-click), a path is formed between these two locations.

Starting from the starting location, these paths now form prerequisites. Only after a previous location has been completed can the next location be worked on by following the path.

Define Destination(s)

In the location menu (right-click on a location), any number of locations can be set as destinations. Destinations are needed to control the completion of the learning map’s activities and to provide feedback to students that they have reached one of the destinations and that no further locations can be unlocked from that location.

Set Completion Conditions

In the learning map’s completion conditions, you can define whether the learning map is considered complete when

Any destination has been reached and completed

All available destinations must be reached and completed

All available locations must be reached and completed

  • You can customize the colors of the locations as you like
  • You can also set it so that only accessible locations are visible to students
  • You can associate learning resources (recordings, books, etc.) with locations and create tests as milestones (“boss levels”) to use gamification to boost motivation
  • The learning map can include branching paths; it doesn’t have to be a linear learning path
  • A background image featuring paths, trails, or roads along which you can route the paths works well
  • In the Settings under Common module settings -> Availability Activities can be set to “Make available but dont show on course page”; in this case, they can only be reached via the learning map, which eliminates the need for prerequisites within the activities
  • Activity Completion in all activities is crucial
  • Too many branches can make the map confusing
  • Significant initial effort is required for the structure and visuals
  • There are several tools available for creating maps, but most require an account. Some examples include