Moodle® For Dummies®

Adding a Database to Your Course

The Moodle database is slightly more complex than the Quiz module, but less so than the Lesson activity. If you have set up a database or are used to structured information, you'll find this database quite simple to use. If you haven't had any experience, don't worry: Find a chunk of time and follow the instructions at your own pace. There are no risks involved. You can easily change settings at a later date. The database is a standalone module and has no impact on anything else you've done in your course prior to adding the database. That's one of the strengths of Moodle: All activities are independent of each other.

In the simplest form, a database has two parts:

• Fields are the tables where you store data in the form of text, dates, files, images, URLs, and so on.
• Templates are what you and your learners see. Templates are the front end, whereas the fields are the back end of the database. Templates enable you to control the layout of information when you're adding to, editing, or viewing the database.

Before you dive in to adding a database, spend few minutes thinking about what information you want it to contain. Planning ahead will save you time in the long run because you need to make these decisions when you're setting it up. To help you with your planning, here are few questions to ask yourself:

• What will I be using the database for?

  Knowing vaguely is okay for the first time you create a database. Don't worry; you don't have to be precise. ...