We present a success case to ensure a seamless platform upgrade.
Where to start: Incompatibilities in the personalised theme
Bayes Business School, part of the City University of London and renowned for excellence in business education, needed to upgrade its Moodle LMS learning platform.
Since 2010, the institution has been using Moodle to deliver high quality educational programmes, including two online Masters courses. However, when planning the move to Moodle 4 in 2023, compatibility issues with the custom Snap-based theme arose, so Bayes turned to Moodle Premium Partner 3ipunt to ensure a smooth and seamless upgrade.
Challenge: Simple and intuitive learning platform
Bayes Digital Learning’s (BDL) mission was to transform the online learning experience. They wanted to create an intuitive platform that would allow students to focus on what really matters: learning. By minimising cognitive load and optimising usability, we aimed to make every interaction with our platform simple and enjoyable.
The design’s visual aesthetics had to align with the school’s corporate image, drawing on prestigious journalism and business publications. However, choosing a non-standard theme for the Moodle LMS presented some risks, as small changes to the system could compromise its functionality and stability.
City University of London’s decision to adopt Moodle LMS 4 and the Boost theme presented a significant challenge. The incompatibility of our Snap theme with the new version forced us to develop a bespoke solution, creating a completely new design based on Boost.
Solution: Customised theme
Bayes and 3ipunt joined forces to create an innovative education solution. Together, they designed a custom theme and course format that not only improved the student experience, but also simplified administrative management for the support team.
Despite the challenges of time and staff availability, the transition was completed on time for testing and deployment before the start of the new academic year.
In addition to the migration, automated processes were implemented to update activity dates and webinar links, significantly reducing manual effort and the risk of error.
Results
The move to Moodle LMS 4 has been a resounding success for Bayes Business School. Students continued their courses without noticing any disruptive changes, confirming the quality of the learning environment. Productivity improvements have been remarkable: automating links and deadlines has saved the team approximately four hours of work per course per year, totalling almost 30 days of work saved in total.
According to Charlie Williams, Assistant Digital Learning Manager, “The recent upgrades have provided our online learners with an engaging and personalised experience, as well as clear productivity benefits for the team.
The success of this project demonstrates 3ipunt’s ability to manage complex transitions in LMS platforms without compromising the quality of education.
