Upgrading Moodle at a large, self-hosted, and highly customised university is no small feat—it’s a campus-wide effort that requires thoughtful pacing, sustained momentum, clear communication, and cross-functional collaboration. In this session, a project manager, help desk manager, and training team lead will share our practical “Top 10 To-Do List” for managing a major Moodle upgrade: offering a model for supporting growth through every phase of the process.
We’ll highlight how our teams coordinated stakeholder communication, testing, issue tracking, LTI transitions, and end-user support, all while keeping our campus community moving forward. Our upgrade process is rooted in three guiding principles: collaborate across roles, communicate consistently, and cultivate improvements—because there’s always another upgrade coming.
We’ll share our collaborative approach to:
- Scoping and phasing the project
- Reviewing and responding to new and deprecated features
- Organising cross-functional working groups
- Engaging faculty through focus groups and feedback loops
- Planning testing efforts (our most challenging to-do!)
- Managing and triaging issues
- Coordinating LTI transitions
- Designing multilayered communication strategies
- Delivering post-upgrade support and training
- Running meaningful retrospectives, and celebrating success!
By the end of this session, attendees will understand the real people behind a complex process, and walk away with adaptable strategies for managing your own upgrades. We will also share a document with our process and Top 10 list, with space for you to add tips of your own!