Group photo of the Catalyst IT Europe team standing together in a festive office setting, smiling and facing the camera. Overlaid text in elegant red script reads "Merry Christmas" with smaller text below that says "& Happy New Year, from Catalyst" alongside the Catalyst lightning bolt logo.

From the Catalyst team to yours, Merry Christmas.

Thank you for the conversations, collaboration and continued trust throughout 2025. We truly appreciate you being part of the Catalyst community.

Wishing you all the best for 2026.⚡

🎄 Day 12 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

To end the series, a reminder of what makes Moodle powerful: the community behind it. Shared challenges, shared ideas, and shared solutions. That’s the real strength of open source. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodleCommunity #OpenSource

🎄 Day 11 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

If you want to understand Moodle more deeply or influence where it goes next, spend time in the Moodle Tracker. It’s where issues are reported, fixes are followed and improvements take shape. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodleTracker #OpenSource

🎄 Day 10 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

AI in Moodle shouldn’t start with features, but with policy. Decide who can use AI, how it will be governed and what it’s for, then explore new tools like admin controls and AI-assisted course creation. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #AIGovernance

🎄 Day 9 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Regular data tasks in Moodle can take time to manage manually, especially across multiple systems.

Dataflows automates data exchange, simplifies integrations and keeps information consistent. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodlePlugins

🎄 Day 8 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Thoughtfully designed Moodle profile fields support better reporting, smarter automation and clearer cohort insights. Small structural choices can reduce admin and improve understanding at scale. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodleReporting

🎄 Day 7 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Use a simple, consistent naming convention for Moodle test accounts (e.g., 0001 Test User). It keeps accounts grouped, searchable and easier to work with during checks and investigations. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodleAdmin

🎄 Day 6 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

MFA, reCAPTCHA and strong password policies are simple ways to strengthen Moodle security.

Small defaults reduce automated attacks and improve resilience without adding friction for users. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodleSecurity

🎄 Day 5 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Set clear Moodle quiz defaults, so learners receive meaningful feedback instantly. It boosts confidence, improves understanding and reduces admin effort at scale.

A small configuration change with a big impact on learning. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips

🎄 Day 4 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

When something looks confusing in Moodle, check permissions first. Visibility, roles and capabilities are often the real cause. Starting there shortens investigations and brings quicker clarity. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodlePermissions

🎄 Day 3 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Before publishing a course, switch to student view. It quickly reveals unclear layouts, missing elements and friction learners would otherwise face.

Clarity improves when you review before releasing. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #LearningDesign #Moodle

🎄 Day 2 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Moodle 4.5 delivers measurable performance gains backported from Catalyst’s work. Upgrade, stay current with release updates, & let the enhancements run in the background for a more responsive, scalable platform.⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodlePerformance

🎄 Day 1 of the 12 Expert Tips of Christmas

Enable and test Moodle diagnostic tools early (like XHProf and Catalyst’s Excimer profiler) so you can troubleshoot quickly and confidently when performance slows. ⚡

#CatalystChristmasTips #MoodlePerformance

a man covering his face with his hands and the words fingers crossed ALT: a man covering his face with his hands and the words fingers crossed

Wishing @lwnyrb.bsky.social from Dublin City University the best of luck at tonight’s ALT Awards.

Rob’s thoughtful approach to digital learning and his commitment to creating meaningful experiences for educators and students have made collaboration with DCU something special.⚡

#ALTC25

Sam Taylor (left) and Jasmin Hodge (right) from Catalyst IT Europe stand smiling at an exhibition booth for the Educators Pack. The backdrop reads “Built for Educators ready to be empowered.” The table in front displays Catalyst brochures, branded pens, and promotional materials.

Welcome to #ALTC25 in Glasgow!

Come say hi to the Catalyst team - we’re showcasing the Educators’ Pack, built for educators ready to get more from Moodle.

Simpler assessment. Smarter insights. A smoother experience for educators and learners. ⚡

#Moodle #DigitalLearning #OpenSource

Illustration of Ada Lovelace against a red background with a lightning bolt motif. Text reads: "The Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns, just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves." Below: "Ada Lovelace Day – Celebrating imagination, logic, and the freedom to innovate.

Celebrating 𝗔𝗱𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 - honouring the visionary who saw creativity in code. Ada imagined machines that could compose, create, and think beyond numbers. Her legacy embodies curiosity, courage, and the 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲. ⚡

#AdaLovelaceDay #WomenInSTEM

Joey stands at a lectern with a slide behind reading “Dublin City University VPartnership formed in 2019 Focusing on student engagement and Moodle adoption”

Joey stands at a lectern with a slide reading “Student Engagement focus - DCU partnership I'm excited to begin my Executive MBA joumey with DCU. I graduated in 1994 and completed my last HDip in 2005, back when handouts and a warm welcome were the norm on day one. Fast forward to today, and the transformation in the learning landscape is remarkable. Technology has reshaped how we engage with education. Accessing orientation materials through DCUs Loop platform has already given me a glimpse into the dynamic and supportive environment ahead. It's a far cry from my first day in college in 19901 I'm genuinely looking forward to this next chapter, embracing new tools, new thinking, and new connections.”

Great presentation today at #MootGlobal25 - Joey Murison from @catalyst-it.bsky.social shared learnings from their myriad higher education partnerships, including how they’ve helped build a strong and scalable #Moodle environment for @dublincityuni.bsky.social and support our new student orientation

Paul Walker, Design Manager at Catalyst IT Europe, standing outside the London School of Economics (LSE) Summer School Office. He is wearing sunglasses, a green shirt, black jeans, and yellow trainers, with a backpack over one shoulder. The entrance is framed by bright yellow signage that reads “LSE Summer School 2025” and “Get ahead this summer,” with programme dates listed as Monday 23 June to Friday 22 August.

A presenter stands at the front of a classroom giving a presentation on the “Moodle Baseline Templates Project (MBTP)” at LSE. The slide displayed on the large screen shows a transformation journey of LSE Moodle, illustrated as the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Each stage is labelled: LSE Moodle (2020), Moodle Baseline Standards, Moodle Improvement Project, Migration to External Host, Significant Moodle Upgrade, and Moodle Baseline Templates Project (marked with a yellow star). The LSE logo appears in the top-right corner of the slide.

Exterior view of The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) building, with large signage and promotional posters for LSE Summer School 2025 displayed in the windows. The posters feature images of smiling students and iconic London landmarks, alongside colourful design elements and text promoting a “World-class city, World-class courses, World-class experience.” The LSE logo appears multiple times across the facade.

Paul Walker, Design Manager, and Sam Taylor, External Services Manager at Catalyst IT Europe, smiling outside the London School of Economics (LSE) Old Building. Both are wearing sunglasses and casual attire. The LSE red logo and "Old Building" sign are visible on the stone facade behind them.

Last week, we joined our client partner, the London School of Economics, for a Design & UX workshop to shape the next phase of their Moodle platform, guided by staff and student feedback.

Proud to support their journey, with Catalyst’s hosting called out as a key milestone in their LMS evolution.⚡

Promotional graphic announcing Cyber Essentials Certified Plus status for 2025. At the top, the text reads “We are proud to be.” The centre features the Cyber Essentials Certified Plus badge with a blue and green checkmark. The background includes a digital wave pattern in shades of teal and blue, with large translucent "2025" text. At the bottom, it states “provided by: CyberSmart” with the CyberSmart logo.

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱!

We’re proud to share that we’ve achieved 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀, the UK government-backed certification that verifies our systems, processes, & services meet strict cybersecurity standards through independent technical auditing.

🔗 ctly.st/3ng5dWONyo

A promotional image titled "What's New: Mahara 25.04 New Features?" features a laptop displaying a geometric background with the text "Mahara 25.04" on the screen. The laptop screen also features a simple line drawing of a tree. The Catalyst IT logo is positioned at the top left, with a red arrow pointing to the laptop screen.

What’s new in Mahara 25.04?

From CPD logging to UX-ready updates, the latest release is full of smart improvements.

Our Digital Learning Lead, Sam Taylor, shares her reflections.

🔗 Read the blog - ctly.st/Xqe9lgivey

#Mahara #ePortfolio #EdTech #CPD

A group of professionals talking and networking at the Catalyst Community Spring Event. The image has a thank-you message, reading "Thank you for joining us! Catalyst Community Event," with event details below: "Wednesday 9th April | 9am - 1pm | Online." The Catalyst logo is displayed at the top left corner.

A huge thank you to all our partners who joined us for the Catalyst Community Spring Event today.

We’re feeling energised & inspired after a packed agenda of shared ideas, thoughtful conversations, & practical insights.

Special thanks to our presenters and panellists, your contributions made it.

The image is a promotional flyer for the Catalyst Spring Community Event 2025. It features a background photo in black and white showing a group of people in a meeting, with one person smiling and looking at the speaker. The text on the flyer reads, "You’re invited! CATALYST SPRING COMMUNITY EVENT" in bold white and red letters. Below the title, the event details are listed: "Wednesday 9th April | 9am - 1pm | Online." At the bottom of the image, a red button with the text "Register Now!" is displayed, along with the Catalyst IT Europe logo in the bottom right corner.

📢 Calling Catalyst Partners, you’re invited!

Join us for a morning of sharing ideas, solving challenges, and connecting with the community.

📆 Wednesday 9th April
🕘 9am–1pm BST
💻 Online

To attend, contact your Catalyst Account Champion.⚡

#CatConf25 #EdTech #OpenSource

🔍 Exploring Maths in Moodle

Join Catalyst’s Marcus Green tomorrow for a Moodle Academy session on using the powerful STACK question type, no Maths degree required! ⚡

✅ Simple examples
✅ Easy authoring tools
✅ Interactive graphs with JSXGraph

🔗 ctly.st/92HqWhdTJ0

#Moodle #STACK #EdTech

The image promotes the official Moodle qualifications offered by Catalyst IT Europe, with a focus on the Moodle Administrator Qualification and Moodle Educator Qualification. The design features a blurred background of a person working on a laptop, with the text "Now offering OFFICIAL MOODLE QUALIFICATIONS" in large, bold letters. Below that, the qualifications offered are listed, followed by the information that courses will start in April 2025. A call to action, "Enrol Now!" is highlighted in a button-style graphic, and the Catalyst IT Europe logo is displayed at the bottom of the image.

Official Moodle qualifications are here! Get qualified with the experts.⚡

We’re one of the first Moodle Certified Partners offering both the MEQ & MAQ, delivered by our expert facilitators.

Courses start in April 2025. Secure your place today: ctly.st/h82wrvPHpJ

Get a Moodle Test Site without tech skills. 19th March, 10:00 UTC

Have you ever wanted to try something on Moodle with the latest version, but did not know how to set up a Moodle site?

This webinar is for you: hubs.la/Q03978T10 #Moodle

The image features a group of women from Catalyst IT Europe celebrating International Women's Day 2025. They are standing together in front of a dark blue background, smiling and dressed in various colorful outfits. The bold text "Happy INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY" is prominently displayed in red across the top. The hashtags "#AccelerateAction" and "#IWD2025" are shown in the top right corner. The image highlights a diverse group of women, emphasising unity and empowerment in the workplace.

Happy International Women's Day!

Today, we celebrate the incredible women at Catalyst IT and worldwide who drive change in tech, education, and beyond. This year's theme, #AccelerateAction, calls for bold ideas and lasting impact. Join us in recognising their achievements! ⚡

#IWD2025 #WomenInTech

The image features an "Expert Tip" from Sam Taylor, Digital Learning Consultant at Catalyst IT Europe. The tip is titled "Boost Engagement with Activity Completion" and advises users to use Moodle's Activity and Course Completion features to track learner progress, identify at-risk learners, and unlock content as learners advance. It also suggests automating certificates and badges to maintain motivation. The image includes a call-to-action to "GET MORE EXPERT INSIGHTS!" The background is dark blue with a geometric pattern, and Sam Taylor’s photo appears in black and white in the lower-right corner.

⚡Boost engagement in your Moodle courses!

With Moodle’s Activity & Course Completion, you can:
- Track progress
- Identify at-risk learners
- Unlock content dynamically
- Automate certificates & badges

Read more: ctly.st/okCRmbJ3AY
📩 Get insights—Sign up! ctly.st/newsletter

This is a promotional graphic for the UCISA25 Leadership Conference. The top of the image features the text "UCISA25" repeated several times in bold pink letters. The middle section includes the text "Leadership Conference" followed by the Catalyst logo and the tagline "expert open source solutions." A large image of the exhibition hall at the conference shows attendees engaging in the event. The lower part of the image features the text "I AM EXHIBITING!" in bold white letters, with the dates "18TH - 19TH MARCH 2025" and the location "BRIGHTON CENTRE" in pink. The UCISA logo appears in the bottom right corner.

⚡Catalyst IT Europe is Exhibiting at #UCISA25!

Join us from 18-20 March to explore how we help universities optimise their LMS for security, scalability & performance.

Get a Free Strategic Onboarding Consultation & unlock expert insights.

Let’s connect!

#HigherEd #Moodle #EdTech

This promotional image features a red and white background with the Catalyst IT logo on the left and the NATO School Oberammergau logo on the right. The text reads: "Secure, Stable & Scalable, Mission-Critical Moodle LMS." In the background, there are two women in a collaborative environment, one wearing a military uniform, working together in front of a laptop. A transparent NATO emblem is overlaid across the image. The overall tone is professional, highlighting the collaboration between Catalyst IT Europe and NATO School Oberammergau.

⚡Mission-critical training, secured!

NATO School Oberammergau needed a secure, scalable LMS - Catalyst IT delivered. In just one month, we deployed a high-security Moodle LMS, enhancing training, collaboration & compliance.

🔗 Read the case study: ctly.st/L9v19v3jxX

#Moodle #DigitalLearning

Field Notes From FOSDEM 2025 | Open Source Insights & Trends Explore key takeaways from FOSDEM 2025, including Open Source trends, AI, containers, and security insights shaping the future of EdTech and digital learning.

✍️ Field Notes from FOSDEM 2025

FOSDEM 2025 brought together open source innovators, and we were thrilled to be part of it! Our Head of Technology, Michiel Dethmers, attended insightful sessions shaping the future of open source tech.

🔗 Read more: ctly.st/3lzVaseU6x

#FOSDEM #OpenSource