Moodle plugins add functionality to your Moodle and the ability to customise Moodle for your learners. Worldwide, developers can actively contribute to Moodle through plugins. However, anyone adding plugins also wants to ensure they won’t compromise their existing environment and have met rigorous checks for quality and security. That’s why there is a plugin database and review process by Plugin Guardians – this process is specifically designed to ensure quality and protect the Moodle community. In this blog post, Dan Marsden, the Community Development Manager at Catalyst and Plugin Guardian, shares insights on the review process.
Giving back to the Moodle community
Dan has been working with Moodle since 2004. When he first started as a software developer, he submitted patches to Moodle and received peer reviews on his code. The process provided him with a way to sharpen his skills as a developer. Now, he views his role as a Plugin Guardian as a way to help pay it forward and give back to the Moodle community. He enjoys supporting the growth of developers by providing feedback to improve their code and seeing a range of innovations.
In 2024, an average of 16 plugins are submitted to the Moodle plugin directory monthly. If you’re a developer and interested in reviewing plugins to support the Moodle Guardians, you can sign up to help.(external link)
Why the Moodle plugin database exists
The Moodle plugins directory(external link) has over 2000 plugins developed by the Moodle community. The database provides:
- A central ‘go-to’ place for people looking for ways to extend their existing Moodle site.
- A simplified install and update process.
- Submission to Moodle’s language translation tool AMOS which allows the community of translators to access and translate the user-facing strings within the plugin.
- Assurance that the plugins listed have been tested. Some institutions only allow the installation of plugins listed in the moodle.org plugins database.
Even when a plugin is on the Moodle database, Dan recommends in-house teams should also perform a risk assessment before installing it. If you don't have the in-house expertise to test plugins, consider partnering with an experienced Moodle provider.
Why there needs to be a review process for plugins
During the initial review process, common mistakes are caught early on, so regardless of your in-house expertise, there's a layer of trust. Some areas that the Plugin Guardians protect the Moodle community are listed below.
Monitoring security
- Plugins should enhance your LMS whilst being secure. So, in the initial review, Plugin Guardians identify when plugins allow anyone to log in as an existing user. Therefore, this means there's no unwanted access to your learners' information.
- Plugin Guardians ensure that plugins clearly state their intentions with personal information, as some plugins send personal information to external services. For example, information on your users, the version of Moodle you're using and other related information. Therefore, you can make an informed decision on whether you'd like to use it.
Streamlining your searches
- Occasionally, plugins attempt to use the platform as a place to advertise rather than add value. Plugin Guardians review plugins to ensure these aren't listed. Therefore, you're not having to weed out what's relevant to you.
Future-proofing your LMS experience
- Plugin Guardians identify where you can save time and hassle. Occasionally, plugins have the same functionality that Moodle already has, so these plugins are not accepted.
- Sometimes, plugins only work on a certain Moodle version. Rather than finding that out yourself, Plugin Guardians check the plugin against multiple versions to check the compatibility.
- Plus, sometimes plugins can stop your Moodle from working when installed. Plugin Guardians test plugins before they can be publicly listed in the database to help avoid unexpected downtime for your learners.
Keep your Moodle secure
Plugins can improve user experience, reliability, security, performance, and the design of your Moodle LMS. By having a review process for Moodle integrations, there’s assurance that any way you want to extend Moodle is secure. To learn more about Moodle plugins and how you can make the most out of your LMS, contact our team of Moodle experts.
