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So you have an elearning project that you are looking to get off the ground with the help of a Moodle developer. You are aware of Moodle and are pretty sure that’s the direction you want to go. All that remains now is finding the right team to help you push the project forward.
You are going to need a moodle developer or two to get started and work with your team, but first you need to be clear on a few things:
Before you even consider looking up a Moodle developer and engaging with them you need to have a good idea of what your project consists of. How many users will you have? What features will you need? Who will be using the learning management system? The more you can tell the Moodle developer, the better an LMS you will get. Getting in contact with Moodle developer friends to get an idea of the processes and work required will be hugely beneficial.
This may sound like a silly and obvious thing to point out but you would be surprised how many people run headfirst into a Moodle project without knowing enough about the platform – only to come crawling back with their tail between their legs having dropped their entire training budget on something they are not happy with. There are many hidden costs to be aware of – remember it is open source and ‘free’, and that free in this case certainly doesn’t mean you will be downloading a fully-functioning LMS. Moodle developers will do their best, but whether the project is a success will depend on Moodle being the right choice for your particular project and organization.
It is imperative that you know how much you are willing to spend, and that you know as much as you can about Moodle when setting your budget. As mentioned above these hidden costs can begin to mount up if you aren’t aware of them, and could end carving out more of your budget than planned. Hiring a Moodle developer, or a team of Moodle developers, will be probably your biggest expense but it isn’t unknown for this not to be factored into the overall budget because of ignorance of Moodle on the part of the organization.
The best way to find out about costs and to learn about how to plan your own learning project is to look at similar projects, their budgets and their implementation. What features will be of most use to me? How much will a Moodle developer cost? How long is the development time for an elearning project? These questions and many others need to be addressed before any Moodle developer is is contacted.
Given the spiralling costs, unknown territory and other variables, it’s definitely worth taking a look at LMS vendors like Paradiso Solutions who offer a wealth of expertise and experience in with Moodle. Although comparing Moodle and a customized professional version of Moodle side by side may make you think twice about costs, the knowledge and competence that can be provided really doesn’t have a price. If you want to focus more on producing great content and monitoring development, rather than managing the LMS, then this may be an option worth exploring.
Once all this is as clear as it can be in your mind, you can begin to put together your moodle developer team. There are a few ways of going about locating your own Moodle developer, and if you have a little experience finding freelancers then you shouldn’t have a problem.
This is the central website for the Moodle Community. Here you can find up to date information on the latest releases in Moodle split into three categories – About Moodle, Installation and Managing a Moodle Site. At Moodle jobs you’ll find a whole host of job offers from all across the world and the Moodle Community, and with an account you will be able to post your own offer of freelance work.
The Moodle Community is the best source of information available to people wanting to learn more about Moodle, where to find a Moodle developer and problems that projects can run into. Given that it is an open source community everyone is willing to help, and through the forums you should be able to get most of your questions answered by people with plenty of experience on Moodle projects.
Elance, Upwork, Guru, Toptal and even Craigslist are where the majority of freelance Moodle developers will be hanging out. Be very specific about the project requirements and make sure that the site you choose best fits your needs. You can also use traditional job boards to post job adverts, such as Indeed.com and Monster.com. Although less geared towards freelancers they might be a good source of talent and way to bag yourself a moodle developer or two.
The important thing to do is to leverage as much of the available information as possible before you start, as experience tells us that several companies make this mistake. Don’t be seduced by the lack of a price tag on Moodle – sometimes the development and hidden costs outweigh the cost of going with an LMS provider, and often organizations end up having to shell out twice when they realize they don’t have the expertise needed to complete the project satisfactorily.
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