Moodle v. Reach

Reach removes the headaches of Moodle

This fall, Middlesex students returned to campus with a new student management system that replaced Moodle: Reach. According to its website, Reach can be used for grades, medication, wellness checks, and more. Nevertheless, the main function of both platforms is to allow students to report their current or future locations. There hasn’t been much change in terms of what students must do, with the notable exceptions being that day students must sign on and off campus and all boarding students must sign into their dorm (rather than the assumption being students were in the dorm unless otherwise marked). Although some students speculated that Middlesex’s decision to use Reach and implement new sign-in procedures was a response to the active shooter threat that occurred on campus last spring, Moodle was also due for a replacement regardless. Reach, although largely the same in function, is a more efficient and convenient system for students to use.

Leave requests are easier to complete, as permission now takes the form of email requests rather than phone calls. Students no longer have to pester their parents to leave a voicemail with their head of house, and I’m sure dorm parents don’t miss sorting through voicemails every weekend. Likewise, SISOing (Sign in, Sign out) on Reach is far more convenient for students. Moodle’s interface was incredibly clunky and often confusing, especially on mobile devices. Perhaps Reach’s greatest advantage, however, is the fact that it doesn’t require the student to be on school wifi to sign out as Moodle did. Students who forgot to sign out while on campus are no longer unintentionally misrepresenting their location; conversely, claiming you “forgot” to sign out is no longer a viable excuse that can be used. 

The NFC SISO feature–QR codes that are printed out and posted inside different buildings on campus–seems pointless and has already been forgotten. In fact, since the second night of school, I haven’t seen one Atkins resident stop to point their phone at our NFC tag—most find it far more practical to simply select their location from the app on their phone. Nevertheless, regardless of which method is preferred, both methods are far easier to do rather than looking up Moodle online, signing in, and having to navigate the unwieldy interface to find the sign-out button. 

The Reach app has garnered notoriously low ratings on the App Store (1.2 out of 5 stars with nearly 400 reviews), largely from disgruntled students. Some notable reviews include comments about how Reach “gave [them] lice” and “makes [them] cry every day,” expressing their views that “this app has ruined boarding school [and now they] have no say [in] what [they] can do ever.”  While many reviewers complain about how Reach is slow, dysfunctional, and unreliable, it doesn’t seem as if the majority of Middlesex students share similar complaints about the app’s performance, most likely because students were already expected to report their location and Middlesex uses Reach in a more limited way.

Ultimately, Reach is a welcome upgrade from Moodle for most students and it has made student life easier without dramatically altering the check-in system that was already in place.

Jack Elworth