Friction Radar

Make learning friction visible

Friction Radar is a Moodle course report that helps teaching teams identify early signs of learning friction before they turn into persistent course design problems.

Using activity logs and standard course data from a rolling six-week window, the plugin analyses twelve friction indicators and presents them in a distinctive 12-segment Friction Clock with an overall score for quick interpretation.

The report is designed for reflection and improvement, not learner evaluation. It supports conversations about course structure, workload, navigation, expectations, and participation patterns without reducing learners to individual metrics.

Why educators use it

• See course-level problems earlier: detect patterns that may indicate overload, confusion, or structural barriers.
• Turn data into reflection: use a clear visual model to guide course review and instructional improvement.
• Protect learner privacy: the report is strictly course-level and anonymized; it does not store or display individual learner data.
• Fit real Moodle environments: heavy calculations are prepared offline through scheduled cache warmers for responsive day-to-day use.

What the latest release adds

New in version 0.6.1 (16 March 2026): Friction Radar now includes a per-course analysis mode setting with structural preview support, improved prioritization and friction indicator presentation, and a series of usability and reliability fixes across cache refresh handling, task deduplication, log reading, course-setting persistence, layout spacing, and theme-aware navigation.

This release also refreshes the bundled screenshots and sharpens the overall report presentation, making the plugin easier to understand and use in everyday teaching practice.

Built for course improvement

Friction Radar helps institutions, instructional designers, and educators use Moodle course data more thoughtfully: not to rank learners, but to improve the learning environment.