MoodleMoot Italia: Building Learner Agency Through Community
Last week, we travelled to MoodleMoot Italia in the beautiful city of Ferrara in northern Italy. More than just a conference, MoodleMoot Italia is about the community of Moodle using organisations and Partners.
A Community Built on Dialogue
MoodleMoot Italia stood out for its intimate, local setting. This was a community-driven event where conversations genuinely mattered. Educators, technologists, and learning designers exchanged ideas openly, challenged assumptions, and shared practical experience. The atmosphere encouraged critical thinking and respectful debate, ensuring that diverse perspectives were not only present but genuinely heard. That spirit of dialogue aligns closely with the values Brickfield prioritises. We believe in inclusivity, credibility, and drive to explore new possibilities together.
It was great to see and catch up with some of our clients in person during the event. It’s nice to have the opportunity to meet face-to-face and reflect on the work we’re doing together.
Moodlemoot Italia was a great opportunity connect with Andrea Bicciolo from MediaTouch and Agostino Agamben, and Ricardo Vanzetto from ReadSpeaker, whose presence reinforced the sense of collective purpose that defines the Moodle community. Working alongside organisations that share our commitment to accessible, quality digital learning added to the shared purpose of the Moot.
Digital Agency for Learning: Giving Learners Control
A key moment of the event was our presentation about Digital Agency and how our Brickfield Services support institutions building agency for learners. Delivered in Italian by our local partner, Rossella Welzel’s, the session explored the simple but powerful idea: learners should have agency, not just access.
At its core, the presentation examined how digital learning environments can move beyond compliance-driven accessibility and toward genuine empowerment. We highlighted the importance of supporting real-world learners with all needs, contexts, and situational barriers — many of which are situational and invisible.
The session unpacked what “agency” looks like in practice:
- Choice of format: enabling learners to decide whether content works best for them at that time such as text, audio, alternative document formats, or assistive outputs such as braille.
- Control over experience: recognising that preferences such as reading speed, listening speed, or navigation methods are not universal—and should not be imposed.
- Skills, not just tools: supporting learners in developing the digital skills needed to use browsers, documents, and platforms effectively, rather than assuming prior knowledge.
A recurring message resonated strongly: accessibility is not about predicting every possible need. It is about creating systems flexible enough to respond when needs arise. Universal Design for Learning provides the framework, but learner agency brings it to life.
Accessibility as a Shared Responsibility
The presentation also challenged a common misconception that accessibility is solely the responsibility of specialists. Instead, it framed accessibility as a shared, ongoing practice that benefits everyone. Features originally designed for inclusion, such as transcripts, alternative formats, or adjustable playback speeds, often prove valuable far beyond their initial use cases. By grounding these ideas in real examples from digital learning environments, the session offered both strategic perspective and practical takeaways, making it highly relevant for institutions at any stage of their accessibility journey.
Leaving Ferrara with Momentum
MoodleMoot Italia reinforced the idea that meaningful progress in digital learning does not come from chasing trends, but from thoughtful design, open discussion, and respect for learners as active participants. The conversations in Ferrara highlighted the importance of taking a considered, critical approach to how learning experiences are shaped and sustained. For Brickfield and its partners, the event underscored the value of continued collaboration around inclusivity, credibility, and learner agency as practical, day-to-day design considerations. When a community like this commits to those principles together, the impact reaches far beyond a single conference.
Thanks to everyone who made MoodleMoot Italia such a valuable experience. See you all next year!
