Today in class my students will be installing Moodle on their websites. There are really three main steps that need to take place for them to be able to use Moodle and I thought this would be helpful for them or anyone else wanting to do something similar in their courses.
1. Have a server. I have my students buy their own website (http://icdsoft.com/promo-code/course359) for $38 and just use the server that comes with that site. Its very easy.
2. Download and install FTP. FTP which stands for File Transfer Protocol allows them to transfer files from their desktop to their website. It is the middle man. There are many free FTP programs online. I personally like cyberduck.
3. Go to Moodle.org and download the standard Moodle package. They then upload this onto their website using the FTP program from step 2.
At this point they go into their browser and install Moodle. Set up will vary depending on the type of server you are using. Its actually a very easy process that can be done in as little as 10 minutes.