diff --git a/course/lib.php b/course/lib.php
index d34d9ecbeb2..772dd41e712 100644
--- a/course/lib.php
+++ b/course/lib.php
@@ -1806,65 +1806,49 @@ function print_section_add_menus($course, $section, $modnames, $vertical=false,
         return false;
     }
 
-    $urlbase = "/course/mod.php?id=$course->id&section=$section&sesskey=".sesskey().'&add=';
+    // Retrieve all modules with associated metadata
+    $modules = get_module_metadata($course, $modnames);
 
+    // We'll sort resources and activities into two lists
     $resources = array();
     $activities = array();
 
-    foreach($modnames as $modname=>$modnamestr) {
-        if (!course_allowed_module($course, $modname)) {
-            continue;
-        }
+    // We need to add the section section to the link for each module
+    $sectionlink = '&section=' . $section;
 
-        $libfile = "$CFG->dirroot/mod/$modname/lib.php";
-        if (!file_exists($libfile)) {
-            continue;
-        }
-        include_once($libfile);
-        $gettypesfunc =  $modname.'_get_types';
-        if (function_exists($gettypesfunc)) {
+    foreach ($modules as $module) {
+        if (isset($module->types)) {
+            // This module has a subtype
             // NOTE: this is legacy stuff, module subtypes are very strongly discouraged!!
-            if ($types = $gettypesfunc()) {
-                $menu = array();
-                $atype = null;
-                $groupname = null;
-                foreach($types as $type) {
-                    if ($type->typestr === '--') {
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                    if (strpos($type->typestr, '--') === 0) {
-                        $groupname = str_replace('--', '', $type->typestr);
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                    $type->type = str_replace('&', '&', $type->type);
-                    if ($type->modclass == MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE) {
-                        $atype = MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE;
-                    }
-                    $menu[$urlbase.$type->type] = $type->typestr;
-                }
-                if (!is_null($groupname)) {
-                    if ($atype == MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE) {
-                        $resources[] = array($groupname=>$menu);
-                    } else {
-                        $activities[] = array($groupname=>$menu);
-                    }
+            $subtypes = array();
+            foreach ($module->types as $subtype) {
+                $subtypes[$subtype->link . $sectionlink] = $subtype->title;
+            }
+
+            // Sort module subtypes into the list
+            if (!empty($module->title)) {
+                // This grouping has a name
+                if ($module->archetype == MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE) {
+                    $resources[] = array($module->title=>$subtypes);
                 } else {
-                    if ($atype == MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE) {
-                        $resources = array_merge($resources, $menu);
-                    } else {
-                        $activities = array_merge($activities, $menu);
-                    }
+                    $activities[] = array($module->title=>$subtypes);
+                }
+            } else {
+                // This grouping does not have a name
+                if ($module->archetype == MOD_CLASS_RESOURCE) {
+                    $resources = array_merge($resources, $subtypes);
+                } else {
+                    $activities = array_merge($activities, $subtypes);
                 }
             }
         } else {
-            $archetype = plugin_supports('mod', $modname, FEATURE_MOD_ARCHETYPE, MOD_ARCHETYPE_OTHER);
-            if ($archetype == MOD_ARCHETYPE_RESOURCE) {
-                $resources[$urlbase.$modname] = $modnamestr;
-            } else if ($archetype === MOD_ARCHETYPE_SYSTEM) {
+            // This module has no subtypes
+            if ($module->archetype == MOD_ARCHETYPE_RESOURCE) {
+                $resources[$module->link . $sectionlink] = $module->title;
+            } else if ($module->archetype === MOD_ARCHETYPE_SYSTEM) {
                 // System modules cannot be added by user, do not add to dropdown
             } else {
-                // all other archetypes are considered activity
-                $activities[$urlbase.$modname] = $modnamestr;
+                $activities[$module->link . $sectionlink] = $module->title;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1903,6 +1887,96 @@ function print_section_add_menus($course, $section, $modnames, $vertical=false,
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Retrieve all metadata for the requested modules
+ *
+ * @param object $course The Course
+ * @param array $modnames An array containing the list of modules and their
+ * names
+ * @return array A list of stdClass objects containing metadata about each
+ * module
+ */
+function get_module_metadata($course, $modnames) {
+    global $CFG, $OUTPUT;
+
+    // get_module_metadata will be called once per section on the page and courses may show
+    // different modules to one another
+    static $modlist = array();
+    if (!isset($modlist[$course->id])) {
+        $modlist[$course->id] = array();
+    }
+
+    $return = array();
+    $urlbase = "/course/mod.php?id=$course->id&sesskey=".sesskey().'&add=';
+    foreach($modnames as $modname => $modnamestr) {
+        if (!course_allowed_module($course, $modname)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (isset($modlist[$modname])) {
+            // This module is already cached
+            $return[$modname] = $modlist[$course->id][$modname];
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        // Include the module lib
+        $libfile = "$CFG->dirroot/mod/$modname/lib.php";
+        if (!file_exists($libfile)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        include_once($libfile);
+
+        // NOTE: this is legacy stuff, module subtypes are very strongly discouraged!!
+        $gettypesfunc =  $modname.'_get_types';
+        if (function_exists($gettypesfunc)) {
+            if ($types = $gettypesfunc()) {
+                $group = new stdClass();
+                $group->name = $modname;
+                $group->icon = $OUTPUT->pix_icon('icon', '', $modname, array('class' => 'icon'));
+                foreach($types as $type) {
+                    if ($type->typestr === '--') {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    if (strpos($type->typestr, '--') === 0) {
+                        $group->title = str_replace('--', '', $type->typestr);
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    // Set the Sub Type metadata
+                    $subtype = new stdClass();
+                    $subtype->title = $type->typestr;
+                    $subtype->type = str_replace('&', '&', $type->type);
+                    $subtype->name = preg_replace('/.*type=/', '', $subtype->type);
+                    $subtype->archetype = $type->modclass;
+
+                    // The group archetype should match the subtype archetypes and all subtypes
+                    // should have the same archetype
+                    $group->archetype = $subtype->archetype;
+
+                    if (get_string_manager()->string_exists('help' . $subtype->name, $modname)) {
+                        $subtype->help = get_string('help' . $subtype->name, $modname);
+                    }
+                    $subtype->link = $urlbase . $type->type;
+                    $group->types[] = $subtype;
+                }
+                $modlist[$course->id][$modname] = $group;
+            }
+        } else {
+            $module = new stdClass();
+            $module->title = get_string('modulename', $modname);
+            $module->name = $modname;
+            $module->link = $urlbase . $modname;
+            $module->icon = $OUTPUT->pix_icon('icon', '', $module->name, array('class' => 'icon'));
+            if (get_string_manager()->string_exists('modulename_help', $modname)) {
+                $module->help = get_string('modulename_help', $modname);
+            }
+            $module->archetype = plugin_supports('mod', $modname, FEATURE_MOD_ARCHETYPE, MOD_ARCHETYPE_OTHER);
+            $modlist[$course->id][$modname] = $module;
+        }
+        $return[$modname] = $modlist[$course->id][$modname];
+    }
+
+    return $return;
+}
+
 /**
  * Return the course category context for the category with id $categoryid, except
  * that if $categoryid is 0, return the system context.