Moodle: using an open learning management system to support

student learning

Keith LandaPurchase College

http://www.slideshare.net/keith.landa

What is Moodle?The world’s most widely used open source LMS

•49,000 Registered Moodle Sites•35,000,000 Registered Users

http://www.moodle.org/stats

• Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) – LMS no longer needed?• LMS advantages: home base; institutional authentication and data;

FERPA• LMS openness and integration with outside tools

LMS Web 2.0

?

Do LMS’s have a future?

EDUCAUSE ELI – 7 Things You Should Know About LMS Alternatives

Faculty Blackboard uses

1. Distribute materials2. Library services3. Integration with SIS4. Course communications5. Links to external web sites6. One stop shopping for students7. Discussion forum8. Gradebook9. New media (blogs, wikis, podcasts)10. Drop boxes11. Student collaboration tools12. Course reports13. Self-directed lessons14. Online quizzing15. Real-time tools (chat, etc)16. Clickers

LMS desired features

No “killer app” tying us to Blackboard

Why Moodle @ Purchase?

Focus on teaching & learning- Robust set of activities & resources- Add-on modules from the community- Moodle development pathway

Costs- No licensing costs- Similar support costs

Risk management- Risks of open source- Commercial products have different risks

Integration- Other systems- Web 2.0 world

Flexible open architecture

StudentInformation

System

LibraryInformation

Systems

AcademicAnalytics

CampusRepository

The View from 30,000 Feet

Community of Inquiry model

Student engagement

• with content• with instructor• with each other

http://communitiesofinquiry.com/

7 Principles of Good Practice

1. Encourages contact between students and faculty

2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.

3. Encourages active learning.4. Gives prompt feedback.5. Emphasizes time on task.6. Communicates high expectations.7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

LMS orientations

• Example ANGEL course• Example Moodle 2.0 course– Main page sections– Blocks– Moodle 2.0 navigation– Course page mirrors class, integrated resources

and learning activities– “Scroll of death”

Setting up a learning module

• Defining the module– Using the section summary

• Module learning objectives– Add a resource -> Compose a web page– Name and Full text fields– Window options

• Creating organization: use of Labels

Providing resources

• Context & student engagement w/ the content• Files: your private staging area– Linking to specific files– Displaying a directory (folder)– File links in Moodle text

• Linking to web sites• Integrating with Web 2.0 resources– Repositories in Moodle 2.0– YouTube, Vimeo, VoiceThread, Google Docs

Discussion forums

• Student engagement with peers & instructor• Student-faculty contact; feedback; active

learning• 4 forum types in Moodle (now 5 in 2.0)– Ex: single topic format; YouTube discussion– Q&A forum; reading reflection example

• Rating discussion forums

Assignments in Moodle

• Feedback; student/faculty engagement/contact

• Assignment types; configuration• Student and faculty views• Grading and providing feedback

Quizzes / Assessments

• Question bank– Question types– Organizing questions– Question import

• Configuring quizzes– Formative vs summative– Question selection– Feedback options

Student collaboration

• Reciprocity and active learning• Wiki activity(ies)– Configuration and use– Pedagogical considerations: combined use of

group forum and wiki project

• Database activity– Structured contributions; activity configuration– Commenting and rating

Communication tools

• Course announcements (News Forum)– Tie to Latest News block– Forum archive and email to class members

• Moodle messaging– IM functionality within Moodle– Email notices– Permanent archive

• Chat activity (eg, office hours)

Course reports

• Use of the Participants list• Course logs• Activity reports: what’s being used?• Participation reports: how has (or hasn’t)

done an activity– Tie to Messaging system

• Student profiles for individual reports

Questions?

Keith LandaPurchase College SUNY914-251-6450keith.landa@purchase.edu