Use of an Open Source Platform for e-Learning with Virtual Microscopy

H.P. SinnDept. of PathologyUniversity HospitalHeidelberg

Agenda

Platforms for Virtual Microscopy

Characteristics of Moodle

Types of courses

Modules

Scripts and Tricks

Application examples

ILCIDC

ACCMPC

TUB

MED

PAP

SECCRIB

MUC

Platforms for virtual microscopy

Embedded pages (USCAP, AFIP)

Specialized solutions for virtual microscopy (SlidePath)

Localized standalone systems (Basel, Zürich)

Personal sites (Aachen)

E-learning Systems (Moodle, WebCT) Course oriented Community oriented

Introduction

Things to consider when choosing a system

E-learning functionality Authentication, LDAP support Interactive Modules Exams Feedback others

Easy to use content management system Flexibility (Modularity) Low or no cost Community support

Introduction

Moodle

Moodle is an open source e-learning system

It is course-based

It uses a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) architecture

Modular,

Object-Oriented,

Dynamic

Learning

Environment

Introduction

Course Management

A teacher administrator has full control over all settings for a course, including restricting other teachers

Choice of course formats such as by week, by topic or a discussion-focused social format

Flexible array of course activities: Forums, Journals, Quizzes, Resources, Choices, Surveys, Assignments, Chats, Workshops, Internalmail

Display recent changes to the course since the last login can be displayed on the course home page

Easy editing of text for resources, forum postings, journal entries using an embedded WYSIWYG HTML editor

Import and export custom courses, examples, and scorm compatible objects

Introduction

Topic based format

Lists of topics within one course

Within each topic „activities“ (such as lessons, hyperlinks,

questionaire etc.) or „blocks“ (data, images) may be

included

Convenient for presentation of a list of cases, such as a

study set of digital slides

Basic Moodle

Topic based format

Basic Moodle

Topic based format- Drawbacks -

Not good for maintaining large cases series Repetetive formatting of every cases Maintainence of hyperlinks tedious

Not good for structured documents, such as unknown cases

and solutions

No database facilities like search or sort

Basic Moodle

Database module

Provides one or multiple sub-databases per course

Database fields include numeric, text, textarea, file, image,

menu, URL and others

Teacher and/or student can enter data

Lists can be searched and sorted

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module

Modules

Database module- Further uses -

Accessability of database content from

other modules

Linking database from external sources

(e.g. through PHP)

Interactive use, e.g. allowing students to

enter data

Modules

Book Module

Provides textual and non textual content

Arragend in chapters and sub-chapters

Input is plain HTML using the integrated

HTML editor or not

No search of sort facilities

Modules

Book Module

Modules

Wiki module

Uses Nwiki (based on dfWiki), from Moodle 1.9

Syntax like MediaWiki (used in Wikipedia)

Ideal for collaborative editing

Students and Teachers can enter data

Usueful for collecting structured information, such as when

building a course

Beware: Texts in the Wiki syntax cannot be used anywhere

else in Moodle

Modules

Wiki module

Modules

Lesson module

Interactive questions

and answer pages

Case-based learning

Modules

Lesson module

Modules

Lesson modulelesson construction page

Modules

Tricks and Hints

<iframe> tag

Javascript

Execution of custom PHP files

Tricks and Hints

Use of <iframe> and external PHP script

Tricks and Hints

mysql_connect(localhost,$username,$password);@mysql_select_db($database) or die( "Unable to select database");$query="SELECT * FROM svs WHERE substr(kurs,12,3)='".$serie."' order by id";

Example internet sites using Moodle and virtual microscopy

IAP Germany (testing site)

www.iap-bonn.de/moodle

University of Heidelberg

elearning.uni-heidelberg.de

Sandbox for application development

www.vpathology.org/sandbox

Examples

IAP Germanywww.iap-bonn.de/moodle

Examples

General Pathologyelearning.uni-heidelberg.de

Examples

Neuropathologyelearning.uni-heidelberg.de

Examples

CP Conferenceelearning.uni-heidelberg.de

Examples

Summary

Moodle is a versatile platform for

pathology teaching at undergraduate and

postgraduate levels

Provides connectivity to other systems

through open standards and great variety

of modules