34 Moodle

Ms. Swasti Dhar

 

Unit Structure

 

33.1 Introduction to Moodle

 

33.2 What is Moodle?

 

·      Software

 

·      Company

 

·      Community

 

·      Financial Arm

 

33.3 Moodle as an Open Source Learning Platform

 

33.4 Moodle as a software programme

 

33.5 The Pedagogical Philosophy of Moodle

 

33.6 How Moodle works

 

33.7Using the Moodle Tutor

 

33.8 Guide to using Moodle

 

33.9 Creating a Moodle

 

33.10 Evaluating Moodle as a Learning Management System

 

33.11 Summary

 

Learning Outcomes

 

After completing this module, the student will be able to:

  • State the concept of a Moodle
  • Appreciate Moodle as an open resource for learning
  • Moodle as a tool for learning
  • State the pedagogical philosophy of Moodle
  • Use the Moodle Tutorials
  • Create own Moodle
  • Evaluate Moodle as a Learning Resource Management tool

 

33.1 Introduction to Moodle

 

Moodle (acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free software e-learning platform.

 

Martin Dougiamasdeveloped Moodlein order to help teachers create collaborative &interactive e- courses focussing on the construction and evolution content on the net. The first version of Moodle was released in August 2002.

 

Today Moodle is a well-known LMS being used by teachers the world over to create and deliver online content and training. As of June 2013 it had a user base of 83,009 registered and verified sites, serving more than 7 million users and hosting more than 7 million courses with more than 1.2 million teachers.1

 

33.2 What is Moodle?

 

Although used interchangeably, the term Moodle has four distinct elements. Broadly, it can be thought of as an education-centred project which has:

  • Company: The Australian company, based in Pert, Moodle Pty Ltd (also known as Moodle.com and MoodleHeadquarters based in Perth, Western Australia), performs the majority of the development of the core Moodle platform.
  • Software:This is the Moodle software that is available from the site and can be downloaded for free and then used as per one’s needs.
  • Community: The Moodle Community is an open network of more than one million registered users who interact through the Moodle community website to share and exchange ideas, information, and community support for free.
  • Commercial Arm:The Moodle Partner network forms the commercial arm of the Moodle environment and provides the bulk of the funding to Moodle Pty Ltd through the payment of royalties.

 

Thus we see that Moodle is a broad term and a user has to use all these arms for maximum benefit.

 

33.3 Moodle as an Open Source Learning Platform

 

Moodle is a learning platform designed to provide administrators, teachers/ educators, and learners with a single integrated and secure system to create truly personalised learning scenarios.

 

Since it is an open source, its main features are as follows:

 

1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

  • Easy to use: Moodle has an easy to learn and use interface with a lot of simple and easy to follow features.
  • Free:Moodle is freely available as Open Source software, under the GNU General Public License. Anyone can adapt the software, extend it or modify the downloadedMoodle for both commercial and non-commercial projects by just registering as a user.
  • Up-to-date: Being community driven ensures that the Moodle features are reviewed and improved to suit the current and constantly evolving needs of its users.
  • Multilingual: The Moodle community has translated Moodle into more than 95 languages so users can easily localise their Moodle site. It also provides resources, support and community discussions in these various languages.
  • All-in-one learning platform:

 

Because of its flexibility, Moodle can support cent percentonline courses as well as can be used for blended learning.Its core features can be both enabled or disabled and thus the software integrate everything needed for a course using its complete range of built-in features. External tools for collaboration such as forums, chats, wikis, and blogs can also be used.

 

  • Highly flexible and fully customisable:

 

Moodle can be customised in any way and tailored to every individual need. Its modular set up allows developers to create highly customized applications.The permutations and combinations are endless.

 

  • Scalable:

 

A Moodle can handle from a few students to millions of users and thus can be scaled to support the needs of both small classes and large institutions.

 

  • Secure and private:

 

Moodle is committed to safeguarding data and user privacy and so security controls are constantly updated and implemented in Moodle. Processes are developed and new software is created to protect against unauthorised access, misuse and data loss.

 

  • Can be used on any device:

 

Moodle is web-based and so can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Since the interface is mobile-compatible and can run across many browsers, all the resources available on the Moodle platform is easily accessible and consistent across different internet browsers and devices.

 

33.4 Moodle as a software programme

 

The Moodle advantage can be used via a variety of platforms. In order to access it users can go to www. Moodle.org and download the software. This is mostly done by the educator/ instructor who will create the course using Moodle. Once created, the instructor can give access to the students who will have to log on the site using their username and password.

 

A Moodle can be modified as per one’s own imagination and creativity and hence no two courses are alike.

 

Thus, we see that the Moodle is a very dynamic tool in the hands of a tech-savvy teacher to teach and interact with her students.

 

 

33.5The Pedagogical Philosophy of Moodle

 

The design and development of Moodle is based on a “social constructionist pedagogy”. The main philosophical background of Moodle can be understood through the following four related concepts:2

 

  • Constructivism
  • Constructionism
  • Social constructivism and
  • Connected and separate.

 

Constructivism: The Constructivist viewpoint states that people actively construct new knowledge as they interact with their environments.

 

Everything one reads, sees, hears, feels, and touches is tested against one’s prior knowledge and if it is viable within the mental world, goes on to form new knowledge that one caries within him. Knowledge is strengthened if it can be used successfully in the wider environment.

 

Constructionism: In constructivism one learns and constructs knowledge for oneself whereas constructionism speaks of that situation where one learns in order that another person will experience the learning. As teachers, this is a highly developed and important pedagogical philosophy.

 

For example, you might read this about any topic several times and still forget it by the next day – but if you were to try and explain these ideas to someone else using only your own words, or were asked to make a slideshow presentation that explained these concepts, then it’s very likely you’d have a better understanding that is more integrated into your own ideas.

 

Social constructivism: Social constructivism extends constructivism into social settings, where groups construct knowledge for one another, collaboratively creating a small pool or culture of shared knowledge with shared meanings. It can operate at many levels.

 

A very simple example is an object like a bucket. The object can be used for many things, but its shape does suggest some “construct” about holding or carrying a liquid.

 

Connected and separate:

 

This idea looks in depth into an individual’s the motivations within a discussion:

 

Separate behaviour is when a person remains or at least tries to remain ‘objective’ and ‘factual.’ Such a person will tend to defend their own ideas and use logic to find holes in their opponent’s ideas. Connected behaviour occurs when one uses a more empathic approach that accepts subjectivity, and tries to listen and ask questions in an effort to understand the other point of view.

 

Generally, a healthy amount of connected behaviour within a learning community is a very good and compellingforce for learning as it not only bringing people closer but also promotes deeper reflection and re-examination of their existing beliefs.

 

Moodle doesn’t FORCE this style of behaviour, but this is what most web and content designers believe is best. In the future, as the technical infrastructure of Moodlebecomes more stable, improvements in pedagogical support will be a major direction for Moodle development.

 

 

33.6 How Moodle works

 

Moodle can be broadly categorised into two interfaces –

 

·      The front page and the

 

·      Inside structure.

 

When a teacher or an institution creates a Moodle course, they start with the default settings but these are highly customisable and each instructor can customise as per their needs.

 

The Front Page

 

The Front page of a Moodle site is the page you reach when you open the site and usually includes information about the course/ school/ institution. This can be highly customised. This page has the option of being locked so that that all a user sees when they click on the Moodle URL is a login screen.

 

How users join a Moodle site depends on the establishment where they work. For example, if the Moodle is hosted on the institutional server, then the teachers can be given individual logins or they might be allowed to make accounts themselves. They may even sign in automatically from another system.

 

Inside Moodle

 

Moodle’s main structure is organised around courses. This is where teachers present their learning resources and activities which a student has to attempt.The course can follow different layouts but any course usually includes a number of main sections, where materials are displayed and ‘side blocks’ offering extra features or information.

 

A teacher can put up an entire year’s study or a single session or any other variation depending on the teacher or establishment. The courses can be from a single teacher or can be shared by a group of teachers.

 

How students enrol on courses depends on the establishment; for example they can self – enrol, be enrolled manually by their teacher or automatically by the administration.

 

Courses are organised into categories. Physics, Chemistry and Biology courses might come under the Science category for instance.

 

You can know more about how Moodle works by visiting the link given below:

 

33.7Using the Moodle Tutor

 

Although the interface is easy, most teachers hesitate to use any online learning platform as it is new. Help is just a click away! For individuals and institutions who are not averse to paying, joining the course at www.Moodletutor.com is one of the simplest ways.

 

Alternately, one can browse a number of free Moodle tutorial sites in order to get started.

 

Some of the sites where one can learn for free are:

  • http://thinktutorial.com/category/education/Moodle/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQyqpVobDR4 http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/05/Moodle-tutorial-videos.html

 

33.8 Guide to using Moodle

 

The best way to figure out how Moodle works (for the teachers) is to join the Moodle programme. To do this, one needs to go to the Moodle website, www.Moodle.org and download and install the Moodle software on one’s computer.

 

If an institution which wishes to take upMoodle so that all the teachers can use it, then it has to be installed on the institutional server and one has to take help of the institutions computer department.

 

The site www.Moodle.net offers many freely downloadable Moodlesand also offers some great free tutorials. The teacher is left to his/ her own imagination and creativity to create the best course and customise it to his/ her needs.

 

33.9 Creating a Moodle

 

As educators, it is essential that we know how to design and present a particular course and the Moodle platform allows us to do just the same.

 

However small the content may be and how few students you may enrol, it is essential to create a Moodle in order to know the powerful tool that this is.

 

Here is what you must do:

 

Pre-Moodle

 

Identify a particular topic that you would like to teach.

 

Gather information. (Text, videos, question papers, tutorials, etc)

 

Creating the Moodle Course

 

There are a number of tutorials available online which helps one to create one’s own Moodle course. One starts with downloading the Moodle software on the computer. Thereafter, the Moodle software takes you through a guided tour of the basic default course structure. The interface is very easy to navigate and customise.

 

The following links can also add as a guide.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWOp1oq-TvI
  • http://www.oit.umass.edu/support/Moodle/a-guide-building-a-new-course-Moodle
  • http://www.lynda.com/Moodle-tutorials/Moodle-25-Essential-Training/136466-2.html

 

All the best with creating your own Moodle course!

 

33.10 Evaluating Moodle as a Learning Management System

 

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using the Moodle. At the end of it, each course is personal and its success or failure depends on the enthusiasm and will of the class. At a glance, the advantages and disadvantages are as follows:

 

Advantages

  • Great flexibility: A Moodle can be used for all types of classes (small to large), all types of subjects, all categories of users (single to institutional) and all types of media, thus making Moodle a very flexible programme.
  • Low cost of ownership: Due to its free-licensing options, the cost of installing and running a Moodle is negligible.
  • High level of security: The data with respect to the class, the content and the evaluation process is highly secure, thanks to the inputs from the Moodle community and this leads to the Moodle being a very resourceful software to be used.
  • Ability for customization: Though the basic Moodle package is available to all, the interface is highly customizable in terms of its looks and design and this adds to the course appeal.
  • Community support: The ongoing 24 hour open Moodle Community is the place where Moodle users go to for answers to any query as well as updates on the latest Moodle offerings. Through blogs and Q&A sessions, updates and plugins, a Moodle user is only a click away from help
  • Available in multiple languages: One reason Moodle is becoming popular is because it is available in more than 86 language packages with the option of translation available. This makes Moodle highly competitive internationally.

 

Disadvantages

  • Needs institutional permission for using Moodle across the institution: In case one wishes to initiate Moodle across the entire institution, then the teacher needs to attain permission to install the Moodle on the institutional server.
  • Doesnot allow visitors (guest teachers): Unlike certain other social LMSs like Edmodo, one cannot have guests onto the virtual class. This reduces the social interaction and collaboration between various Moodle learners.
  • It is a closed platform:Moodles are not open to all the public to take part in and the teacher has to invite the student into the class. Thus they do not provide an open source of learning.

 

33.11Summary

  • Moodle (acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a free software e-learning platform.
  • Moodle was originally developed by Martin Dougiamas first version of Moodle was released in August 2002.
  • Moodle has four distinct elements:
  • Software
  • Company
  • Community support
  • Commercial arm
  • The main feature of a Moodle is that it is:
  • Easy to use
  • Free open licensing
  • Multilanguage
  • Customisable
  • Community support is available
  • The pedagogical philosophies behind Moodle are:
  • Constructivism
  • Constructionism
  • Social constructivism and o Connected and separate.

 

REFERENCES/ LEARN MORE

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle
  • http://docs.moodle.org/27/en/About_Moodle
  • http://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Philosophy
  • http://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Moodle_site_-_basic_structure
  • http://leonelacursodeingles.blogspot.in/2011/05/moodle-advantages-and-disadvantages.html
  • http://www.moodlenews.com/2010/benefits-and-drawbacks-of-moodle-a-wiki/