I've found very helpful documentation to help me start getting my Moodle system and courses set up, however, I've found nothing that is aimed at the students. I would like to find some basic documentation for a standard themed system that can be read by dull normal college freshman to enable them to perform basic Moodle functions such as using using a forum to collect and exchange ideas. I teach life drawing and painting to freshman art majors so the Moodle course work is used as an adjunct to drawing labs and to enrich learning for students with higher initiative. At present I'll only be using the most rudimentary capabilities but I would like to have documentation available in a structured fashion that would allow students to read and use the system in a step-by-step fashion.
It would also be valuable to have such documentation in an editable form (RTF or ODT) so that I can modify it to use my own examples or special details of use.
Does such a document exist?
This, for me, continues to be the biggest challenge. If I invest the time to have the students do lessons on Moodle usage they complain, and if I don't they complain. Just getting the pop-up message block to work can be tiring, let alone explaining to students that not every thing to be posted starts a new thread (thread? what's a thread?)
I regularly use an introductory lesson that requires them to complete their profile including adding an image, add contacts to their message block to the degree that has been allowed, message the teacher and then post to a forum about what they found difficult and what they found helped them. I try to include online connectivity (jabber is nice, SL can be interesting, something like Elluminate if available) and if possible I try to have them online to help. This exposes them to most communication issues. From there big issues 1) what do I have to do? i.e. without a "checklist" students argue they get confused as to "what do I do next" so having instructions that say click on every icon from the top to the bottom, or go to the syllabus page and click on the URLS there (links back to moodle assignments resources etc) is helpful.....
What will I think be the most helpful is Nwiki templates to build individual student contract documents that allows you to set out the syllabus for each student so that you and the student have a place you can manage student benchmarks, etc. I would familiarize myself with nWiki templates, put a modfied syllabus in the template with instructions, explanations etc to assist the student in using the Nwiki to essentially monitor his progress and build his portfolio if you will.
I regularly use an introductory lesson that requires them to complete their profile including adding an image, add contacts to their message block to the degree that has been allowed, message the teacher and then post to a forum about what they found difficult and what they found helped them. I try to include online connectivity (jabber is nice, SL can be interesting, something like Elluminate if available) and if possible I try to have them online to help. This exposes them to most communication issues. From there big issues 1) what do I have to do? i.e. without a "checklist" students argue they get confused as to "what do I do next" so having instructions that say click on every icon from the top to the bottom, or go to the syllabus page and click on the URLS there (links back to moodle assignments resources etc) is helpful.....
What will I think be the most helpful is Nwiki templates to build individual student contract documents that allows you to set out the syllabus for each student so that you and the student have a place you can manage student benchmarks, etc. I would familiarize myself with nWiki templates, put a modfied syllabus in the template with instructions, explanations etc to assist the student in using the Nwiki to essentially monitor his progress and build his portfolio if you will.
Hello Dave,
You may get some ideas from our online manuals at http://moodle.tokem.fi (We are working on the 1.9 manuals right now).
Rgrds,
Paul.
You may get some ideas from our online manuals at http://moodle.tokem.fi (We are working on the 1.9 manuals right now).
Rgrds,
Paul.
Hello Paul,
Thank you for sharing this resource... your institution has done some great work. Any chance you would be interested in sharing the book for users to edit for our institutions?
thanks again!
Chelsea
Thank you for sharing this resource... your institution has done some great work. Any chance you would be interested in sharing the book for users to edit for our institutions?
thanks again!
Chelsea