making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
Number of replies: 14
I'm an artist (www.timothychambers.com), and a picture is worth a thousand words. Forgive me for saying so, but Moodle seems so blah in its appearance, yet I read one comment or article after another raving about it! So, I obviously don't understand its benefits or capabilities yet. I'd love to find an article that just walked me through why it's so cool and beneficial to so many. Any suggestions?
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Mary Cooch -
It's not just about style but content 
Many others like you have commented on Moodle's appearance - in fact, there are lots of themes that make it look much less "blah" and with the new Moodle coming out in summer it will look even better. However, to me, that's not what counts. You need to look beyond the front page and inside it to its interactivity, 24 accessibliity, independent study capabilities, collaborative learning features oh and much more. If you are interested in teaching with Moodle there is a whole course Teaching and Learning with Moodle that gives a good intro with some videos etc on why Moodle is -er - Good 
In reply to Mary Cooch
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
That's what I need to see- the benefits on why Moodle works so well. I guess this is a great case of not judging a book by its cover! I searched for the course- I think it's here: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146283- and I'll dive into it, ready to learn.
Moodle must be "er, good", otherwise there wouldn't be so many using it. I had considered simply making my own site a teaching platform. I'm hoping that once I see Moodle's features I'll recognize the benefit of using it instead of my own site for this.
What's in store for the Moodle update this summer?
Moodle must be "er, good", otherwise there wouldn't be so many using it. I had considered simply making my own site a teaching platform. I'm hoping that once I see Moodle's features I'll recognize the benefit of using it instead of my own site for this.
What's in store for the Moodle update this summer?
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Glenys Hanson -
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
Thanks, Glenys! It seems there a lot of very useful improvements, some of which apply directly to my goals for the classes I'm teaching.
Next decision for me is this: If I want to get the course up and running for the fall semester using Moodle 2.0, would it be more prudent for me to learn Moodle on my own or to enlist the services of a designer? I don't want students/parents to have issues w the site and end up nixing the course. If I were to use someone else's servces, where do I begin to find a person to do so?
Thanks for the help!
Next decision for me is this: If I want to get the course up and running for the fall semester using Moodle 2.0, would it be more prudent for me to learn Moodle on my own or to enlist the services of a designer? I don't want students/parents to have issues w the site and end up nixing the course. If I were to use someone else's servces, where do I begin to find a person to do so?
Thanks for the help!
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Glenys Hanson -
Hi Tim,
It's very difficult to answer - it depends on which you have more of: time or money. I'm just a bottom of the pile language teacher who certainly couldn't afford to pay anyone. I'm pretty much self-taught - with a lot of help from people on these forums. I've created and run about 20 distance courses of different kinds - English and teacher training. Nearly all highly interactive - I'm a bit of a crank about constructivism. So you don't need to know anything about coding to create courses and even be your own admin - but knowing something about html does help.
It's taken a huge amount of time but I've enjoyed it. There are Moodle Partners and others out there who'll do all the techie stuff for you but they're not really geared to individual teachers - their customers are big universities and companies. But if you've got the money, they won't refuse you.
I think you already have some experience of creating sites, so Moodle shouldn't be too difficult for you to manage on your own. It is a bit like learning another language though - you have to learn to look at things in a different way from a "normal" site. Have you already downloaded a Moodle for Windows or Moodle for Mac OS X and started playing with it on your own computer? A few hours with it should tell you whether it's possible for you or not.
I would recommend one book: Mary Cooch's Moodle 1.9 For Teaching 7-14 Year Olds
I teach adults, not 7-14 year olds, but this book would have have saved me a lot of time had it been available 6 years ago when I was starting out with Moodle. In my opinion, it's far and away the best of any of the Moodle books I've looked at. You follow Mary step-by-step as she goes about setting up a real course.
Hope this helps.
Glenys
It's very difficult to answer - it depends on which you have more of: time or money. I'm just a bottom of the pile language teacher who certainly couldn't afford to pay anyone. I'm pretty much self-taught - with a lot of help from people on these forums. I've created and run about 20 distance courses of different kinds - English and teacher training. Nearly all highly interactive - I'm a bit of a crank about constructivism. So you don't need to know anything about coding to create courses and even be your own admin - but knowing something about html does help.
It's taken a huge amount of time but I've enjoyed it. There are Moodle Partners and others out there who'll do all the techie stuff for you but they're not really geared to individual teachers - their customers are big universities and companies. But if you've got the money, they won't refuse you.
I think you already have some experience of creating sites, so Moodle shouldn't be too difficult for you to manage on your own. It is a bit like learning another language though - you have to learn to look at things in a different way from a "normal" site. Have you already downloaded a Moodle for Windows or Moodle for Mac OS X and started playing with it on your own computer? A few hours with it should tell you whether it's possible for you or not.
I would recommend one book: Mary Cooch's Moodle 1.9 For Teaching 7-14 Year Olds
I teach adults, not 7-14 year olds, but this book would have have saved me a lot of time had it been available 6 years ago when I was starting out with Moodle. In my opinion, it's far and away the best of any of the Moodle books I've looked at. You follow Mary step-by-step as she goes about setting up a real course.
Hope this helps.
Glenys
In reply to Glenys Hanson
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
Thanks, Gladys, for the encouragement and honesty ("bottom of the pile", effort, etc.). I don't have much time, and I have even less money but you've encouraged and even emboldened me to dive into Moodle.
Would y'all recommend holding off until 2.0 comes out, or just get started w 2.9? I.e., will I be wasting my time on 1.9 if I end up using 2.0?
I will definitely get a hold of Mary's book. She's already been helpful, and your application of her principles seals the deal for me.
Lastly, any comments on instructional videos such as this one atop the Google search results: www.moodletutorials.com
Thanks again for your quickness to guide this newbie.
Would y'all recommend holding off until 2.0 comes out, or just get started w 2.9? I.e., will I be wasting my time on 1.9 if I end up using 2.0?
I will definitely get a hold of Mary's book. She's already been helpful, and your application of her principles seals the deal for me.
Lastly, any comments on instructional videos such as this one atop the Google search results: www.moodletutorials.com
Thanks again for your quickness to guide this newbie.
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Glenys Hanson -
Hi Tim,
I would start out with 1.9.8 - the current stable version. When you're a beginner reliability is more important than bells and whistles... and version 2 isn't even out yet. You can do lots with the current version. There will be some readaption to version 2, but what you'll have learnt with 1.9 won't be wasted.
I've never bought www.moodletutorials.com so I can't comment on it but there are a lot of free tutorials around (Mary Cooch's UsingMoodle get my vote), the Moodle docs and these forums.
I find video tutorials great for getting the general idea of something, but, as I have a lousy memory, I find written tutorials with screeshots more useful because I can control them, make them stop where I want, go back to a bit a didn't really understand, etc.
Cheers,
Glenys
PS This Setup using Hosting or Contractor? Advice please: discussion might help.
I would start out with 1.9.8 - the current stable version. When you're a beginner reliability is more important than bells and whistles... and version 2 isn't even out yet. You can do lots with the current version. There will be some readaption to version 2, but what you'll have learnt with 1.9 won't be wasted.
I've never bought www.moodletutorials.com so I can't comment on it but there are a lot of free tutorials around (Mary Cooch's UsingMoodle get my vote), the Moodle docs and these forums.
I find video tutorials great for getting the general idea of something, but, as I have a lousy memory, I find written tutorials with screeshots more useful because I can control them, make them stop where I want, go back to a bit a didn't really understand, etc.
Cheers,
Glenys
PS This Setup using Hosting or Contractor? Advice please: discussion might help.
In reply to Glenys Hanson
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Mary Cooch -
Hi again Tim. I agree with Glenys- stick with 1.9.8 for the time being - the 1.9 versions will be used for a fair while yet and are very stable. As for video tutorials, if you mean this one http://www.moodletutorials.com/ then I wouldn't pay for videos you can get free elsewher and I think these might be a few years old as well. A favourite is Tomaz Lasic's 2 minute Moodles http://vimeo.com/channels/44004 He runs the Teaching and Learning Course I told you of earlier - and they are all free
In reply to Mary Cooch
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
Mary and Glenys- thanks. You've given me the "green light" and a clear agenda. 1.9.8 it is, Mary's book and free tutorials, and I'm ready to dive in. It's Memorial Day, and though I'm heading to the studio to work, I think I may take a "holiday" and set up Moodle. After all, if most everyone else is taking the day off from work, maybe I ought to consider doing so.
Thanks again for taking the time to offer input!
Thanks again for taking the time to offer input!
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Mary Cooch -
It's a holiday here in the UK too (plus I have a whole week as it is a school holiday) My problem is, I save all my major work till school holidays so I have more time to concentrate.. then end up needing a holiday from my holiday...
PS: and you always know when I have important jobs to do because I spend a lot more time answering questions here on moodle as work avoidance
PS: and you always know when I have important jobs to do because I spend a lot more time answering questions here on moodle as work avoidance
In reply to Mary Cooch
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
I read the Packt interview for your book and found myself COMPLETELY relating to your experience with writing your book Moodle 1.9 for Teaching 7-14 Year Olds: Beginner's Guide. I was invited to write a book on painting portraits and jumped at the opportunity, thinking that it would be easy since all I had to do was communicate what I already knew from 20 years of painting. Wrong! It was a very labor-intensive project for the same reasons you cited. But, as it was w you, it was a very rewarding project, and I learned much about writing, organization, and time management. I have a newfound respect for writers, too.
Re your book- do you explain how to get Moodle set up on the computer/server, or should I seek other Moodle docs for that?
Gearin' up for a dive into Moodle waters today.
Re your book- do you explain how to get Moodle set up on the computer/server, or should I seek other Moodle docs for that?
Gearin' up for a dive into Moodle waters today.
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Mary Cooch -
Hi Tim - no - my book is just for teachers who want to teach with Moodle. If you want to know how to get Moodle set up -well - either get yourself a free Moodle hosting site (there are some preferred ones if you do a search on this site ) or refer to the Installation section of the docs. I learned loads about Moodle admin from this book
But I can't recommend people spend money when they can get information for free (which is why I'd make a dreadful business woman)
But I can't recommend people spend money when they can get information for free
)
In reply to Tim Chambers
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Hunt -
I don't think anyone has yet given the link to Pedagogy, and that page is well worth a read, as it gives Martin D's viewpoint on how he would like to see Moodle used. The "Social Constructionism as a Referent" section I particularly like.
If you read that, then you will see why I say it completely misses the point to ask "would it be more prudent for me to learn Moodle on my own ...?"
Perhaps the best people to enlist to help you learn Moodle are your students.
Your students are coming to you because you are good at art, and they want to learn art. They don't particularly care about educational technology, but still, if you stand up at the start of the first session (or whatever the online equivalent of that is) and say "I want to teach you the best way possible, and these days that means using a website like Moodle. However, I am new to these tools, so during this course we will try various things, and you can help me by giving feedback in the course forum about what bits of the course worked well, and want didn't. Or if you want me to try something different, or have any suggestions in the course, please post about it. This is your course." Really, it is just the "A learning environment needs to be flexible and adaptable, so that it can quickly respond to the needs of the participants within it." bit of Moodle.
But, the other reason to do that, is surely it is leading by example with exactly the attitude you want your students to have: "I am quite new to art, but I am ready try various things, and I want you to help by giving me feedback about what worked well and what didn't, and what I should try to do differently."
Of course, it would be silly if your students spent most of the time in the course forum talking about how Moodle is used, although that would help you. The classic online activity in any creative subject is to get each student to do something, and then post it online and get the other students to comment on it. Of course it is absolutely vital to set the right atmosphere and expectations so that students make constructive and supportive comments of each others' work, and there are good articles online about facilitating online discussions - although I am afraid I don't have a convenient link to hand right now.
Anyway, that is my suggestion. Use the fact that you want to learn about online teaching tools while your students learn about art to be a model of how to learn through reflective practice.
If you read that, then you will see why I say it completely misses the point to ask "would it be more prudent for me to learn Moodle on my own ...?"
Perhaps the best people to enlist to help you learn Moodle are your students.
Your students are coming to you because you are good at art, and they want to learn art. They don't particularly care about educational technology, but still, if you stand up at the start of the first session (or whatever the online equivalent of that is) and say "I want to teach you the best way possible, and these days that means using a website like Moodle. However, I am new to these tools, so during this course we will try various things, and you can help me by giving feedback in the course forum about what bits of the course worked well, and want didn't. Or if you want me to try something different, or have any suggestions in the course, please post about it. This is your course." Really, it is just the "A learning environment needs to be flexible and adaptable, so that it can quickly respond to the needs of the participants within it." bit of Moodle.
But, the other reason to do that, is surely it is leading by example with exactly the attitude you want your students to have: "I am quite new to art, but I am ready try various things, and I want you to help by giving me feedback about what worked well and what didn't, and what I should try to do differently."
Of course, it would be silly if your students spent most of the time in the course forum talking about how Moodle is used, although that would help you. The classic online activity in any creative subject is to get each student to do something, and then post it online and get the other students to comment on it. Of course it is absolutely vital to set the right atmosphere and expectations so that students make constructive and supportive comments of each others' work, and there are good articles online about facilitating online discussions - although I am afraid I don't have a convenient link to hand right now.
Anyway, that is my suggestion. Use the fact that you want to learn about online teaching tools while your students learn about art to be a model of how to learn through reflective practice.
In reply to Tim Hunt
Re: making sense of all that Moodle offers- can someone point out the benefits?
by Tim Chambers -
Tim- this is really a great point you make regarding my approach to Moodle- that it is a flexible environment for not just students to learn and grow, but the instructor as well. My experience reflects exactly the point you promote- that the classroom can be a very forgiving place, and in fact, students respond really well to a teacher that is confident enough to be transparent and honest enough to say "Hey, I'm learning, too!" In fact, it is when I admit that I don't have all the answers that my own kids respond most to my parental direction.
One other thing that I really like about this approach is that it takes a LOT of the pressure off of having to have the perfect site. This gives me much more courage and confidence to dive in and produce a course for my students.
Thanks, Tim. Very cool and encouraging!
One other thing that I really like about this approach is that it takes a LOT of the pressure off of having to have the perfect site. This gives me much more courage and confidence to dive in and produce a course for my students.
Thanks, Tim. Very cool and encouraging!