How does a typical course run?

How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -
Number of replies: 22

I am interested in a video or a similar description that shows the flow of a typical course, and I am not talking about how to add resources and activities and how to plan them, but the actual interaction between the teacher and the student so that the learning process is unfolded, that is:

  1. The student answers an assignment or quiz.
  2. The teacher finds it - how?
  3. The teacher comments it and returns it to the student.
  4. The student find the commented assignment or quiz - how? He corrects, and learns more and submit the corrected version.
  5. The teacher find this corrected version - how? He grades and approuves it.
  6. The work is closed.
At least, I find it not very obviously in Moodle 2.6 to get notified when work need to commented by the teacher and later to be revised by the student.

If anyone could film this kind of pedagogical flow for me, I would be glad.

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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Mary Cooch -
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First of all, regarding How does a typical course run, we have a saying in English:  How long is a piece of string? Your question is similar -the answer can be anything you like, because there are many variations on a "typical course". I think you are mainly asking about how the teacher and student are notified when things need grading and then they get graded. 

So I will answer that question instead. When a teacher does a quiz, the teacher can either set up notifications so they are notified when a student completes a quiz or in their own time they can click on the quiz/assignment in the course and it will tell them how many students have done it.

In terms of assignments, once the teacher has graded the assignment, they can have set a notification to the student so they receive a message, either in Moodle or via email (or on their mobile) that their assignment has been graded.

There is more to it than that, but basically, as you set up assignments you also decide how and when notifications are sent out.

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: How does a typical course run?

by john Simpson -

I don't think anybody can clearly give you an answer, and you would fully understand. I wouldn't have. It's a matter of doing, and let moodle do the rest.

First, do you have a moodle to practice with as administrator? Make your courses.

Have you got a few people who can act as your practice students? Guinepigs?

Search youtube on moodle teaching tutorials, and you will find the films you want.




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In reply to john Simpson

Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -

Thanks for the video, and you are rigth, it depends of the way of teaching. Now, in the platform that I use there is a dashboard for each class, and in this dashboard there is a agenda that tells me as a teacher what I need to do for the students. The student sees the same agenda for him: deadlines, work to review and appointments.

This gives a certain pedagogiocal flow and interaction between the student and the teacher, and my interest is in this flow of pedagogical interaction: what is my agenda today?

As I understand it, Moodle gives no clear agenda, only messages spread around.

Is this so?

Here is the agenda at a dasnboard in a class in itslearning:


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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Mary Cooch -
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Moodle's course calendar can help you with this - items with dates will appear in the calendar for students  - assignments, workshops for example.

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Ang: Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -

Yes, I know the calendar, but as I understand, the calendar only displays deadlines, not follow up tasks like that the students have handed in an assignment that need feedback, and furthermore for the student that he needs to follow up on work that the teacher has commented. This is why I ask if there is some kind of agenda that tells the teacher and the student what he needs to do.

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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Matt Bury -
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Hi Jan,

From your website, it looks like you teach foreign languages, is that true?

If so, there's a book "Moodle 1.9 for Second Language Teaching" by Jeff Stanford. It's old and some of Moodle's activities and modules have changed but the core ideas are still relevant: https://www.packtpub.com/hardware-and-creative/moodle-19-second-language-teaching

Or look at other books that introduce instructional design, course design, or curriculum development in Moodle. There are lots of introductory certificate courses in online learning and teaching theory and practice at various universities and many of them use Moodle as their platform. Taking a course and seeing how they've done it could be very helpful.

I hope this helps! smile

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In reply to Matt Bury

Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -

Hello Matt

Yes, I teach Danish to adult foreigners using itslearning.

I am glad for the reference to the book, I will take a closer look.

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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by john Simpson -

There is another forum discussing specifically languge teaching, but for the likes of me I can't find it anymore, I only found it through a recommended link before.

Taking into consideration that the potential growth of language teaching is for Moodle, I'm surprised the forums are not dominently listed alongside the teaching in moodle. Moodle can't remain remain the leader depending on a few large universities. It needs the mass of little growing ones to beat the current competition in the near future.

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In reply to john Simpson

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by AL Rachels -
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Hi John,

Here is the direct link: https://moodle.org/course/view.php?id=31

To get to it...when you go to Moodle's home address, https://moodle.org/ you click on Community Forums. That takes you to a list of forums in different languages. Scroll down and Moodle for Language Teaching should be second from the bottom.

HTH,

AL

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by john Simpson -

That's what I mean smile What a terrible maze to get through, for such a major topic. Potentially it can be a popular forum if it could more easily noticed.

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In reply to john Simpson

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by dawn alderson -

might it be an idea to to have two columns...I mean that list is wide and long...

col 1 the language list

col 2 the other 4 forums under a separate overarching header

I never knew those other four existed!  

just a wee thought.

D 

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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators

Hi Jan,

interesting discussion. What is a typical course? Your scenario is one typical situation, but there are dozen other situations also. You are describing how an other LMS handles it.  The main aspect in itslearning ist: teacher go to the LMS , look what has happend? The Moodle scenario is different: teacher you have options:

Option 1: go to the activity that is running this week and check what has happened.
or
Option 2: go to your mail inbox and check whats in the mail software.

Teacher can  define for assignments that themself and students gets notification if a submission or feedback is given.  Teacher can do the same for quizzes. This feature has to be enabled by admins before. Its a little bit hidden in the role perissions for quizzes.

  1. The student answers an assignment or quiz.
  2. The teacher finds it - how? _ Mail notification
  3. The teacher comments it and returns it to the student.
  4. The student find the commented assignment or quiz - how? He corrects, and learns more and submit the corrected version. _mail notification
  5. The teacher find this corrected version - how? He grades and approuves it. - mail notification
  6. The work is closed.

Ralf

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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Re: How does a typical course run?

by dawn alderson -

I see.

It appears there are a number of items in this thread that all relate to an organised conveyance of instruction-including my two column offerings! In other words navigation for ease of accessibility to info and concepts.

Getting back to the original question.  I always think the music sound-over or narrative voice-over with the pointer doing the work as the demo/modelling tool is spot on....it uses a number of modes to engage the audience...visual invitation....audio...and most important nice and pacey...pitch is set at a general level...so win-win really for the learner.    

like this one for example:

  

I suppose a video showing those stages Ralf, would be nice.

D

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In reply to dawn alderson

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators

Hi Dawn,

may be I missed the point. The orignal discussion topic was not about course orientation. It was about notification and messages for teachers about students course progress.

I understood your video to organize a the course  in an other way to avoid scroll to death in huge courses. I  suggest often this ideas:


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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Re: How does a typical course run?

by dawn alderson -

Hi Ralf,

nice chatting with you.

To be clear, for clarity...the OP stated:

  1. The student answers an assignment or quiz.
  2. The teacher finds it - how?
  3. The teacher comments it and returns it to the student.
  4. The student find the commented assignment or quiz - how? He corrects, and learns more and submit the corrected version.
  5. The teacher find this corrected version - how? He grades and approuves it.
  6. The work is closed.

If we take away 1, 3, and 6...Do you think....the remaining points all point to something in common? Now I could be seeing things...but my bet is on Nav and accessibility..and wanting to know how to?

cheers for those links, nice.

Dawn

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In reply to dawn alderson

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators

Hi Dawn,

I think I get the point now.

Assignment and quiz are two different activities in Moodle. Assignement is a task that the student solves with a editor text entry or a file upload.  The teacher has to comment and grade manually. After submision and first grading the teacher can 'reopen' the assignment forthe student to resubmit the answer.
Quiz is  typically a set of questions with autmatic grading and feedback.  Manual grading and feedback is possible i.e. for essay text questions.


Now about the process:

Assignment:

  1. Teacher creates an assignment and publishes it in the course with a start date and a due date. He also defines the maximum grades and the type of submission and feedback. The description of the assignments includes all  information about the type of assignment and what is expected and how the feedback and grading process will work.
  2. The students works on the assignment and submit the results,
  3. The teacher gets a mail information if a student has submit to the assignment. Or: he waits for duedate and goes then to the assignments
  4. The teacher can see the submissions online, comment and grade  online or doenload them and grade offline and upoads comments and grade afterwards, 
  5. The teacher can also notify the student to work on assignment a second time.
  6. Student will be notified via mail that the teacher has commented or graded the submission.

Now a second round starts. 


Quiz:

The process is a little bit different. 

If the teacher creates a new quiz s/he defines the settings for the quiz: when, how often, how many time for an attempt, grades etc.  In general quiz setting he can define also question behaviour when student sees feedback for questions and general feedback for total quiz result.

Then the teacher creates or selects the questions for the quiz. 

By  editing a quiz queston the teacher will define question text, answering options, correct/wrong answers, weight of question (by points) and (!) feedback for the question, each single answer or all wrong/correct answers. This feedback is very helpfull for students. 

If the quiz is published students will run through the quiz one or several times.  Depending on the teachers settings the get immidiate or later feedback for the quiz. 

If defined the  teacher gets a mail notification about a finished attempt by a student. But in most cases teacher don't want to get masses of notification.  If there is  a vocabulary quiz on weekly base, the check who has finished, not yet started, succeed or failed the quiz after due date. 

Teacher can see the total result forthe quiz and the detailled result for each attempt andthe answers for each question per student. 


I think you know this process. And I think it will be generally similar in all LMS systems. Itslearnig uses a different model for notification of teachers. 

One point that was not discussed is, what does it mean a teacher closes an assignment. Closing can have different meanings:  the grading and feedback process is finished, the activity will be closed and students don't have access, the activity is deleted.


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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -

This was the core of my inquiry: how is the user (student and teacher) notified that a changed (teacher comment, student correction, teacher final approuval and grading) is added to an assignment?

I know that there are several ways of digital work flow, but the one I am describing should be rather typical.

I understand that Moodle gives e-mail notification. When I use our LMS (itslearning), I only comment student work once a week (beginning every Monday); I don't react at any notification telling that a student has submitted a work now. And I have several courses with several students and assignments.

So, when I start Monday morning I need to know in one glance what to do, and I imagine that the student has the same need allthough he has only his own work to review, but still, there could be several assignments to review.

This is why I ask if there is any kind of tool, call it a message board or an agenda, that tells the user in one glance what to do - apart from the calendar that informs about deadlines and other events.

I am sorry that I can not contribute by my own experience; my school for the moment decided to stay on itslearning.

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In reply to Jan Sosniecki

Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
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Hi Jan,

On the My-Page of your Moodle you see an overview about all the courses you are enrolled as teacher or participant. You also see an information about assignments that needs your attention. Students see it in similar way. If you click on the link you are going directly to the grading overview for this assignment.

Mail notification is optional. 

Ralf


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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Ang: Re: Ang: Re: How does a typical course run?

by Jan Sosniecki -

Thanks, Ralf

This is a very usefull answer because the screen dump shows that Moodle has some kind of agenda that in one glance tells the teacher (and the student) what to do.

This morning in (one of my) my classes it looks like this on itslearnig:



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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Re: How does a typical course run?

by dawn alderson -

Ralf, hi

OK.

lengthy workflows there eh.  I cannot help but wonder....do that a lot me smile  

Seriously, it appears to me that the itslearning thing...LMS.....has a planner...we can see it clearly.  Thinking in a *divergent way, for a minute...will come back to that again, because I want to  make a general point about the forums here... 

Does it not seem that a gap exists in terms of getting all that info...as bity as it is....categorised and classifed, for ease of access- into one place for the user...both the learner and teacher?  

I mean, the idea of a planner is nice...it builds on the latest focus (heavy focus on the need for PLEs in an LMS).  I like the links you posted, in German smile especially the idea of the student having something like a PLE with one/selection of blocks that link to the following for example:   

Course Information

Chat room

Wall for sharing

Resource centre

 we know this can be done easily in moodle?

Now, taking things a bit further, the idea of a journal that supports dialogue between the teacher and student -bang smack- on the my moodle env...their PLE, is really nice, and perhaps a place where those workflows can be accessed, but more to the point discussed where a dialogue can take place....whether that be about Quiz outcomes...assignment shortfalls or whatever...a space for informal reflection and support; documented for the benefit of both parties. So both have editing rights, of course. I know some Unis use this already with the journal plugin.  

I think it would be nice to see the journal in core....as a stock item...just like the news block...think that is a stock item...shout if I am wrong eh.

A little not about divergent thinking, which means: Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions...I want to compare that with convergent thinking:  Convergent thinking is a term coined by Joy Paul Guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. It generally means the ability to give the "correct" answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity.

So,  I would like to say....boldly! ;)   Are we restricted in the T&Cs at moodle.org in terms of just posting convergent thoughts?  In other words....does the act of divergent thinking mean OFF-TOPIC!  Coz, if so...I now know what I have been doing wrong here....oh dear! LOLs!  I am playing.....playing I say!  But a valid point.       

D

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In reply to dawn alderson

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Matt Bury -
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Hi Dawn,

Just to check that I've understood your posts correctly, what you're saying is something along the lines of:

Does it not seem that link to give the ability to say....boldly! Are we restricted in a lot me Seriously, it is....categorised and student having something like the "correct" answer to give the latest focus on the act of access- into one place for the its learning thing...LMS.....has a PLE with the T&Cs at moodle.org in moodle? Now, taking things a valid point. . OK, lengthy workflows there eh. I say! But a gap exists in a bit further, the student having something like the benefit of both parties. So both have been doing wrong here....oh dear! LOLs! I have been doing wrong eh. A little not require significant creativity. So, I would be accessed, but wonder, do not require significant creativity. So, I say! But a planner is a valid point. . Does it would be accessed, but wonder, do that the journal in terms of access- into one place where a place for sharing, Resource centre. We know this can be accessed, but more to the teacher and teacher? I would be accessed, but more to give the links you posted, in German especially the ability to standard questions that supports dialogue between the idea of access- into one place for sharing, Resource centre. We know some Unis use this can be done easily in terms of divergent thinking mean OFF-TOPIC! Coz, if I am wrong eh. A little not require significant creativity. So, I would be about Quiz outcomes...assignment shortfalls or method used to me Seriously, it appears to say....boldly! Are we restricted in terms of access- into one place where those workflows can take place....whether that a dialogue can take place....whether that a planner...we can take place....whether that supports dialogue can be about divergent thinking, which means: DIVERGENT THINKING is a stock item.

Is that what you meant to say?

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In reply to Matt Bury

Re: How does a typical course run?

by Helen Foster -
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