Greetings everyone,
As a newcomer to Moodle, I'm both impressed by its capabilities and daunted by the sheer volume of possibilities it offers. I'm a trumpet instructor aiming to create a virtual learning environment within Moodle but encountering a few hurdles.
My primary challenge revolves around the nature of music instruction, particularly for instruments like the trumpet, where practical application through playing takes precedence over written exercises. Consequently, video submissions are the most effective means of assessing student progress. To address this, I've been writing 2-3 weekly assignments for each student. However, the individualized nature of music instruction, with its myriad variables, makes crafting personalized assignments a time-consuming endeavor.
In seeking a solution, I've envisioned a system that standardizes assignments while allowing for subtle variations. My idea involves creating a database where I can catalog these variations and systematically incorporate them into future assignments, thus streamlining the process for years to come. Here's a breakdown of the assignment structure I have in mind:
Title: Each assignment is identified by a title such as "Exercise 1 (Rhythm)." Here, "Exercise 1" denotes the ID of the material (e.g., exercise, song), while "(Rhythm)" specifies the focus area.
Description: This section provides an overview of the assignment, emphasizing the specific material and instructions. For instance, "Let's work on $ID_of_material. We'll focus on $Instructions_summary."
Instructions: Detailed guidance on performing the exercise, ideally linked to a rubric and competency framework.
Material: Multimedia attachments, typically PDFs and MP3s, potentially including videos or links.
Submission Field: A space where students can upload their video submissions. While an embedded video recorder with app support would be ideal, I understand it may be challenging to implement.
In terms of database structure, I envision two main categories:
- Materials (2 fields): ID_of_material and Files.
- Instructions (4 fields): Instructions_summary, Instructions, Rubric, and Competencies.
Additionally, I believe implementing categorization based on factors like skill level, musical style, impairment considerations, or learning theory could further enhance the organization and accessibility of the materials.
Furthermore, I'm looking to utilize the 'assignment' activity within Moodle to streamline the process further. Ideally, this activity would dynamically apply selections from the databases into a single template, allowing for customization while maintaining consistency. This way, I could review the assignment before publishing, ensuring accuracy and coherence. Are there any insights or suggestions on seamlessly integrating these databases into the 'assignment' activity for this purpose?
Thank you for any guidance or feedback you may offer.
Best regards,Carles