I came across this book (also downloadable as a pdf document) today.
"Theory and Practice of Online Learning, edited by Terry Anderson and Fathi Elloumi, is concerned with assisting providers of online education with useful tools to carry out the teaching and learning transactions online."
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/
Cheers
Thanks Gunther, looks great! (don't know when I'll get to read it though...)
Richard
Looks good.
Currently I'm looking at using Moodle to support teaching pupils aged 11-18.
Any tips on where to look for info?
Hi Alex
What exactly are you after? I teach roughly the same age groups.
Nicholas
Hi,
I'm pretty new to the profession (qualify as an ICT teacher this week in fact) and I am very keen to use Moodle to develop courses based around the UK National Strategy for ICT at KS3.
I am hoping to use on-line feedback and assessment with year 7-8 pupils. I also hope to get them discussing and exchanging ideas with each other on-line. These are all NC key skills that they need to develop and I think that using Moodle would be a fun and different way of doing this (being able to grade forum posts is a great possibility)
I'd like to look at some research to see if this has been done before with this age group and what the problems are. A lot of the research that I've read tends to be about distance learning: I'm looking for works that discuss using course management software in the classroom.
I'd also like to see any example of where Moodle has been used in this way before.
I have completed a sample unit to support a Desktop Publishing unit: www.mrjibb.co.uk which you are welcome to look at if it will help to explain what I am trying to do.
Thanks
Alex
Alex, the futre of ICT teaching is indeed in good hands if you are evidence of the 'crop' of PGCE leavers this year. I think your ICT resources look brilliant and I only hopeyou are blessed with teaching in a school where your creativity and innovative approach to teaching is allowed to flourish. At my school I'd welcome you with open arms! Good luck. BTW, what school will you be teaching at now you've left Uni? Perhaps we could collborate on a project sometime? I am Head of ICT at a private girls school near London. I'm currently using Moodle, but not as well as you have planned to do! Also, FWIW, with regard to the KS3 strategy used in your example, it may interest you to know that I was a writer of content for the forthcoming ICT KS3 online test. I am very, very familiar with the rationale behind the test. You are quite right to emphaisis that the Moodle/VLE environment is about to be VERY VERY big in UK education as people who've given children access to this sort of collaborative environment will do well comapred to those who have not experienced it before.
Thanks for your comments. I hope my course leader likes it as much when she marks my assignment. I'll pop your comments in my PDP if you don't mind.
I start at the Canterbury High School in July and I'm really looking forward to it. Would be delighted to collaborate on a project some time. Feel free to contact me by e-mail any time dan_jibb@yahoo.co.uk
I've had some experience of using the GOAL tests but any sneak preview of the forthcoming KS3 on-line test would be much appreciated.
"...but any sneak preview of the forthcoming KS3 on-line test would be much appreciated. "
Sadly I can't arrange that 
Hiya, I've also been using moodle with Applied GCSE ICT (year 10 students within an FE college), since Easter.
It's been great for organising resources, and 'forcing' them to use a journal on a weekly basis - I'm trying to train them how to do system development for coursework. Having them contribute to glossaries is also very useful.
The main problem I find with Moodle in class is simply that, because they are in the same room, the discusiion is verbal rather than in forums; unless they are actually told to use the forum, they won't. They are lucky enough to be in a small group and share ideas / help each other easily. Maybe a larger group will have the critical mass needed for effective discussions.
I'm hoping, nect year, that they will be able to collaborate on the research elements where that is appropriate.
Sadly, they do not have the self-discipline to use the chat for learning....
Have fun with this, Andy D
This is exactly the same problem that I am experiencing with my highschool students. I also mainly use Moodle in the classroom and and have found that children don't use the forums for discussions. Why should they when they can just walk over to the next guy and ask them a question? Much more efficient.
There a couple of things that I do to try and get them into the forums:
There a couple of things that I do to try and get them into the forums:
- I mostly do projects and make sure that I invite some external experts into the Moodle. These people usually do not have time to come to school but the asynchronous nature of forum discussions and the automatic sending of e-mails keep them involved. They can help students when they want in their free time.
- I invite students from other classes or other schools to do the same work.
- I make a question forum where the students can ask me questions. I then refuse to answer any question orally and only answer the forums. When another student asks the same question I direct them to the forum. This teaches them not to seek instant gratification with questions and not be lazy in seeking answers.
- I make it part of the assignment to post in the forums. Give all the students a different question to answer within a certain time. Then let each of them give a certain amount of replies to the other students. Use the excellent Moodle Forum Grading for giving feedback on how well they do.
- Finally I usually force subscription on all forums. This way they get every message in their e-mail inbox.