Teaching with Moodle

Edward, we use Moodle not just for classes that are wholly or mainly online, but also as a repository for materials for different topics. I would begin by showing faculty that what they do normally, lecture, give handouts, give quizzes, etc. can live in Moodle or be done through Moodle. Later you can worry about real online learning pedagogy and how to use the advanced features of Moodle. Especially with many students not yet having internet access, this may be the way to go.

I personally like Moodle as a way to organize all of the electronic things I find or create by topic, so I can find them and plug them into the right class.

Have fun, Irmi

Hey there,

Ok. I've worked in K-12 as faculty and am now an instructional designer training faculty on moodle at a community college. The last institution I trained at was a high school with 200 students. Here's what I see as some challenges, recommendations, and selling points:

Challenges/Recommendations:
You need someone to run the system - someone who knows Apache, Linux, MySQL, and PHP. If you don't have someone to do this - then go with a hosting service. Most are inexpensive for initial startup packages (and I'm referring to those linked to from moodle.org). They also provide support - which you'll definitely need, and some provide an intro training. [And right now, I don't recommend going with v. 1.7 until it's more stable. We're still working out major bugs in 1.6.2 and from what I've read, the ones in 1.7 are major as well.]

Selling points:

• One place to manage your documents, moderate discussions (instead of using external listservs, bulletin boards, or blogs), create your assignments, and grade quizzes and exams.

• As most will use this as a supplement to their course - it allows for students to access materials in one place instead of asking repeatedly for them. Students can use it as an archive to refer back to, as well, for studying. It doesn't require knowledge of how to use Dreamweaver. It's a simple interface with click and build content and screen prompts.

• Essays/Questions/Checkins - can be submitted as online text and commented inline by the instructor from anywhere they have internet access.

• It has a gradebook for tracking student grades - and students can view their own progress.

• Instructors can create multiple-choice questions and score them - no more scantrons!

• It allows for you to set up peer-to-peer discussions for out-of-classroom support.

• It taps into motivation - most students are more tech-savvy than their instructors so they'll love the ability to get online.

• It was built with accessibility online in mind (it's not 100% compliant - nothing is - but if the instructors put content into their course in .html format or .txt - and it's easy to do so with the software - then the course is accessible to screen readers).

• If a hybrid/blended course - then instructor can model in-class and use for showing powerpoints, websites, etc.

• Instructor can post notes after done with class for students to use later (if the instructor wants to).

• Instructors can set up peer-to-peer evaluations in the workshop activity.

• It's easy to do groupwork in - either use forums for each group or use the "groups" module in the admin panel.

I agree with Irmi - show them how to use it to complement/supplement what they're already doing and then they can add to their use later with all the cool features.

Hmmm....I know there are more. If you have specific questions, just email me back. I'm eyeball deep in this - having taught with Moodle and been a student in Moodle courses I can generally answer most questions or point people in the right direction (as far as teaching strategies and possible scenarios for use).

- Mare

I see a lot of good advice here. Like Mary Parke, I teach an introductory Moodle workshop at a community college. Some of the participants are teachers who are already using Moodle. Others will be using it in the near future. Still others attend the workshop because they've heard about Moodle and want to learn more (they might not even be teachers).

Because I have such a diverse group, I decided on the following strategy: Let the participants experience Moodle as students.

This really simplifies my job as Workshop presenter. I don't really have to say much besides "do this" and then "do that." Think about it: How much of an explanation do students need before they start a Moodle activity? Not much. How much time do you spend explaining Moodle's pedagogical underpinnings to them? None. Get the idea? If a teacher experiences Moodle the way her students do, she will understand these things without my having to say a word.

I created a course based on a children's story so that the subject matter doesn't get in the way. The course has a number of activities. Actually, some of the activities are presented in several versions that I reveal in stages (by hiding and unhiding). For example, their first activity is to read the story. I present four versions in the following sequence:

1. Link to a Web site where they can read the story
2. Link to a local pdf file containing the story
   
3. Moodle book version of the story
   
4. Moodle lesson version of the story
   

Next, there's a test on the story that's full of images and multimedia.

Next, I have them create a Moodle Glossary in groups. One group makes entries for the animals in the story, and so on. They use a Moodle Chat to coordinate among themselves.

Then there's a writing assignment. Students choose their topics with a Moodle Choice. The assignment is revealed in three versions:

1. Write an essay and upload it
2. Moodle Exercise
3. Moodle Workshop

A Workshop?? Gasp! Yes, I know: Workshops are terribly complicated -- for the teacher. They're a breeze for the student because the Workshop takes them by the hand and walks them through all the steps.

Finally, there's a forum on issues in Digital Rights Management. No kidding.

To sum it up, the best way (in my opinion) to "sell" Moodle to teachers is to let them experience Moodle from their students' perspective. And let them experience the full range of Moodle's activities. Students yawn when they see a "class Web site" done in Moodle, wouldn't you?