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Steve,

http://docs.moodle.org is a wikepedia like site set up to make sure that Moodle documentation is always up to date. The documents tend to be a bit like a technician's manual, rather than a tutorial (ie. they tend to give a complete description of each function in the order they appear on the site, rather than guiding you through exercises that would help you learn), but they are useful. I had started to try to put up my tutorials on this site but in the pressure of work I have abandoned it for the moment (you can find a little at: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Introductory_Tutorials_for_Teachers)

I would not particularly recommend this, but if there is not something better available on docs.moodle.org others might like to help improve it. Maybe your posting will act as a motivation to get me started on this again.

Regards,

Brian

Brian Mulligan brian.mulligan@gmail.com, http://brian.mulligan.googlepages.com/
Open Learning Coordinator, Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland http://www.itsligo.ie/online
Phone: +353 71 9137245 Mobile: +353 87 2192070 Skype : brianmmulligan
Join the Irish Learning Technology Association http://ilta.net/ - it's free!

In your private mail, you asked...
On the matter of starting with forums and resources: what’s the exact beginning point? Don’t I need to get the basic software and send distant students a course outline, etc?

Perhaps I should make clear that we’re not thinking of using Moodle as an enhancement of an existing campus program, but of using a learning management system for all-distance learning.

Yes, it is important if you are using Moodle for all distance learning or blended learning (combined with face-to-face instruction). But still you just need to learn 1) forums and 2) resources.

To get started, you should set up a Moodle server or get a hosting service to run your Moodle site. Then make a course, and a course outline--I usually make each point in my course outline equal to one topic on my main course page. Then add resources and forums according to the topics in the course outline.

Once you have a course set up, then you can send login information by postal mail to your students. All they need is an internet browser. In fact they don't even need their own computer, just go to a internet shop and go to work. I imagine the hourly rates for internet in Ghana are quite reasonable. By the way, you might want to explain your school and course plans here in this social forum. Many of us will be interested.

Cheers,
Don

I agree with Don completely.

There are many wonderful features in Moodle, but forums and resources are the best place to start. You can do some great teaching just with those two. Forums let your students talk to each other (and to you). Resources let you link to external web sites and to your own files you've uploaded.

In fact, I'd simplify things even further and limit the resources to "compose a web page" and "link to a file or web site" at first. Those are by far the most commonly used options, in my experience.

If you want your students to upload formal products (such as Word documents), you might also want to look at "assignment" under Activities.

The great thing about Moodle is that it's possible to start out very small, with just a discussion forum or two and some links to web resources. You don't have to learn the whole system before getting started.

Hey- I've done this about 20 times in the last couple of years at conferences - often just an hour or hour and a half, but also two back to back sessions (for 3 hours total).

It's a great idea- but my experience suggests folks just don't take it as seriously if it's not formal, paid, at their school- though I'm sure there are exceptions!

d.i.

We run online, moderated, Moodle courses every two weeks if the problem you mention is one of time or distance.

Jason's new book, Using Moodle 2nd (updated for 1.8) is also quite good, a number of folks I know use it while learning Moodle.

Keeping in line with our original intent to provide quality resources to teachers at little or no cost, we at facultyroom.org are in the middle of trying to figure out how to post some of our learning objects for others (that's the sample course and database project that we've been discussing). There are several considerations to take into account before launching such an effort, though, and you and Bill Fitzgerald have kindly pointed me in the direction of the open licensing documentation, etc. In addition to making sure that intellectual property issues are considered, there are several logistical hurdles that I could also use help overcoming. All of us know how HUGE a job it is to keep the docs current, and we have a dedicated team here at Moodle.org on top of that job. Now, imagine trying to ensure that short tutorials and other such resources are constantly up to date in a free and open environment such as you are suggesting (and we have already been thinking about). Things are moving so fast right now that we can barely keep on top of ensuring that our closed courses include data for 1.6, 1.8, and 1.9--and that's for content we've created ourselves. In truth, the prospect of figuring out how to also manage and oversee an open database of such content is a bit overwhelming to me at the moment and is the hurdle I'm most eager to clear.

As those of us who have done the training know, though, there sometimes is NO substitute for having a real person coaching you through it, whether online or in person. Still, every time a question comes up about groups or roles or other more complicated, need-to-see-it-in-action functions, I think to myself, wouldn't it be nice to direct that person to a course that would show it working--something more in-depth than an empty demo course? I'm in the middle of stripping down one of my own courses and setting something up at facultyroom.org to serve as a model for where we want to go. I'll need plenty of feedback once it's ready, but it isn't quite ready for the public, yet.

In any case--just wanted to let you all know what is in the works.