Moodling to support learning

1
Moodling to support learning

• John Phelps, Sonja Grussendorf
• Goldsmiths, University of London

2
Roadmap

• Objectives
• Introduce moodle as a candidate VLE
• Explore features offered by moodle
• Explore staff and student use of moodle
• Activities
• Consider impact of moodle on learning
• Reflect on the use of moodle in a range of
  learning contexts

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What is Moodle?
modular object-oriented dynamic learning
environment

• Moodle is an alternative to proprietary
  commercial virtual learning environments, and is
  distributed free under open source licensing
• Similar feature set to proprietary packages
• Uses a browser based interface

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Brief Overview

• Four roles in moodle
• Administrator, course creator, lecturer, student
• Three course types
• Topic view, weekly view and social view
• Everyone uses web based interface to access
  environment
• Range of activities and resources
• Built-in and plug-in modules

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Brief Overview
Range of activities and resources

• Assignment
• Chat
• Choice
• Dialogue
• Forum
• Glossary
• Journals

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Brief Overview
Range of activities and resources

• Labels
• Lessons
• Quizzes
• Resources (any electronic file, or range of
  embedded formats)
• Surveys
• Workshops

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Brief Overview
Management of learning

• People
• Group assignment
• Logs
• Calendars
• Files
• Help
• Enrolment keys

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Context

• Specialist college of the University of London
  since 1904
• Creative, cultural and social processes
• Excess of 8000 students at Bachelor, Masters and
  Doctorate levels
• 300 academic staff, 500 visiting tutors

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What did we do?

• Made available across the College for 2003-2004
• Expected 30 courses online in first year
• Result 60 courses and 2500 users
• Used 24/7 365 days of year

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Methodology

• Student survey
• Focus groups
• Staff interviews

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Results of Student Survey

• 80 accessed from home, 65 at college, 13 from
  internet cafes and 4 from other places.
• 45 of users received guidance on using the
  system. Only 27 felt they needed guidance. 65
  had discovered the discussion forums.

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4.1
4.0
3.7
3.4
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What did they do?
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Advantages and Disadvantages

• Organising learning, through structured course
  information, reminders and updates, ability to
  read ahead
• Accessing additional resources
• Downloading resources
• Communication with other students and lecturers
• Location-independent learning
• Discussion
• Progress tracking
• Unadvertised jobs

• Not enough courses supported
• Usability issues (6 about navigation)
• Not updated frequently enough
• Not used as I would like
• Interface unattractive
• Lack of instructions

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Other Comments

• Wish this was available in my first year!
  Helpful to get course booklets ahead of time for
  reading lists etc. However, there have already
  been changes to the curriculum which are not
  mentioned on the site it would be helpful if
  this could be updated swiftly.
• The idea has so much potential that I can well
  imagine it being common practice for all courses
  everywhere within a few years.

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Focus Group PGCE Students

• Very good for keeping in touch
• Like a lifeline, particularly in Spring and
  Summer
• You should force people to look at it
• Steep learning curve about irony
• Useful to get stuff from home

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Staff

• Drama MA Programmes
• 2 Programmes
• Used for file upload
• For contemporary resources (web and lectures)
• Online noticeboard
• Benefits
• Saves photocopying
• Speed
• Checking on students

• History
• 2 Courses
• Uploading lectures
• Notifying of assignments
• Using discussion boards
• Benefits
• Student access before lecture
• Integrate images more easily

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Our Reflections

• Yes, it worked it did what we expected.
• Positive feedback from students and staff
• Some naïve usage of facilities
• Robust environment
• Easily used
• Fairly accessible
• New features come to fast

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Thanks for listening

• Contact
• John Phelps
• mailtoj.phelps_at_gold.ac.uk
• Sonja Grussendorf
• mailtos.grussendorf_at_gold.ac.uk