Jump Start Dynamic Learning with Moodle

New Mexico State University

Meeting in the MoodleJump Start Dynamic Learning

NM TIE PreConference October 3, 2007Regional Educational Technology Assistancehttp://reta.nmsu.edu

Holly Rae [email protected]


RETA Program• http://reta.nmsu.edu• Technology Innovation Challenge Grant• New Mexico State University’s

College of Extended Learning• K12 Professional Development

– NMTA Prep– Online Teaching and Learning– Professional Development Dossier


About Me

• Project Coordinator with RETA

• Former Middle School Teacher(Technology & Media)

• Graduate of Online Masters’ Program C & I – EDLT at NMSU

• Action Researcher


RETAMoodle

• http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle

• NM eTeacher Prep

• Online Teaching and Learning Opportunities

• Open Space for Course Development– (No student hosting)– New Mexico educators– Includes Moofolios


Entering Moodle

• http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle

• Please use account and passwordon index card

• Change account information to accurately represent you, or continue to use guest account


Learning Objectives

• Understand dynamic learning tools available through Moodle

• Identify challenges of dynamic learning tools• Consider the benefits and challenges of an

open source tool such as Moodle• Identify resources for Moodle support• Explain ideas for incorporating Dynamic

Learning


What is Dynamic Learning?

• Based on social constructionist pedagogy

• Active learning in a social context taking place in a learning environment with smart and interactive tools

Graphic from:http://eduspaces.net/terry/weblog/archive/2006/02/ (Terry Wassall)

21st Century Toolbox


Why implement Dynamic Learning?

• Accommodate new learning styles

• Teach 21st Century Skills– Collaboration– Critical Thinking– Literacy– Learning Skills– Manipulating 21st century tools


Digital Immigrants:“When I was growing up…”

• Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)


Digital Natives:“Born into Technology”

• Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)


All About Digital Natives

• Accelerated development as a result of interactive media– Cognitive intelligence– Reasoning– Personality– Autonomy– Sense of Self (Tapscott, 1998)

• Adolescents develop abstract thinking skills in middle school – as a result of acceleration this may be happening younger

• Ability to multitask and take in a variety of information streams (Rainie, 2006; McHugh, 2005)

• Lack of awareness of consequences associated with technological actions (Rainie, 2005)


Digital Natives & Neomillenials

• Think, learn and communicate differently than digital immigrants (Prensky, 2001, 2004)

• Have sophisticated learning styles and strengths – they expect individualized instruction (Dede, 2005)

• They need to “look under the hood of something to know how it works” and consider themselves the authority on technology, rather than their teachers (Tapscott, 1998)


Needs of Digital Native Students• Prepare for life in a time of drastic changes (Rainie,

2006)• Less need for basic skills in one particular area of

technology which could become obsolete• More need for learning skills to thrive in a

continually changing world• Ability to consider the ethics of technology research

and design


Neomillenial Learning Styles

• fluency in multiple media, valuing each for the types of communication ,activities, experiences, and expression it empowers;

• learning based on collectively seeking, sieving and synthesizing experiences,

• active learning based on experience (real and simulated) that includes frequent opportunities for reflection by communities of practice;

• expression through nonlinear associational webs of representations rather than linear “stories”, such as authoring a simulation and a Web page to express understanding, rather than a paper (Dede, 2005)


8 Shifts for Interactive Learning

• from linear to hypermedia• from instruction to construction and discovery• from teacher-centered to learner-centered

education• from absorbing material to learning how to

navigate and how to learn• from school to lifelong learning• from one-size-fits-all to customized learning• from learning as torture to learning as fun• from the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as

facilitator (Tapscott, 1998)


Spectrum of Digital ‘Nativeness’

• Evolving Understandings– NetGen - Tapscott (1998)– Digital Natives - Prensky (2001)

• Not a general standard of age cohort– Demographics play a significant role

• A trend which indicates how society is changing• Informs educators about student needs and

learning styles• Informs gap analysis


Challenges of Dynamic Learning• Digital Divide• Complex Literacies

– Technological Literacy– ICT Literacy– Computer Literacy– Information Literacy– Digital Literacy– Multimedia Literacy

• Access• Schools/Districts


What is Moodle?

What is MOODLE?

Online Resources, Polls, Forums, Chats, Wikis, Assignment Dropboxes, Blogs & much, much, more

LCPS TMT

May 9, 2007


Web 2.0 Course Management Software

• Flexible course design– Distance Learning– Blended Instruction– Social communities– Professional Learning Community– Evaluation/Data Collection Enviroments– Portfolios (MooFolios)– Resource Collections


Web 2.0 Course Management Software

• Lots of tools– Profiles– Blogs– Forums– Wikis– Assignment Dropboxes– Polls, Choices, Questionnaires– Quizzes and Surveys– Links to websites and files


Moodle supports active, social learning

Social Constructivism:http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss4/currentissues/socialstudies/doolittlefigure3a.gif


Easily Embed Dynamic Content

• Vokis• Flixn• Del.icio.us• RSS • Video/Audio/Podcasts• Meebo• Embed codes from popular widgets


Features of Moodle as an Open Source Tool

• Public license, open source and permission to develop code– GNU– Creative Commons

• Supported by user community• Extensible, malleable, adaptable• Examples

– Linux– GIMP– OpenOffice– Audacity– Moodle– Drupal


Open Source Challenges

• Your user community

• Knowledge based

• Active problem solving

• No tech support phone number

Participate in Community Solve Problems


Open Source Benefits• No license fee• Anyone can access software and code• Development of autonomy

– No per user or course fees– Limitations only imposed by infrastructure

• Reallocate funding– Professional development– Classroom technology

• Growth of internal knowledge base• Contract support available


Scoping out an Infrastructure• Administrative Support

– Identify learning outcomes, Connects resources and infrastructure

• Teachers who are willing– Internet comfort a major plus

• Professional Development for teachers– Time, Professional Learning Community, Philosophy

• Site Administrator(s)– Manages Users, Courses

• Server Administrator– PHP, mySQL, databases, installing modules, themes


Technical Infrastructure

• Linux, Windows, Mac OS X & others• Apache, PHP and database (ie:mySQL)• Approximately 50 concurrent users for every

1 GB of RAM (variable)– approx max concurrent users = RAM (GB) * 50 – approx max browsing users = Approx max

concurrent users * 5

• From http://docs.moodle.org


Install Overview

1. Download and copy files into place 2. Set up moodle directory 3. Set up your system

A. Check web server settings B. Configure PHP settings C. Create an empty database D. Create the data directory (moodledata)

4. Run the installer script to create config.php 5. Go to the admin page to continue configuration 6. Set up cron 7. Set up backups

From http://docs.moodle.org


What’s happening with Moodle so far?

“This has changed everything about the way I teach.” – Las Cruces Moodler

• Teachers feel comfortable using Moodle• Students feel comfortable using Moodle• Language learning students and emergent

readers need adaptations• Moodle is very extensible• Time Saving


Pedagogies of Engagement

Slide from Karl A. Smith (2006)

Lila M. Smith

Slide from Karl A. Smith (2006)


Imagine

…that you have a fully functional Moodle site within your hands..

Create a plan for dynamic learning…


Conclusions

• Sharing of ideas

• Comments

• Questions

• Webinars

• Next steps

Jump Start Dynamic Learning with Moodle

Technology

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