An Open Source Learning Management SystemAn Open Source Learning Management System

It’s Free! (Like Free Kittens)It’s Free! (Like Free Kittens)

Ken RonkowitzKen Ronkowitz

Moodle was designed to help foster online learning communities. It has an active development and support group (very important for open-source projects) and has users in over 150 countries.

Moodle was built following social constructionist pedagogy as a virtual learning environment.

150,000 registered users on moodle.org

moodle.org/stats/

Humboldt State Moodle has 12,288 courses and 42,121 users.

The Open University (OU) in the UK has converted their courses to MOODLE for their 250,000 students.

UCLA, UC-San Diego & Smith College are now using Moodle, and many are piloting it (Lafayette, Bennington...) SEE MY BLOG

http://moodle.org/sites/

Moodle?

verb - the process of lazily meandering through something; doing things as it occurs to you to do them; an enjoyable tinkering that often leads to insight and creativity. If you’re writing a proposal, say it means: Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning EnvironmentEither applies to both to the way Moodle was developed, and to the constructivist pedagogy that guided the original users group.Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.

What is Social Constructivism? What is Social Constructivism? Briefly...Briefly...

People actively construct new knowledge as they interact with their environment. Everything you read, see, hear, feel, and touch is tested against your prior knowledgeKnowledge is strengthened if you can use it successfully in your wider environment. You are not just a memory bank passively absorbing information, nor can knowledge be "transmitted" to you just by reading something or listening to someone.Learning is particularly effective when constructing something for others to experienceSocial Constructivism extends the above ideas into a social group constructing things for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. More at http://docs.moodle.org/en/Philosophy

Moodle is provided freely as Open Source software (under the GNU Public License).

Basically this means Moodle is copyrighted, but that you are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle provided that you agree to:

provide the source to others;

not modify or remove the original license and copyrights,

and apply this same license to any derivative work.

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Welcome to Moodle Support

Planning2 full semesters prior to launch

Transfer of current CMS coursesMoodle accepts IMS course packages with some caveats

System Adminminimum 2X current admin

User Training (3 semesters)

creation of training materials (including courses) simultaneous with initial course transfer

faculty training during two semesters prior to launch and ongoing during subsequent semesters.

http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL

Moodle Project developers

Commercial Support

moodlerooms.commoodlerooms.comsupport

hosting

customization

instruction

training for a single class, school or university.

Is there some system administrator in you?Moodle runs without modification on Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Netware and any other system that supports PHP 4.3.0+

Designed in a modular way - allows flexibility to add/remove functionality at many levels.

Upgrades easily - has an internal system to upgrade its own databases and repair itself over time.

Requires only one database, generally SQL, and can share it with other applications if necessary. (MySQL 4.1.16+).

Includes comprehensive database abstraction that supports many major brands of database.

Emphasis on security - forms are all checked, data validated, cookies encrypted etc.

Log In Log In authentication using LDAP authentication using LDAP

The Moodle interface can be displayed in either Weekly, Topic or Social format.

Quick Tour of Selected Features and Tools

The Calendar allows you to enter events in various categories (User, Course and Site). You have the option to also show upcoming events, assignments etc., and recent activity in the course.

CalendarCalendar

The Chat feature in Moodle will facilitate real time conversations between users. It can be logged.ChatChat

SETTINGS - teacher

Editing and Student View

The EDIT view allows the teacher to add content, edit content, add activities and resources, rearrange content, and “hide” content from students.

A ForumForum is a posting area where students can create or contribute to a topic with their own comments (AKA bulletin board or discussion)

OPTIONS include:

Grade posts, set open/close date, no reply, one reply only etc.

Lessons, similar to learning objects, represent a means of delivering structured learning through Q & A sessions that are drawn from embedded content.

LessonsLessons

QUIZ tool

QuizQuizInformation Information

and and GradesGrades

A Workshop allows peer assessment of documents and self-assessment activities, while providing the teacher with opportunities to both manage and grade material.

WorkshopsWorkshops

The Journal feature will allow every student to have a personal journal that only they and their teacher will be able to access.

JournalJournal

The Glossary feature in Moodle acts as a definition resource - entries can be set to create highlighted hyperlinks within the course itself.

GlossaryGlossary

Assignments (online, offline) can be delivered to students, and they can upload files which you can grade online and give feedback.

AssignmentsAssignments

ReportsReports User activity on Moodle can be monitored using the Logs option. This features levels of detail from module, to student details, grouped by date and time

Activities (tools)

Blogs Wikis Quizzes with different

kinds of questions Database activities Surveys (not fully featured now)

Chat Glossaries Activities Data field types (for the

database activity)

Peer assessment Multi-language support

(over 60 languages are supported for the interface [2])

Moodle is modular, can be extended by creating plugins for specific new functionality.

Graphical themes Authentication methods Enrollment methods Content Filters

Customizable Themes (branding)

Moodle Community Discussionhttp://moodle.org/course/

Using Moodle by Jason Cole

Moodle: Learning Course Development by William Rice IV

Ken Ronkowitz ronkowitz@njit.eduManager of Media & Instructional TechnologyUniversity Web Services, NJIT

Check my March 22 Serendipity35 blog entry for this session to find the links mentioned today and more information.

http://devel2.njit.edu/serendipity/

NJIT Moodle Pilot http://www.njit.edu/tlt/cms/