OPEN SOURCEFOR ONLINE EDUCATION

JUSTIN LOH

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIST,

SIMPSON UNIVERSITY

AGENDA

• About Simpson University

• Context and Background

• Moodle 2

• Mahara

• BigBlueButton

• Our Journey

• Opportunities

• Challenges

• Questions

ABOUT SIMPSON

• Founded in 1921 as Simpson Bible Institute in Seattle, WA• Moved to San Francisco in 1955 and current location of Redding in

1989

• Simpson University is a Christ-centered learning community committed to developing each student in mind, faith and character for a life-time of meaningful work and service in a constantly changing world. – Mission Statement

• Students• Total enrollment: 1100• Graduate: 187• Continuing Studies: 183• 19% of undergraduate students identified as ethnic minority• Senior classes offered to ages 50 and over

• WASC Accredited for all degree programs

ABOUT SIMPSON, CONT.

• Faculty• Total faculty:121• Part-time: 82• Full-time: 39• Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1

• Staff• Total staff: 142• Part-time: 46• Full-time: 96• Staff-to-student ratio: 9:1

CONTEXT

• Currently using Moodle 1.9

• Of faculty polled• 78% report positive comfort in using Moodle• 28% report that Moodle is “essential” part of course

• Additional 38% report regular usage

• Assignments and posting files/docs is majority of usage• 97% report intend to use Moodle in future classes• More trainings and more self-help resources desired• Majority do not communicate with IT over

improvements• 100% report that Moodle plays a role in 21st century

education

CONTEXT, CONT.

• Strategic Planning

• More online offerings

• Better service• Integrations• Best practices• New procedures

OPPORTUNITIES

• Define best practices and efficient procedures

• Tools for a 21st century education

• New retention data

• Create and foster engagement

MOODLE 2

• Learning Management System

• Modern look and feel

• New analytics

• Integrations• Google Drive• Dropbox• SIS

• SSO

• Automation• Course creation• Enrollment

MOODLE 2, CONT.

Moodle Live

Moodle Archives

Moodle Developme

nt

MAHARA

• Student portfolio system (ePortfolios)

• Social networking capabilities

• Online resume

• Integration with Moodle 2

• Display virtually any learning artifact

BIG BLUE BUTTON

• Video conference platform a la Connect, WebEx

• Interact with dozens of users simultaneously in real-time virtual classrooms• Webcam, chat, audio• Share presentations, markup a document, visit

websites

• Integrates with Moodle 2

• Archives sessions (audio/slides only)

• No software to download

THE JOURNEY

• Summer ‘12: IT decision to move to Moodle 2• Outages, no statistics, limited

capabilities

• Fall ‘12: first communications to faculty• Presentations, email

• November ‘12: M2 test server (internal)

• January ‘13: Live beta• 70+ users

THE JOURNEY, CONT.

• February ‘13: first meeting of test teachers• Overwhelmingly positive feedback• Stability, usability

• February ‘13: Moodle development server• Testing of new plugins and requested features

• Feb/March ‘13: notify and train summer session faculty and students

• Early April ‘13: course curriculum ready

• Early April ‘13: students enrolled

• Late April ‘13: summer classes begin

• Fall ‘13: completed infrastructure in place

THE JOURNEY, CONC.

• To do• Archive server• Course import mechanism• Define many best practices and procedures• Integration with SIS• Training materials• Organize trainings

CHALLENGES

• Continuous classes

• Known unknowns and unknown unknowns

• Limited resources

• Faculty attitudes/levels of expertise

• Adjunct faculty

• Reigning in chaos

• Time

• Reach exceeds our grasp

• Communication

Demonstration

• Moodle 2

• Mahara

• BigBlueButton

QUESTIONS

@justinloh

justinloh.tumblr.com

blogs.simpsonu.edu/techademic

Thank you!