Course:Mobile Education/Setting Up And Using Moodle
Introduction
Moodle is often described as a course management system (CMS), learning management system (LMS) or virtual learning environment (VLE). Moodle is license free open source software that enables teachers, administrators, and trainers to integrate online learning into their pedagogy. Moodle stands for “Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment”. Moodle’s software is designed to support constructivist and social constructivist philosophies, where learners and trainers can contribute equally to the educational experience. It has been used to conduct courses online. It has also been used to blend online with face-to-face teaching and learning. Through Moodle, learners can communicate with their peers in a chat function and they are able to upload assignments directly to Moodle to receive feedback from their facilitators. Learners, of any age, enroll in courses with extended modules to have access to files, presentations, videos, assignments and quizzes, grading, and certification. Moodle has been used by teachers since 2002, but it is gaining ground as a valuable tool for universities, businesses, and governments wishing to train employers and improve performance. It is available in almost 80 languages across 200 countries, making it a valuable tool to reach a global market.
As a warm up, please enjoy the following video to give you a visual of what Moodle is all about:
Unit Objectives
Goals:
The goals of this learning unit are to teach users of the m101 community about Moodle and its many functions and capabilities. It is designed to be open sourced and freely available, mirroring the intentions of creating “digital professionals” in the m101 site. Moodle is an ideal tool for using in schools and companies to offer internet-based, collaborative learning environments.
Competencies involved:
By introducing users to Moodle, it is hoped that they master the skills of all the functions this site has to offer, including:
1. creating inviting course pages,
2. uploading files (documents, presentations media, videos, and URLS),
3. creating spaces for meaningful course discussions and
4. incorporating assessment and evaluation.