Migrating to Moodle: Faculty, Student and Technology Perspectives Keith Landa Purchase College SUNY http://www.slideshare.net/keith.landa What? Why? How?

Learning management system (LMS) Virtual learning environment (VLE) Open source - Created by ed, for ed Moodle community - http:// moodle.org Pedagogical origins - Focus on student learning - Emphasis on activities and student engagement International

Demonstrating Moodle Examples: our student tutorial, Mars Explorations Course organization (& pedagogical implications) Student learning activities Learning resources Communications tools Schedule and navigation (Gradebook / Assessments ) Reports

Examples: our student tutorial, Mars Explorations

Course organization (& pedagogical implications)

Student learning activities

Learning resources

Communications tools

Schedule and navigation

(Gradebook / Assessments )

Reports

Moodle community http://moodle.org Package downloads, themes and modules User documentation Support forums Sandbox environments Moodle tracker Product roadmap ( http://docs.moodle.org/en/Roadmap ) Transparent project management

http://moodle.org

Package downloads, themes and modules

User documentation

Support forums

Sandbox environments

Moodle tracker

Product roadmap ( http://docs.moodle.org/en/Roadmap )

Transparent project management

LMS review @ Purchase (idealized) Fall 2008 : establish faculty task force; faculty survey of desired features; selection criteria (teaching/learning tools, tech support, cost); sandbox for each alternative LMS; compare representative demo courses; recommendation to faculty Spring 2009 : establish production system; communications plan; pedagogy/training workshops; JIT tutorials; course conversion assistance Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : course conversion and course prep Fall 2009 : migration to new LMS complete

LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20); student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

Faculty survey Online survey to all faculty Use of Blackboard, ERes, or not Reasons why not Usage of specific Blackboard features Extent of integration of BB into course Desired features of ideal LMS

Online survey to all faculty

Use of Blackboard, ERes, or not

Reasons why not

Usage of specific Blackboard features

Extent of integration of BB into course

Desired features of ideal LMS

Faculty qualitative responses Blackboard likes : announcements; document storage/delivery; not having to photocopy materials; easy to navigate / simple interface; available to students anywhere; discussion forums; gradebook; “nothing to like about it” Blackboard dislikes : too static; clunky interface; too many clicks to do anything; enrolling students; entering grades; difficult to format and add forum posts; can’t upload multiple documents; cumbersome assignments and quizzes; doesn’t handle media files well; no blogs & wikis Blackboard wishes : reuse courses easily; blogs & wikis; TurnItIn; more user-friendly discussion forums; merge Blackboard and ERes; better quiz functionality; more integrated listserv, Blackboard, ERes functions; interface with ArtSTOR and EmbARK

Faculty Blackboard uses

LMS desired features Distribute materials Library services Integration with SIS Course communications Links to external web sites One stop shopping for students Discussion forum Gradebook New media (blogs, wikis, podcasts) Drop boxes Student collaboration tools Course reports Self-directed lessons Online quizzing Real-time tools (chat, etc) Clickers

Distribute materials

Library services

Integration with SIS

Course communications

Links to external web sites

One stop shopping for students

Discussion forum

Gradebook

New media (blogs, wikis, podcasts)

Drop boxes

Student collaboration tools

Course reports

Self-directed lessons

Online quizzing

Real-time tools (chat, etc)

Clickers

LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20); student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

Student survey Demographic info: major, year, gender, IT comfort, LMS exp. Moodle features ratings Moodle comments, good and bad Blackboard features ratings Blackboard comments, good and bad Direct comparisons Overall preference

Demographic info: major, year, gender, IT comfort, LMS exp.

Moodle features ratings

Moodle comments, good and bad

Blackboard features ratings

Blackboard comments, good and bad

Direct comparisons

Overall preference

n=94 n=93

n=75 n=78

n=91 n=91

n=87 n=86

n=79 n=76

Student comments http://www.wordle.net

n=95

LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20) ; student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

Why Moodle @ Purchase? Focus on teaching & learning - Robust set of activities & resources - Add-on modules from the community - Moodle development pathway Costs - No licensing costs - Similar support costs Risk management - Risks of open source - Commercial products have different risks Integration - Other systems - Web 2.0 world Flexible open architecture

How to put a production system in place? Build your own Download standard package PHP/SQL web server Accounts Enrollments Add-ons and themes SUNY Purchase Moodle partners Hosting services moodlerooms.com remote-learner.net classroomrevolution.com Custom installation, account management, enrollments, service desk SUNY Delhi

Build your own

Download standard package

PHP/SQL web server

Accounts

Enrollments

Add-ons and themes

SUNY Purchase

Moodle partners

Hosting services

moodlerooms.com

remote-learner.net

classroomrevolution.com

Custom installation, account management, enrollments, service desk

SUNY Delhi

Learning Moodle Moodle docs docs.moodle.org Moodle forums moodle.org/course/view.php?id=5 www.moodletutorials.org Moodle videos on YouTube Books Get in and start playing with it…….

Moodle docs docs.moodle.org

Moodle forums moodle.org/course/view.php?id=5

www.moodletutorials.org

Moodle videos on YouTube

Books

Get in and start playing with it…….

Free Moodle hosting An easy way to a sandbox, for testing & evaluation Production system for campus? – probably not ‘ Free’ hosting involves some business model, e.g. ads Issues: account & enrollment management, support, intellectual property, privacy, ability to customize system??

An easy way to a sandbox, for testing & evaluation

Production system for campus? – probably not

‘ Free’ hosting involves some business model, e.g. ads

Issues: account & enrollment management, support, intellectual property, privacy, ability to customize system??

Some options for free hosting Sign up: https://www.keytoschool.com/member/signup.php

Demo: setting up your site Front page and Appearance Account management Language packs Activities, blocks and filters Course categories and adding courses

Front page and Appearance

Account management

Language packs

Activities, blocks and filters

Course categories and adding courses

Demo: setting up your course Course settings Permissions Configuring blocks Editing topics/weekly summaries Using labels to organize your sections

Course settings

Permissions

Configuring blocks

Editing topics/weekly summaries

Using labels to organize your sections

Demo: learning activities Discussion forums Assignments: online, file upload Chat Wikis Glossary / database Quiz

Discussion forums

Assignments: online, file upload

Chat

Wikis

Glossary / database

Quiz