Learn about…Moodle Learn about fair, 17 January 2008 Nick Freear

Learn about fair, 17 January 2008

Nick Freear

Moodle – what is it? Course management system, virtual learning environment Open source – GPL licence, free to modify, run like Linux, Apache, Mozilla Firefox browser “ Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment ” ( backcronym?)

Course management system, virtual learning environment

Open source – GPL licence, free to modify, run

like Linux, Apache, Mozilla Firefox browser

“ Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment ”

( backcronym?)

Moodle.org course page

Who’s doing it? Creator/ lead developer: Martin Dougiamas, Perth Australia (school of the air, PhD project) – Moodle 1.0 2002 Core developers in: Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Spain, UK … Open University: development team, OUVLE (phase 1-July ’08) & OpenLearn Competitors, commercial: Blackboard, WebCT … Competitors, open source: Sakai …

Creator/ lead developer: Martin Dougiamas, Perth Australia (school of the air, PhD project) – Moodle 1.0 2002

Core developers in: Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Spain, UK …

Open University: development team, OUVLE (phase 1-July ’08) & OpenLearn

Competitors, commercial: Blackboard, WebCT …

Competitors, open source: Sakai …

Why is it significant? A social constructivist approach to learning – learner as teacher, collaboration, observation Less rigid than other VLEs – not just ‘pushing content to learners’ A pedagogical basis Potential to engage & challenge learners

A social constructivist approach to learning – learner as teacher, collaboration, observation

Less rigid than other VLEs – not just ‘pushing content to learners’

A pedagogical basis

Potential to engage & challenge learners

Considerations Open source – does not rely on single product vendor Development, support – shared by a large user-community, core developers, Moodle Pty consultancy & nearly 40 partners Business model – partner subscription, consultancy… Low risk – source code will not be ‘closed’, critical mass, development & support will not cease Organisations need to add modules, integrate – in-house developers or consultants.

Open source – does not rely on single product vendor

Development, support – shared by a large user-community, core developers, Moodle Pty consultancy & nearly 40 partners

Business model – partner subscription, consultancy…

Low risk – source code will not be ‘closed’, critical mass, development & support will not cease

Organisations need to add modules, integrate – in-house developers or consultants.

Implications Moodle allows students to interact and adapt resources A student-centred environment Course texts plus quizzes, other activities – wiki, database… Social constructionist philosophy Continue work to make the OU and Moodle fit together .

Moodle allows students to interact and adapt resources

A student-centred environment

Course texts plus quizzes, other activities – wiki, database…

Social constructionist philosophy

Continue work to make the OU and Moodle fit together .

Useful links/ contacts Moodle website http:// moodle.org / Moodle wiki – introduction http:// docs.moodle.org/en/About_Moodle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o1fMQsfzoQ OU VLE project website http://intranet.open.ac.uk/ouvle Nick Freear , Application/Web Developer, Institute of Educational Technology, [email_address]

Moodle website http:// moodle.org /

Moodle wiki – introduction http:// docs.moodle.org/en/About_Moodle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o1fMQsfzoQ

OU VLE project website http://intranet.open.ac.uk/ouvle

Nick Freear , Application/Web Developer, Institute of Educational Technology, [email_address]