This presentation was presented at the recent 180 minutes of eLearning workshops held in Sydney in October 2014.

1. Taking Moodle and Totara Course
Development to the Next Level to
Create Engaging Learning
Experiences
Grant Beevers
180 minutes of eLearning
October 7, 2014
Sydney

2. Welcome
What’s ya name?
Where ya from?
Why are ya here?

3. Premise
That more effective learning
takes place when you move the
learning experience from one of
passive to one which is active, in
doing so, lifting the level of
engagement of students in the
learning experience.

4. Active versus Passive Learning
Dale’s Cone of Learning

5. Active versus Passive Learning
Source: Adapted from http://www.edutechie.ws/2007/10/09/cone-of-experience-media/

6. Active Learning
Bonwell and Eison describe active learning
strategies as those that involve “students in doing
things and (have the students) think about the
things they are doing” (Bonwell and Eison, 1991, p.
iii).
Active learning requires “intellectual effort,
encouraging higher-order thinking
(analysis,csynthesis, evaluation)” and provides a
means for the learner to assimilate, apply, and
retain learning (Bonwell and Eison, 1991; Harasim,
et al, 1997).
STRATEGIES TO INCORPORATE ACTIVE LEARNING INTO ONLINE
TEACHING

7. Engagement
1. Engagement through design
2. Engagement through technology

8. SAMR Process

9. SAMR Process
“While the first intuitive step for using any new
classroom tool is to substitute it for what you
already do, the goal for a teacher in a 1:1
classroom is to move beyond the
substitution and augmentation levels
(Enhancement) and toward the modification
and redefinition levels (Transformation).”
http://www.maggiehosmcgrane.com/2010/03/samr-model.html

13. TPACK Framework
www.tpack.org
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge
(TPACK) is a framework to understand and
describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a
teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a
technology enhanced learning environment.
The TPACK framework argues that effective
technology integration for teaching specific
content or subject matter requires understanding
and negotiating the relationships between these
three components.

14. TPACK Activity Types – Social Studies

15. TPACK Activity Types – Social Studies

16. TPACK Activity Types – Social Studies

17. Design Worksheet

18. Moodle and Totara
• Open source LMS
• Over 55,000 registered sites worldwide
• Used by over 229 countries, translated into
dozens of languages
• Focuses on student/teacher, student/student
• Totara – “Moodle for corporates”
• Based on Moodle core code
• Focuses on manager/employee relationship

19. Philosophy and Pedagogy
In Moodle, pedagogy and
software design are closely
intertwined to support a
“social constructivist”
experience.

20. Social Constructionism as a Referent
1. All of us are potential teachers as well as learners -
in a true collaborative environment we are both.
2. We learn particularly well from the act of creating or
expressing something for others to see.
3. We learn a lot by just observing the activity of our
peers.
4. By understanding the contexts of others, we can
teach in a more transformational way.
5. A learning environment needs to be flexible and
adaptable, so that it can quickly respond to the
needs of the participants within it.

21. Activities
+
Hundreds of
Others
Contributed
By the
Community

22. Resources

23. Blocks

24. So what does this all mean?
You have a sound
pedagogical environment and
the tools at your disposal to
build far more engaging,
effective and innovative online
learning experiences.
No more “dump and pump!!”

25. Moodle Tool guide – see handout

26. Engagement through Technology
Technology is Learning Google site
https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/home

27. Griffith Uni – Blended Learning

28. Lecture Capture/Flipped tools
Green screen technology

29. Swivl (view video)

30. Animations and Simulations
• Concord Consortium
• Publisher websites
• Virtual body
• VET Toolboxes
• Phet
• Captivate and Storyline

31. Audio and Video Embedding
Youtube
Podcasts
Your own audio
Poodll
Audacity

32. Lifting Engagement in Discussion Forums
(see handout)
• Reflect on discussion
• Small group reports to whole class
• Role play discussion
• Lead or moderate a discussion
• Case studies and scenarios
• Retrospective commentary on learning
• Infographic on creating engaging discussion forums

33. Lifting Engagement in Quizzes and Assignments
Poodll

34. Lifting Engagement in Quizzes
Quizventure

35. Some new quiz question types (OU)
http://jamiep.org/
• Drag and drop into text "A drag and drop question type where missing words have
to be dragged into gaps in a paragraph of text or other html."
• Drag and drop markers "The student can drag markers to indicate key features on
an image."
• Drag and drop onto image "You can use text and / or images as drag items onto
defined drop zones on a background image."
• Pattern match "Allows a short response of one or a few sentences that is graded by
comparing against various model answers, which are described using the OU's
pattern match syntax."
• Pattern match with JME editor "A question type where the user enters their
response using the Java Molecular Editor, and the response is then graded using the
OU's pattern-match algorithm."
• Select missing words "This question type allows students to complete a paragraph
of text by selecting the missing words using drop-down menus."
• Variable numeric "A calculated numeric question type with variable and expression
evaluation. Random values are generated for each student attempting the quiz."
• Variable numeric set "A calculated numeric question type with variable and
expression evaluation. All values are precalculated although a question can have
several variants with different variable values for each variant."

36. Advanced Assessment Marking
Rubrics
Audio feedback

37. Virtual Classroom

38. Skype
Non-integrated

39. Skype
Integrated

40. Google Hangouts and apps

41. Values Exchange

42. Free content to lift engagement -
OER, MOOCs and iTunesU
• Open Educational Resources
• OER Commons
• OER Quality Project – directory
• 10 OER resources every educator should know
about
• MOOCs – massive open online courses
• Combine OER and MOOCS
• iTunesU – loads of free content

43. Bringing it altogether

44. Questions
Grant Beevers
Online and Blended Learning Specialist
Paoga Consulting
gbeevers@gmail.com
0400053832