Moodle is an online learning environment that provides various features to support teaching and learning. Key features include assignments, discussions forums, quizzes, and lessons. These features allow for substantive communication between students and teachers, support inclusivity and connectivity among students, and promote student engagement, self-regulation, and higher-order thinking. Moodle can be used flexibly across different subject areas like business studies, where quizzes help students learn course content, and design and technology, where file downloads expose students to technologies and allow collaboration.

1. Moodle
By Ryan Williams, Brad Lewer

2. What is Moodle?
O Modular
O Object Orientated
O Dynamic
O Learning
O Environment

3. Overview of layout

4. Moodle Video

5. Strengths and Weaknesses
STRENGTHS:
O Low cost of ownership for the school
O High level of security for the schools network, so students privacy is protected
O Greater flexibility with course materials
O Ability for customized for the teachers needs
O Technical support for the teacher
O Constant updates and plugins to keep material up to date
O Variety of skills to use in the classroom for different subject areas
O Developed in multiple languages
O Teaching is made easier through an online platform
WEAKNESSES:
O Difficult to integrate with some learning styles
O Lack of integration with student management systems.
O Difficulty carrying out a distributed management model with multiple schools
and departments
O Unable to be used effectively in certain subjects, e.g. maths
O Students will require additional assistance using an online platform

6. Some typical features of Moodle are
O Assignment submission
O Discussion forum (Chat)
O Choices
O Exercises
O Forums
O Glossary
O Hot potato's (Quizzes)
O Journals
O Lessons
O Quizzes
O Surveys
O Wiki
O Online news and announcements
O File Downloads
O Online Calender
O Grading

7. Explanation of features
Assignments
O Allow the teacher to specify a task
O Students will then upload the assignment
when completed
O Also features an ability to grade the
assignment

8. Chat
O Module allows the students to participate
in a real time discussion
O Also contains a number of features for
managing and reviewing discussions
Choices
O Teacher asks a question and specifies a
choice of multiple responses

9. Exercises
O Teacher will ask the students to do a piece
of practical work.
O Teacher is able to give feedback
O Final grade is based on how well the
student has assessed their own work
Forums
O Allows a discussion of postings
O Can be viewed in a variety of formats
O Students will receive copies of the new
postings

10. Glossary
O Allows students to use and make a list of
definitions to future use
O Entries can be searched or browsed for
Hot potatoes
O Allows the teacher to submit quizzes for the
students to complete
Journals
O Teacher asks the students to reflect on a
particular topic
O Answer is private
O Teacher will offer feedback and a grade

11. Lesson
O Delivers content in a interesting and
flexible way
O Consists of a number of pages. Students
need to progress through and answer
correctly to proceed
O Can be made easy or difficult, depending
on what material needs to be covered

12. Quizzes
O Allows the teacher to set and design
quizzes
O Questions are kept in a database
O Each quiz is automatically marked
O The teacher is able to give feedback or
show correct answers
O Can also be graded
Surveys
O Allow teacher to gather relevant data on
student ideas, knowledge and to provide
feedback on the teachers performance

13. Wiki’s
O Allows documents to be uploaded and
data stored on an encyclopedia type
format
O Students are able to research relevant
facts that have been compiled by other
students and teachers
O Entries can be continually added to each
subject

14. How the features fit in with
the Quality Teaching Elements

15. O The discussion forum, the chat service, the lessons,
the online news and announcements, the grading
method and the journals all form under the following:
1.6 SUBSTANTIVE COMMUNICATION
3.4 INCLUSIVITY
3.5 CONNECTIVENESS
2.4 SOCIAL SUPPORT
2.2 ENGAGEMENT

16. O There is substantive communication, as both student and teacher
are interacting, focused on the substance of the lesson and
reciprocal
O Inclusivity, as students feel a part of the forum, the lessons and the
chat service. Opinions and ideas are valued, and the individuals
contribution is respected.
O Connectiveness, as students are able to exchange information
through all of the above, problems to solutions are identified in the
forum and the news service, assistance is given through the forum
or chat service.
O Social Support, the above provide ample opportunity to express
ones viewpoint, ask for help, participation as well as the teacher in
a position to supervise how the communication is occurring.
O Engagement, students can raise questions, feel a part of the
learning process, contribute to the group tasks and help each other
using the above
As an example, the chat service will allow the students and teachers to
communicate relevantly about the subject, feel included and
connected, have social support and be engaged.

17. O The Glossary, wiki, online news and
announcements and forums all form under
the following:
1.5 METALANGUAGE
O Meanings of words and new concepts to be
learnt will be found in the wiki and forums,
O How the process of something works will also
be mentioned
O New ideas and knowledge can be learnt
For example, a student in business studies may
need to know what scientific management is
and they are able to find it

18. O The Lessons, Surveys, Quizzes, Hot
Potato's, Journals and Assignments all
fall under the following:
1.4 HIGHER ORDER THINKING
2.5 STUDENTS SELF REGULATION
2.6 STUDENT DIRECTION

19. O There is higher order thinking in the above
because students will need to manipulate
information and ideas in ways that transform their
meaning and implications, when doing quizzes,
assignments, and the lessons.
O There is student self regulation while doing the
quizzes, journals, assignments and lessons
because students need to demonstrate autonomy,
be disciplined to complete the tasks, and following
the clear goals outlined to them in the assignment
rubric
O There is Student Direction with the above as they
have a choice of activity, time spent on an activity,
pace of the online lesson and the criteria provided.
For example, a student doing an online lesson will
need to employ higher order thinking, be disciplined
and demonstrate autonomy and is able to choose the
time spent on the lesson as well as follow the criteria.

20. How moodles features can be
used for subjects
O Moodle is designed to be versatile and
cater for a wide range of subjects.
O In Business studies as an example by
using the quizzes, it will follow the
syllabus and achieve the outcomes. The
quizzes will employ in the summary of
quality teaching methods, metalanguage,
students self regulation, student direction,
higher order thinking and engagement.

21. O In Design and Technology as an example:
O The way that Moodle File download connects technology
students with the technology mandatory syllabus is that it
exposes the students to the use of technology and fits in to
the objective seen in the Technology mandatory syllabus as
“By knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the
impact of innovation and emerging technologies on the
individual, society and the environment.” This feature can
also provide a source for technology students to upload
files that they have created within the class which once
again exposes them to technology completing the same
objective. It also promotes the idea of collaboration
between students to share their designs to allow for the
creation and also the evaluation of designs. This is seen in
the stage outcomes within stage 3 information and
communication of the technology mandatory syllabus.
“Creates and evaluates information products and
processes, demonstrating consideration of the type of
media, form, audience and ethical issues.” It once again
provides the student to the complete the learning process
of using technology stages 1, 2 and 3.