Moodle Goes Corporate: Leveraging Open Source – Michelle Moore

I do not use Moodle, but am interested in finding out more about it, especially with my LMS issues that are currently happening.

Scorm issue – udutu – what they builds works in moodle.

Ease of use, number of features, help community all makes Moodle an excellent tool. Current version 1.9.
Has a new gradebook, more functionality.

Is opensource – anyone can work on it (a developer who works on it), it is free, your developments are requested to be shared if they are not specific to your org., code is open for programmers, full flexibility, full power, development – volunteer work often, many are just passionate in continuing to develop and make it better (programming, documenting, suggestions, needs, etc).

-free redistribution
-access to source code
-allows modifications
-no discrimination
-no warranties

Disadvantages/Myths

• there’s no support – their are partners around the world
• it’s totally free – if you are going to implement it and implement it well you will need to pay for hosting, training, support, commitment to making it work, save on no licencing fees – but outsourcing support
• low band width – functions well (depends on file sizes, but developed out of Australia)
• not secure – depends on the module you use, security by design – lots of users are looking at it and keeping it updated
• poor documentation –
• no guarantees of continued development – you own what version you have. If it shuts down you don’t lose what you have, the large community of developers will continue to build it
• no guarantees of quality – again based on the community

Advantages

• software free
• allows modifications
• community development
• community support – working with every other user helps you to connect with lots of people for help
• escape vendor lock-in
• development not dependent on marketing

Shopping for Open Source:
-reputation
-ongoing efforts, been around for a while (2001)
-standards, scorm others
-support (commercial/community)
-version (still changing)
-documentation
http://wwwoss-watc.ac.uk/resoruces/tips.xml

Used in 41,902 sites and 196 countries
420,000 community members

http://moodle.org/stas

moodle.com – commercial support
moodle.org – community support (people are very helpful, supportive, and kind)
download.moodle.org (latest version) – including laptop version

docs:
docs.moodle.org (wiki – including practical advice)
tracker.moodle.org (tracking bugs and feature requests – developers keep track of and fix
google manuals
moodle books – William Rice – 2008, Jason Cole 2007

docs.moodle.org/en/Case_for_Moodle /Top_10_Moodle_myths
300+ extra plugins out there

Features:

Explore – moodle19.remote-learner.net
click teach and trainer development
click exploring moodle modules

Tools (default)
text page template – single page
web page – uses html editor – single page (can use Dreamweaver and import in or copy in)
book module (multipage creator)
link to a file – any electronic file
link to a website – any url
display a directory – collection of files
SCORM – learning content packages

Communication tools (default)
(people learn best when they can interact – many tools built in for this)
chat – synchronous, transcription
forum – asynchronous (Suburu is using this for sales discussions) – not threads
blog – attached to profiles, but no comments
messaging – one-to-one across site (IM within framework of moodle) (can only attach multiple files by zipping them)
Can these items be turned on and off – yes is Blogs, messaging, chats (not forums). – on a course by course bases
email within courses – no but messaging yes, stays with site, not course specific. Only use their chat if the user is deleted from the site.

Assessment tools (default)
-assignments – learners submit work or files (1.7 version – multiple files)
– choice – multiple choice questions/poll
– survey – research-based; prepared questions (prepopulated with questions, very few use these) – there is a plug in see lower in post
– lesson – present and assess simultaneously (questions, flash cards)
– quiz – online quiz tool (most popular module, t/f, multiple choice, essay, short answer, calculated questions – nice stat knowledge on how students answered and if right), limits (not heard of yet, but not many test over 100 questions, yes will let you import from a variety of question banks)
(anywhere you have access to the html editor you can put in flash, video, etc)
-workshop – facilitates peer review (can be sent around and shared with other students) – perhaps useful for 360 evaluations

(supports single sign-on – Activity Directory, keep up-to-date? as long as a database gets set up this can be done – Jonathan look to for help)
Open University in UK 100,000+ users

–database – record collection tool
– glossary – dictionary, faq, encyclopedia – automatically linked to the word when it shows up within your course, – does not have to be soley teacher created – students can help develop as well (approval process by teacher can be turned on)
– wiki (ie: history of company)

***instruction tends to be more flat. Everything is laid out on the 1st page. You can hide an reveal items (ie: week by week – 1 intro, 2 – module one)

LMS or CMS or LCMS

can dump content in, can get tracking, can get reports (lcms – tags, authoring, etc)
Can you tag what you build in moodle? – no

Integration with Alfresco – you can tag and version control with it. One tool does not often do everything.

Customizing Moodle (from small to large this occurs)
-themes, language pack changes
-modules and plugins, integrations
-significant, individualized modifications

1.9 has a transcript feature – but moodle does not email out to the student it’s time to take a course
learner centric and course centric

themes
demo.moodle.org (default)
communication.wcupa.net
speclass.org

moodle.org.mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=319
and
certificate
=614

integrations
Drupal.com
Alfresco.com

more on handouts from the eLearning Guild.

Open University
www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/home.lphp
www.excelhighschool.com

Michelle Moore – michelle@remote-learner.net