Moodle

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Draft

Definition

Moodle is a popular LMS that is based on socio-constructivist concepts.

The reasons for its popularity relies in DSchneider's opinion on the facts that:

  • The underlying teaching model comes very close to the way "it is done" in a typical anglo-saxon graduate presential course, i.e. students are active participants, have to do a variety of sometimes open ended assignments, group work, have to use teacher-preparred resources, etc.
  • The system is quite stable and not too difficult to use.
  • It has a nice user community that increasingly contributes to extensions.

See also: LAMS (Lams can be integrated with Moodle)

Discussion

  • DSchneider doubts that a typical course found on a randomly chosen Moodle installation is truly socio-constructivist. They are most definitly not very constructionist, e.g. on-line student activity is often reduced to forum activities and uploads.
  • The system is a bit slow, though version 1.9 is faster than 1.7 - Daniel K. Schneider 13:35, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

Links

Moodle
Help with Moodle
Other

Useful extensions

  • LAMS (to implement CSCL scripts and other guide learning designs
  • The new nwiki module (not tested yet), but the default Wiki is not good enough in various ways.

Installation tips

Moodle should install without any problem on all kinds of LAMP installations. At TECFA, we frequently upgrade. To keep up with minor upgrades, it is best to work with their Revision control system. See Upgrading Moodle.

References

  • Dougiamas, M. & Taylor, P.C., Interpretive analysis of an internet-based course constructed using a new courseware tool called Moodle, Curtin University of Technology, [1]
  • Philosophy (retrieved 16:40, 20 April 2006 (MEST))
  • moodle china
  • The application of Moodle courses in China [2]
  • Brendan Moloney,Timothy Gutierrez. (2006) An Enquiry into Moodle Usage and Knowledge in a Japanese ESP program. PacCALL Journal Volume 2 No. 1 Summer 2006, Pp. 48-60. pdf