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Slide 1: Learn about…Moodle Learn about fair, 17 January 2008 Nick Freear
Slide 2: 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?)
Slide 3: Moodle.org course page
Slide 4: 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 1July ’08) & OpenLearn • Competitors, commercial: Blackboard, WebCT … • Competitors, open source: Sakai …
Slide 5: 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
Slide 6: Considerations • Open source – does not rely on single product vendor • Development, support – shared by a large usercommunity, 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 – inhouse developers or consultants.
Slide 7: 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.
Slide 8: 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, N.D.Freear@open.ac.uk