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Learning Management System Moodle

Václav LohrDepartment of IT

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CULS e-learning and Moodle

• Few words about Moodle• How it began at CULS• Where are we now?• How is it useful?• Examples from practice

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Few words about Moodle

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Few words about Moodle

Few words about Moodle

• „Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment“ = MOODLE

• Firstly released in 2002 (version 1.0)• Comes from Australia• Original author Martin Dougiamas• Opensource software written in PHP

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Multiplatform system

• Moodle server runs on– UNIX, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, Mac OS X,

NetWare…• It requires– PHP– some database: MySQL or PostgrSQL or Oracle or

MS SQL Server…

Few words about Moodle

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Basic Moodle Features

• Assignment submission• Discussion forum• Files download• Grading• Moodle instant messages• Online calendar• Online news and announcement• Online quiz• Wiki

Few words about Moodle

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Moodle parts

• Modules / Plugins– Software code extending Moodle functionalities– Different types of plugins– Users can develop their own modules

• Blocks– Parts of course (or title page)– 3 columns of blocks (left, center, right)

Few words about Moodle

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Different types of modules

• Activities (assignment submissions, chats, …)• Resources (lessons, presentations, audio, video,

…)• Questions (different types for quizzes)• Data fields (for data collection in databases)• Themes (different layouts)• Authentication methods (e-mail, central

authentication, SSO, …)• …

Few words about Moodle

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Different possibilities of interoperability

• Authentication– E-mail registration, LDAP, Shibboleth, IMAP, …

• Quizzes formats– GIFT, IMS QTI, XML

• Resources– SCORM, AICC, IMS content

Few words about Moodle

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Different question types

• Calculated• Description• Essay• Matching• Embedded answers• Multiple Choice• Short answer• Numerical• True/False, …

Few words about Moodle

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Pedagogical approach

• Pedagogical constructivism

• Social constructionism

• There are no negative points.

• Minimum you can obtain is zero, not minus points.

Teacher

Learner

Other students

Educational experience

Few words about Moodle

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How it began at CULS

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How it began at CULS

• 2006 – Team of IT experts had created a technical report about e-learning.

• They considered many different learning management systems, visited and consulted it with colleagues from partner universities.

• They constituted a new group: „E-learning support centre.“

• And finally – we have installed the winning system – Moodle.

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Beginning of Moodle at CULS

• 2007 – Pilot project – few departments, Moodle version 1.6.1

• 2008 – 10000 users, 445 courses• … some upgrades …• 2011 – Moodle 1.9.5; 678 courses in active

semester (3722 total courses), 35109 users (13246 active users in last 30 days), 855 teachers, 64 GAELPs

• Moodle.czu.cz is in top 300 biggest Moodles in the world (>99% of worldwide installations).

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Users’ hierarchy

(Guest)StudentTeacherGAELP

*

GAELP=

Electronic support guarantee

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Where are we now?

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Current moodle.czu.cz stats

• Courses– Total: 7074, available: 2053, in this semester: 1006

• Users– Total: 31254, active in semester: from 10000 to

18000• Teachers – 1233, GAELPs (guarantees) – 67• Moodle version: 1.9.5 2.5 (upgrading…)

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How is it useful?

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How is it useful?

• Sharing of information is easier and faster.• Everything (materials, resources & activities) is

at one place.

• Some teachers can’t imagine examination without electronic quizzes.

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Examples from practice