Expanding a Bit

Image by wytze via Flickr

Because of some changes within our department course offerings, this semester I only get about three weeks to deliver a Web 2.0 unit to my students in our Computer Apps class. So, while I'm not too sure how much I'll be focusing on new webware and apps hitting the scene, I can say I'm trying something new this year. I'm moodling.

I've had a class website for my students for the last 15 years or so. Making sites is nothing new to me as I also teach web design. I was a little reluctant to give up my handmade CSS site to try Moodle, but I have to admit I'm liking it. It's pretty darn powerful and it's surprised me more than once in the last five weeks. Now, I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's one nice piece of open source software!

Moodle is a learning management system (LMS) - a fairly sophisticated piece of e-learning software that allows educators to make some great interactive websites for students. Your Moodle (which means an "enjoyable tinkering") can be a repository of text/audio/video lessons and resources, but it's also capable of monitoring student activity and use of those lessons/resources. But what I'm really grooving on the most right now is how Moodle allows me to informally assess learning as we go so that I can determine if I need to reteach a concept if students aren't getting it. In upcoming posts, I'll share more about what I'm discovering and what seems to be working well. Moodle, as I've also discovered, has a really supportive online user community as well as lot of great free "plugins" that rock! Stay tuned.