What's the Buzz about Moodle?
Do you hear something? It might very well be buzz about Moodle, an open source software package for creating online and Web-enhanced courses. Initially adopted by some instructors on the Crookston campus, Moodle is now available University-wide through the Office of Information Technology, Twin Cities campus. Since Moodle was introduced over the summer, the buzz has grown a little louder as instructors talk about the sites they’ve created for their courses. Part of the excitement is that Moodle is designed to support social constructivist approaches to teaching and learning. Constructivist theories posit that instructors should not merely impart information, but guide students through a social and active learning process.
Gillian Roehrig is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and co-principal investigator of STEMMP (Science Technology Engineering Math Mentoring Program), a pilot online induction program for non-tenured teachers in Minnesota. Funded by the Minnesota Department of Education, the program was built upon a mentoring course for teachers that Roehrig developed and taught. Joel Donna, a Ph.D. student in curriculum and instruction, is the primary instructor and designer of the STEMMP program that uses Moodle. By collaborating on the program, they mentor each other. Roehrig says, “Joel takes my research-based ideas and makes them happen online—a happy medium as he now knows a lot about mentoring and I am getting smarter with Moodle.”
Created to help increase retention of effective teachers, the induction program offers professional development through online mentoring, guided inquiry into creating class materials, and online forums for sharing resources, ideas, and support as teachers navigate the early years of their careers. According to Donna, Moodle seemed a good fit for STEMMP because it is already widely used in K–12 schools and because the program itself necessitates a constructivist approach to learning. He adds, “I couldn’t imagine doing an online induction program without Moodle.”
According to Donna, Moodle has plenty to offer instructors interested in creating collaborative environments. On a weekly basis mentors and mentees use the Chat tool for conferences. The Forum tool makes possible the creation of case-based discussions, specialized learning communities, or open forums through which participants can share ideas, ask for help, and build community. The Wiki will be used to create a collaborative space to which both mentors and mentees can contribute lessons and teaching strategies they’ve tried in their own classrooms. On the whole Donna finds the environment both inviting and stable.
On the other hand, warns Donna, with any new software “you don’t know where the pitfalls are.” For example, the Wiki has experienced occasional “technical hiccups” and even with a WYSIWYG interface and a couple weeks of practice, some students still needed a tutorial. And Donna quickly discovered that it is all too easy to become inundated with e-mail announcements of new posts in the forums. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources for instructors. Donna appreciates the “amazing tech support” currently available on campus. He also finds valuable the forums available to any Moodle user around the world on the Moodle community site (http://moodle.org/).
While many instructors here are enthusiastic about Moodle, it might not be for everyone. As is the case with any new technology, Moodle has a learning curve. Some tools are labor-intensive, such as the Workshop tool, which is used for peer review and assessment activities. While some instructors might welcome the opportunity to seek information and support via the online forums and other resources, others might find the wealth of information overwhelming. As is the case with any educational technology, making the choice depends on many factors, including the learning goals for the course and the time instructors are willing to invest in learning and using educational technologies.
Related Resources
- Learn more about Moodle.
- Find out how other instructors are using educational technologies to support community and collaboration. See Using Technology to Support Community and Collaboration.
