Guest Blogger: Brenda Snider
Four years ago, Lincoln University
implemented a new learning management system, MOODLE (Module Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment). The vendor we currently use is Moodlerooms,
which is owned by BlackBoard. In this
blog, I want to discuss personal and professional change and some reasons to
use Moodle for your courses.
Have you heard of ADKAR? ADKAR is used by businesses and for personal
use to change habits. The acronym is Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and
Reinforcement. So, as the New Year has
begun, I have been thinking about applying this model to some of my personal
issues as well as learning more about Moodle. I noticed that I did not want to
learn Gradebook and was having a difficult time picking up all of the concepts.
I only wanted to learn one aspect of the tool. After looking at the ADKAR
model, I realized that I am aware of the features, I know where to obtain the
knowledge, I have the ability, but I did not have the desire to learn all of
the features. It seemed overwhelming. In my position, I need to know all
aspects of Gradebook since each instructor has their own grading scheme. I had
to force myself to change my attitude.Let’s consider applying the ADKAR model to our usage of Moodle. Think about your awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and where you can obtain reinforcement. What is prevents you from using Moodle? Or, if you are using the learning management system, why do you continue to use it?
Awareness: Are all of Lincoln’s Professors and Adjunct Professors aware that we have a learning management system? Are you aware of the many features of Moodle?
Desire: Do you have the desire to change or add to your method of sharing information and communicating with your students?
Knowledge: Do you have the knowledge or do you know how to use Moodle? If you are not aware or you do not have the desire to use Moodle, then participating in Moodle training and workshops will probably not connect with you and the training will be futile.
Ability: Do you feel you do not have the ability to use Moodle? ATS staff can help with this. We can offer one-on-one training and give you the opportunity to practice Moodle in the Faculty Lab, Library Room 116. I am a firm believer in chunking. I break learning down and learn one tool at a time. If you think Moodle is overwhelming, you can use this method, too.
Reinforcement: Nancy Evans, Director of ATS, offers LU-MUGS meetings (Lincoln University-Moodle User Groups). The group meets frequently to discuss Moodle issues, which reinforces your learning. In addition, ATS offers workshops and recently started teaming up with CETL Director, Anna Hull, to offer workshops that demonstrate Moodle features along with Anna’s perspective and pedagogical benefits.
So, what are some reasons to use Moodle?
· Course enhancement
· Students always have their course materials
available if they have access to their computer or phone. Consider the students
who miss class, for whatever reason, i.e. athletics, band, illness, or if the
university is closed for some reason, the students can still access their
courses and even participate in a forum.
· Transparent grading (students do not have to
ask you about every grade, they can see all of their grades)
· Easier quiz grading
· Attendance
· Ability for students to take their quizzes
wherever they have access to the Internet
· Students can no longer use the excuse, I lost
the assignment or I was not in class to get the assignment
· Reports (i.e., logs: do the student access
the class as stated, student engagement)
· Export data for other uses
Are you ready or are you already using
Moodle? We would appreciate your
comments. Why are you using Moodle?
Would you encourage others to use Moodle? Are you ready to start using
Moodle? If not, what are your
hesitations?
Respectfully,
Brenda Snider
Instructional Support Specialist
ATS
I use Moodle as an integral part of my web-enhanced courses. It provides structure and organization to the course and offers many different tools that enhance the teaching and learning. The main use of moodle in my courses is information exchange (not very dynamic). It is a repository for reading assignments, supplemental materials, course information, extra credit/enrichment announcements such as The Black History Month convocations at the Chapel or the lecture by Dr. Babou on Feb. 21.
ReplyDeleteStudents also submit written assignments, including through TurnItIn. Quizzes or other assignments are due before a class to check on student reading and focus their study. The students engage in less formal writing assignments through the forums. Here they can respond to different ideas, concepts, and readings within the course. They also can practice writing to a real audience of their classmates. Interaction on Moodle goes well when the forums foster conversation and debate—all of which is through writing! (Much more dynamic! (I just learned that Moodle was an acronym, so I am having some fun ;-) I always thought it was a poor play on the word "doodle" or "noodle" )
The downside is often with technical aspects. I get many emails about the inability to load an assignment to Moodle. I really need to create a FAQ for students.
And then there is the perennial issue of student engagement, an issue I am only starting to address in the virtual world but certainly connects to the same issues in the face-to-face classroom.
As someone who coordinates many sections of composition courses most of which are taught by adjuncts, I am exploring ways to use Moodle as a resource for faculty, similar to the ways the Middle States Steering Committee is using Moodle to communicate and share documents.
I would like to see all sections of composition use Moodle, but there is often a lag in setting up the resource for adjuncts as they cannot gain access until a contract is signed and has gone through the various levels of bureaucracy. This constrains the use of the tool to enhance the teaching and learning at Lincoln.
Usually, the only student questions I receive is how to log-in. Then I may find other issues such as their e-mail is incorrect in Colleague. However, this is rare. If you let me know the questions students ask, I can help you with a FAQ for students.
DeleteWill you mention how you take one class period to show your students how to use Moodle. Since Moodle is a University platform, I think this should be taught in FYE and the need to use your class time would be eliminated. However, you do an excellent job on this and I'm sure the students appreciate it.
As I teach mainly first year students, they don't have much experience with Moodle. I take a class period early in the semester to orient students. I first review MLA format for an essay. Then we log in to Moodle and practice with the features that we will use throughout the semester--mostly submitting a document, using a forum, and, this year, using TurnItIn. I also used this as an opportunity this year to discuss plagiarism.
DeleteMy main reason for using Moodle, is that it is the only learning management system we have (officially, at Lincoln). I do not find it intuitive or very useful, particularly if one already uses some form of learning management system; hence I won't encourage others to use it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would want to know, is how it compares to other learning management systems including the free version of Moodle (MoodleCloud). Further, I would want to know which functions of WebAdvisor and GradesFirst it (Moodle) duplicates.
Safro Kwame
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have so many good things to say about Moodle – or maybe it is more about the use of LMSs in general and not specifically about Moodle. Since I began working at Lincoln, we have been through three LMSs (WebCT, Desire2Learn, and Moodle). I find that they all have their quirks and all take some time to learn, but the rewards outweigh the challenges – by leaps and bounds.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Bill, I use Moodle as a repository for all the information that is presented in class – including all the daily in-class assignments that students are required to complete during class time. It is also a portal from which my students can access the e-book, if they so choose. I use the “quiz’ function to post reading quizzes to encourage students to engage with the material on their own and to help them decipher what I find to be the important concepts in each chapter. These quizzes are not real tests, and the students have multiple attempts to improve the quiz score. I always use a few of the reading quiz-questions on real in-class exams to re-inforce both student learning and to emphasize the importance of using all the learning opportunities available.
I use Turnitin to help student understand plagiarism.
Maybe most importantly, the students have up-to-date access to their grade through Moodle. There are no guesses or over/under-inflated assumptions about grades – my entire gradebook is mirrored on Moodle for students to see. If they missed a quiz, an in-class assignment, a report or anything else, they will see a big glaring “0” followed by an F. This is a great motivator for students to communicate with me, to make up work and to push themselves to do better.
I can’t imagine teaching without this essential communication tool. It allows for complete transparency. When students travel for athletics, like many will be next week, or miss class because of illness, they can see exactly what happened in class – and they can submit their assignments through Moodle.
I also use the Moodle “announcement” constantly to remind students that a deadline is coming, or that they need to bring something to class that I forgot to mention in my face-to-face meeting with them. I find that once the students know that you use Moodle to communicate, they check their email and they make sure their classmates got the message.
I don’t find Moodle to be any less intuitive than any other LMS that I have tried – and students don’t complain more about Moodle than they did about any of the previous two LMSs at Lincoln. I always have a few students that keep forgetting to do their Moodle assignments, but I also always have a few students who forget to complete or bring their non-Moodle assignments to class or lab.
I do fear that we will lose Moodle to yet another LMS and I think that would be a disservice to both our students and faculty who have already learned to use Moodle. There is no one ideal LMS – they are all slightly different and they have their benefits, quirks and disadvantages. Moodle works, is well supported and is used by many faculty members at our institution. I would love to hear what students say about Moodle. Are they happy with the current level of use or would they like to see more faculty use Moodle and/or use more features in Moodle?
I would not want to switch the LMS and have to start over. I am very much a hands-on learner, so I need to try out features and practice using them to really determine the best use in my courses.
DeleteThanks, Brenda! I hope you are no longer upset or rebellious! Good luck with Moodle.
ReplyDeleteSafro Kwame