A Learning portal –Using Moodle-

L.F. van Heerden

St. Michael’s School for Girls in collaboration with Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development (CHESD)

E-Learning Division

E-Learning

Transformation What is e-Learning? LMS & VLE

Modern learners What E-Learning is not

Why E-Learning?

Differences between e-Learning & Conventional methods

Examples Moodle

Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.

“Modern children!”

“Our Children are being socialised in a way that is vastly different from their parents. The numbers are overwhelming: over 10 000 hours playing videogames, over 200 000 e-mails and instant messages sent and received; over 10 000 hours talking on cell phones; over 20 000 hours watching TV (over 500 000 commercials) – all before the kids leave college. And maybe at most 5000 hours of book reading” -2001-

Modern children

Children raised with the computer “think differently” from the rest. They develop hypertext minds. They leap around.

-Dr. Michael S Gazzaniga-

Linear processes that dominate educational systems now can actually retard learning for brains developed through game and web-surfing processes on the computer.”

-Peter Moore-

“Academic learning must seek out new and innovative ways to attract, retain & impact learners in the knowledge age.” Philip Laird

Modern children

What is e-learning?

“A process that allows learners to take charge of their own learning.It can be customised to meet the individual needs to different learning styles – any place, any pace. It is learning on deman. Technology is not e – learning, rather a tool to deliver e – learning. I t engages learners to construct knowledge or meaning or understanding from information beyond the classroom walls.” (Spender and Steward:2002:99)

What e-learning is not?

•E-Learning is not the mere use of computers or computer technology.

•E-Learning is not just to put content on a computer / learning portal (LMS).

•E-Learning is not an attempt to take over the job of a teacher.

•E-Learning is not a quick fix to “educational problems”.

•E-Learning is not saving time in the short run.

•E-Learning is not something that all teachers will embrace.

Why e-learning?

Flexibility

•Through a range of online learning technologies,

• learners and teachers can engage in synchronous as well as asynchronous interaction across space, time, and pace.

Preparing learners for tertiary institutions

What is the difference between e-learning and conventional teaching?

1. Leaner centred2. Learn3. Learning on demand

4. Integration of concepts & knowledge

5. Two way medium

6. Lots of voices7. Competency8. Asynchronous

9. Preparing learners for LMS”s (Tertiary institutions)

1. Teacher centred

2. Teach

3. Learning when we want

4. No Integration of concepts & knowledge (repetition)

5. One way medium

6. One voice speaks

7. Content

8. Synchronous

9. Not preparing learners for LMS’s (Tertiary Institutins)

Learning Management Systems

or

A Virtual Learning Environment

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software system designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially by helping teachers and learners with course administration.

These systems usually run on servers, using one or more databases and a programming or scripting language to serve the course to students as internet pages.

Such e-learning systems are sometimes also called Learning Management Systems (LMS), Course Management System (CMS), Managed Learning Environments (MLE), education via computer-mediated communication (CMC) or Online Education.

To summariese a VLE should make it possible for a course designer/teacher to present to students (through a single, consistent, and intuitive interface) all the components required for a course of education, learning and facilitation.

Example of a Lesson

Lessons available

“Activities” present in lesson

AA

CC

TT

II

VV

TT

II

EE

SS

Survey

The Council

A Poem

Experiment

The Designer:

The designer is the person who is responsible for creating the course and making the course content available.

The designer, who often is also the teacher of the course, can perform multiple tasks, such as :

• creating quizzes • monitoring progress• customising the course

The Students:

• Students cannot manipulate the course content other than in the student presentation areas as defined by the designer.

Moodle

About Moodle

•Moodle Acronym: Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment.•Moodle is a open source product that can be freely downloaded, modified and distributed.

About Moodle

• It is a content management system (CMS) some times also called as a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).

• It is used for online course management and delivery.

About Moodle

•Download, installation information available at http://www.moodle.org

•Commercial and support information available at http://www.moodle.com

Content for a learning portal.

• The course is built around the course content, not the Moodle tools.

Problems we experienced

• Time

• “Unlearning” the old ways / methods

• Examples

• Resistance to change

• Content is still old-technology-transfer, rather than transformation to the new technology

Thanks to:

1. The Centre for Higher Education Studies and Development (CHESD), especially Anton Pienaar & Herbert Thomas (E-Learning Division) for there input and expertise.

2. St. Michael’s School for Girls for creating exciting opportunities in education.

3. Intel for creating platforms like these.

4. Grey College for hosting the conference.