Moodlereader at SQU for MoodleMajlis 2013

SQU

Language CentreFaculty Academ

ic Support Unit

Student Support Unit

17 November 2013

http:bit.ly//moodlereadermajlis

A Moodlereader based Extensive Reading Programme in SQU

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Support

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Faculty

Unit

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Agenda

I. Extensive Reading BackgroundII. MoodlereaderIII. Project ImplementationIV. Developments & IssuesV. The Next StepsVI. Q&A – Participants and All Presenters

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Extensive Reading…

is reading a lot of easy and enjoyable books.

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Intensive Reading Extensive ReadingCan be challenging Should be easy Slow FastAim is to teach specific strategies and skills

Aim is to build confidence and enjoyment

Material usually selected by curriculum/teacher

Choice of material to appeal to personal interests

Test focused Pleasure focused

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Easy!Comprehensible inputKrashen

i + 1

Reading fluency level Day

i minus 1

The need for reading speed

Read slowly

Don’t enjoy

reading

Don’tread much

Don’t understan

dmuch

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Read faster

Enjoy reading

Readmore

Understandmore

The need for reading speedSQ

U Language Centre

Faculty Academic Support U

nitStudent Support U

nit

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Learners that engage in Extensive Reading….

improve reading rate

become more fluent readers

become better readers (and better readers are usually betters writers and betters spellers)

make gains in motivation and attitude toward reading and make gains in overall L2 proficiency

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The Past……..

• In class quiz• Book report• Book review• In-class discussion• Book “show and tell”

• Time consuming for students• Time consuming for teachers

• Sometimes demotivating for students

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The Present• Moodlereader

Moodle websites to support Extensive Reading: • moodlereader.org (M1.9)• moodlereader.com (M2,3)• local independent site

• MReadersimplified site for schools and small institutions, not using Moodle user management tools.

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The Choices

Whether to run a local site or use the Moodlereader server?

Would prefer to manage our own, but not allowed to run an internet access moodle site from within the University for security reasons

Choice between Moodle 1.9x and Moodle 2.x?

Originally chose M1.9 but volunteered to use upgraded M2.x site as quiz service is better optimized and quicker and we would be one of only a few institutions using the website so likely to have more bandwidth available

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The Site

• Free• Uses Open Source software (currently Moodle 2.3.1)• Has additional blocks and plugins to manage database

of book titles and levels and the quizzes.• Standard Moodle login and student management

tools, plus teachers’ ability to upload students into groups from the course page not just from the admin interface.

• Quizzes for c. 2,000 books from Beginners to Advanced

• Run by English teachers for English teachers• A community to which you can contribute

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Student’s Main Page

Search by title words

Search by publisher

Covers of books read successfully

List of quizzes taken

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Choosing a Graded Reader

Important information

1. Books are organized by TYPE and then MOODLE READER LEVEL 2. TYPE tells what kind of book: Action/Adventure (A) Horror (H) Human Interest (HI) Romance (R), Mystery (M) Short Stories (S) People/Places/Things/Ideas (P)

3. MOODLE READER LEVEL is NOT the same as the LC course level. The table below suggests the MOODLE READER LEVEL that will probably be comfortable for you in your course.

Your LC Course

Moodle Reader Level

120 Level 1 Level 2

230 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3



560/603 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7

MOODLE READER LEVEL

TYPE

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The Books - 1

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The Books - 2

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The Books - 3

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The Quizzes

• Quizzes for over 2,000 books• Easy quizzes which can be done “open book”• Timed – usually 15 mins., some shorter• Usually 10 questions (4 types)• Adjustable success criterion (Ours is 60%)• Once only, repeats only in special circumstances

• Fairly standard format• Some MCQs• Some T/F• Some list choice, who said what to whom?• One - order the events

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Sample Questions 1

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Sample Questions 2

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Reports• Organised for your class

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Moodlereader At SQU• Attempted introduction prior to 2009• Introduced Spring 2011: Pilot Project• Change in Library Management and Policies• Incorporated in LC Curriculum Fall 2011• 4,130 users in 2011-13• 2,968 active users in all of 2012-3• 2,680 active users in Fall Semester 2013• 636 books where quiz taken and passed at least once

Winner: Dirty Money812: 94% passes

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Issues 1

• Quiz Quality Uneven• Significant quality control in progress

• Quizzes done where books not read?• Posssibly some cheat sheets circulating

• Direct Cheating• Some control with cheat feature (similar time / same quiz)

• Moodlereader hiccups at busy times• Control student timing – avoid need for rush periods

Popular but hard: David Beckham347: 82% passes

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Issues 2

• Password Control• Password emails blocked by

security systems outside Oman

• Setting the passmark• What level should it be?

• How many books• Was 4 (too few) per semester, now 8, enough?

• Dealing with late arrivals• Students miss briefing, some teachers don’t compensate

Impossible: The Cay99: 0% passes

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How about an extensive reading program in your school or college?

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The End

Support

Academic

FacultyU

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Thanks to all the colleagues who

helped implement the system

and still help maintaining and

improving it.

Education

Moodlereader at SQU for MoodleMajlis 2013