Moodle

An open source Alternative to Blackboard that's focused on student learning

Keith Landra, SUNY Purchase

Slides online: http://slideshare.net/keith.landa/cit2009a

Features:

• Arrangement
  • by topic allows section for each topic
  • by Social format organizes everything around a discussion board
  • Weekly format - tabs across the top.
• Upcoming activity reads from calendar
• Recent activity shows what happened since last login
• Participants list shows class roster
  • Instructors can login as a specific student
• Activities list groups all your features.

Add-ons:

• Anything is possible because it's open source
• Moodle Google (search Google from within Moodle)

LMS review:

• Task force
• Reviewed ANGEL, Blackboard, other LMS
• Presentations, feature comparison
• Cost and support options

Moodle favored 5 to 1 over Blackboard

Plans:

• Eres to Moodle Summer 09
• Maintain Bb one more year
• Faculty summer workshops
• Voluntary facilitated transition
• Drop dead date for Blackboard

How:

1. Build your own
2. Hosted
   • http://moodlerooms.com
   • http://remote-learner.net
   • http://classroomrevolution.com

Practice: Moodle Sandbox http://www.ninehub.com

• Your Name links to your profile.
  • Edit your profile.
• Site Administration will help customize ANYTHING else about the course.
• Resource autolinking will automatically create links to Resources from forum postings without any manual labor.
• Different roles for people - one school has a librarian role. Can add things, but cannot see student grades/assignments.

Other Sandbox: http://globalclassroom.us

There is a Banner connector.