1. 5 ways Moodle Changes the
Classroom
Richard Jones
http://richardnz.net/ @richardnz
2. Assumptions
• You want to change pedagogy
• You don’t want to make this:
• more efficient with technology:
3. The 5 Ways
1. Real-time or JIT Resources
2. Extended learning (time and place)
3. Social learning (eg peer to peer)
4. Student Autonomy
5. Activity Reports
• There may well be more.
• Moodle may not be REQUIRED but it helps greatly by
providing a unified framework.
4. #1 Real-time resources
• Example eBook/Page/Forum/Glossary
• Can be edited right in the course – Just In Time
• Timely information and speedy updating
• Chat sessions and choices – real-time feedback.
6. Audio clips – teacher voicesMr Graeme Barber
Y9 English
Easy to create eBook in Moodle
Adding images, links, chapters
Linked to quizzes to test knowledge
Students decided the order in which they could
complete tasks
eBook used in place of Word docs or
PowerPoints
Was generated around the students
knowledge generated in the classroom.
Sense of ownership of the material for
the boys
Dr Jill Margerison
English/History
7. #2 Extend the learning
• Web-based – available 24/7
• Both time and place are extended
• Reach students where they are when they are
ready
8. Student Quotes
“In subject x we were
simply copying down what
Sir wrote on the board”
In English where narrated PowerPoints were
being used in a self-directed class:
“There was something I didn’t understand but I
was able to watch the PowerPoint over and over
again until I got it”
9. Not unique to Moodle
• Neither of these first two examples require
Moodle. Some teachers use Google docs.
• However, Moodle is the place students know
to go.
10. Unique to “Mahoodle”
• Mahara is our ePortfolio
• Quick Link from Moodle
• Used for Page type assignments and also for
reflective Journals in G&T classes.
12. Student Voices
Mahara is easy to use – like a blog – interaction
with the teacher
Would rather work on the computer – neater
product
More comfortable
Can show your understanding more easily
Josh, Ethan and
Ab on Mahara
13. Social learning
• “They up their game” Said one of our teachers to
me just last week as we were discussing forums.
• The quality of the writing from Year 8 boys is
outstanding – we knew forums helped here.
• But drawing on others posts – that’s good to see.
15. Old vs New
• Contrast this with the “traditional” classroom
• Teacher sets writing task, student performs,
receives task back with corrections.
• These Y8 students are writing more, thinking
and reflecting more.
16. What have we learnt about forums?
• Onboarding needed – simple to start
• Teacher interaction/intervention in the forum
• Something about “respect” for others in the
community
17. Student autonomy
• The gradebook
• Completion status
• Self-access/self-directed
courses
• Ties in with our BYOD program
– my device, my learning.
18. More Quotes from students
Greg – self-directed course
Patrick – BYOD & autonomy
Greg liked the idea of boys working through
the activities in their own way at their own
pace. For him it was better.
Patrick felt that having his own device was
beneficial.
“You can direct yourself by yourself”
“You know [the device] better”
19. To do
• We need to give
parents the Mentor
role to also view the
gradebooks and
completion reports for
their boys.
• Currently using a work-
around:
20. Logs and Reports
• May not be so student centred
• But reports allow for early intervention
• Stats can be useful to analyze course
effectiveness too.
24. Mahara Stats – last 6 months
Moodle stats – 3 years
Stats
Year on year
BYOD introduced
25. Wrap – questions - discussion
• Our biggest current problems:
– Silos (Who sees the good work happening?)
– Teacher time (perennial)
– Teachers changing time allocations (intervention
takes time and effort but less marking to do?)
• Transition
– Do we need an eLearning Specialist?
– At what level in the organisation?