To: Landmark College
Date: June 12, 2011
From: Ashley Ross
Subject: Proposal to Implement Moodle Learning Management Software as a part of 2011 Summer Transition Program
Objective
The purpose of this proposal is to advocate the integration of a Learning Management System (LMS), specifically Moodle (“Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment”), into Landmark College’s Summer Transition Program which is intended to help prepare college-bound seniors with learning difficulties for a smooth transition into college.
Background
The transition program at Landmark College is a two-week “dress rehearsal” for students to get a taste of what college life is about, from the independence of living away from home to the academic expectations that will be placed on them by their professors. As more educational institutions adopt Internet-based Learning Management Systems such as WebCT/Vista, Blackboard, and Moodle, it is important that these students are able to experiment and learn how to navigate an LMS before entering their higher education institutions. Students participating in the program will be exposed to three courses and a series of workshops and will be provided with the perfect opportunity to be introduced to an online learning environment. They will have the time to explore and interact with the system, and will be provided with one-on-one advice from faculty on how to navigate the site.
Evaluation
Using Bates and Poole’s (2003) SECTIONS framework and the CMS Product Comparison (Edu Tools, 2011) that analyzed four different LMSs: Blackboard Academic Suite, Moodle, Pearson Learning Studio Campus, and Sakai, it was determined that Moodle was the best choice for the students who will be participating in the program.
- Students – Moodle is designed to support a diversified student population
- Ease of Use – Managing courses and materials is simple, and support is available through resources on moodle.org
- Cost of Implementation – Moodle is free to download and does not have a license fee. The costs will be associated with hardware, maintenance and support provided by IT staff.
- Teaching and Learning – The Moodle tools are designed with constructivist methods in mind, helping students build their own learning strategies.
- Interactivity – Moodle is designed to promote interaction and collaboration among students.
- Organizational Issues – Moodle is a widely used LMS with a plethora of support options available.
- Novelty – Not only will students be able to access course materials from any computer, but there are plenty of community-supported tutorials available to help.
- Speed – As Landmark College already uses Moodle, the implementation for the purpose of the summer program should be straight-forward and accomplished quickly.
Summary
Moodle is a flexible learning environment that provides students with a supportive and cooperative forum where they can learn effectively. Facilitators are able to prepare, organize and maintain course materials and modify the appearance of the LMS. This is extremely important for students who learn differently as their needs and accommodations may require the site to be adjusted from the layout that would be commonly used by the typical developing student.
Another reason why Moodle is the best choice as an LMS to be used for the summer program is that Landmark College adopted Moodle for their college courses in 2008 (Muller, Andersen, Austin, & Masson, 2009). This is important because the cost related to hardware, IT infrastructure and additional bandwidth will be relatively low as the LMS is already in place on the campus where the program will be offered. In addition, Moodle is based on open source software, meaning that additional modules are readily available from a multitude of community-based resources. These include built-in support for assistive technologies like screen-readers, magnifiers and other accessibility tools (Moodle, 2011).
While Moodle is flexible enough to be readily adapted to meet the needs of the instructor and the students participating in the summer program, it also requires time for instructors to initially prepare the course layout and materials. Upon completion however, the site would only need to be modified by instructors to take into account any changes in the course content from the previous year. The learning curve for instructors who are new to Moodle would normally be considered a drawback, but Landmark College Technology Learning Services constantly offers training sessions to ensure that the faculty and staff are educated on the latest system enhancements (Muller et al., 2009).
Recommendation
Landmark College is at the forefront for facilities that provide education for students with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and other disabilities that limit a student’s ability to learn. The administration and faculty understand the importance of preparing students to succeed not only in their post-secondary studies but also as productive members of the workforce. The 2011 Summer Transition Program is designed to help high-school seniors gain insight into potential learning issues, learn valuable organizational skills and hands-on study techniques, and identify available support systems at their universities for students who learn differently (Landmark College, 2011). Moodle will provide students with a strong foundation that will enhance the effectiveness of the two-week program by providing a personalized learning environment in addition to the students having 24/7 access to course materials, exercises, and peer discussions. The low-cost deployment and quick implementation make Moodle an excellent choice for the Summer Transition Program.
It is also worthwhile to consider the potential for admissions as students who are participating in the program will be able to experience the type of technology and support structure offered by Landmark College as they navigate and interact with Moodle.
References
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in high education: Foundations for success. New York: Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
EduTools. (2011). CMS: Product comparison system. Retrieved May 29, 2011 from http://www.edutools.info/compare.jsp?pj=4&i=616,617,557,555
Muller, S., Andersen, A., Austin, J., & Masson, R. (2009).Links landmark college. Landmark College, 8(1), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.landmark.edu/about/news_events/documents/LINKS-Autumn-2009.pdf
Moodle. (2011). Moodle: Teaching FAQ. Retrieved June 12, 2009 from http://docs.moodle.org/20/en/Teaching_FAQ#Are_there_any_provisions_in_Moodle_for_people_with_disabilities.3F
Landmark College. (2011). Landmark college: 2011 summer transition program for college-bound seniors who learn differently. Retrieved June 8, 2011 from http://www.landmark.edu/programs/summer/landmark-transition-to-college-2011.pdf