Assessment
My Learning Management System (LMS) is based on Mechanics, a course that I have being teaching at my institution for over nine years. I have always wanted to use an online medium like Moodle to teach this course blended with f2f so as to effectively assist my students in grasping the content. This quiz that I have created consists of questions that are fundamental to the course and cover the first two chapters of the course.
I was introduced to Moodle approximately five years ago, but I have never used it to develop an online course. Hence the construction of this quiz on Moodle’s platform was time consuming and caused a few sleepless nights as I tried to figure out how to effectively complete the questions. However the process was exciting and rewarding and I was of the view that the completed assignment worked perfectly well.
The creation of the questions for the test was not difficult since I already had written questions for this course. However I had to check the questions to see if they are generic and tested the appropriate objectives. For example, I had to check the multiple choice questions to ensure that the responses were appropriate.
I enjoy experimenting around the use of a new software and feel like I am rewarded when I can actually figure out the mechanism or procedure of effectively using them. In the case of placing questions on Moodle platform it was difficult at times so I had to resort to an ebook entitled ‘Using Moodle’ by Jason Cole and Helen Foster which I found very helpful. For example, I thought the multiple choice questions would have a slot for correct answer instead of a percentage range for each response with a 100% for the correct answer.
In addition, I had some problems uploading pictures from my computer to the appropriate questions. Although, I slavishly followed the instructions provided to me by the ebook entitled ‘Using Moodle’, I could not embed the images into editor. However I later found out that I was correct in following the instructions but the pc that I was using was the source of the problem. After about three hours, I finally realize the problem and arrived at the solution.
Apart from the problem I experienced with uploading pictures to Moodle, I found the exercise interesting. I could easily navigate through the quiz user interface and make corrections to questions whenever the need arose. I have definitely benefitted from this exercise. I have also found it to be a good example of the constructivist approach to learning. In my opinion I learnt a lot about Moodle through using various tools available to me to construct the quiz. In addition the features of the Moodle quiz can satisfactorily address the long periods spent by lecturers to mark papers. The only drawback to the making of scripts by Moodle is its inability to mark easy type questions.
Also I like the feature of Moodle which allows students to be given speedy feedback on their performance on the test. According to Gibbs,G. and Simpson, C. (2005) it is important in the learning process that students are given relevant feedback. Gagne (1977) cites that helping students to monitor their progress would unquestionably help them grasp the content in a meaningful way. The fact that students are given feedbacks on the completed test minutes after completions means they will be able examine reasons for their failure. In addition Moodle allows the correct and incorrect answer of the test to be displayed to students thus providing a manuscript for students to improve on their scores when they retake the test.
In my view I think Moodle is an impressive LMS and should be explored by all educators. Teachers and students can both benefit from it. I hope to use it next semester if everything goes as planned.
References :
Gagne, R.M. (1977) The Condition of Learning, 3rded., New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2005). “Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning.” Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Accessed online 11 June 20 2011 http://www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfs/Gibbs%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf