Michelle's ETEC 565 Blog

I decided to practice using wikis by using the site, Wikispaces.  I found the layout of the site easy to follow and customize.   The site does require for the designer to be organized because the main board where you type information continues scrolling downwards.  You can create new pages to help separate the information.  To add, the outcome of the site seems quite basic, which can have its pros and cons.

The site was not extremely labour intensive, but I do find that the site is more difficult to manoeuvre around.  I can see how wikis can be also difficult to read, as the entire page can just be filled with text.  This challenge made it difficult to edit because I was not sure how to improve the clarity.

What worked well with Wikispaces is that I was able to create and upload a wiki in a matter of minutes.  I feel that any site designer would appreciate the ability to have a functioning site in such a quick amount of time.  As well, the site uses WYSIWG format which makes it extremely easy for anyone to use. I also like how I have the freedom to create an extensive wikispace with multiple pages for my audience to access. I do not feel restricted to how much information I can publish. This freedom is one that designers would definitely welcome. I also liked how you can create a discussion on the wikispace, but this would require for members to be added to your account.

I was surprised how this type of wiki was so easy to use.  I once created a wiki using HTML codes and it was very difficult.  I think teachers would appreciate having to not learn all the HTML codes to make a wikispace for their classrooms.  This is what makes this specific wiki effective.

Here is a link to the wikispace that I am working on:
Ms. Wong’s English Resources Wikispace

After obtaining my login name and password, I logged on to the site and saw an interface that I was completely unfamiliar with.  I could not seem to orient myself to where I should go or what I should do.  I tried to compare and follow the screen shots from this video by Sessional Instructor John Egan (UBC): However, I was still experiencing a lot of difficulty.  Then, after browsing through the pages and reading the Help sections, I soon realized where I was and what I was supposed to do.  This hurdle was difficult to overcome.  Afterwards, following the instructions to guide my setup went a lot more smoothly.

In general, setting up the Icebreaker was not too labour-intensive, as long as you followed the clearly-explained steps closely.  What made it difficult and challenging was not knowing how to do certain tasks like using “bullets” in the post.  This task required for me to search for troubleshooting tips from various resources.  However, once I found the proper process and experimented with it, the task went a lot quicker.  Also, certain vocabulary in the instructions required for me to research the meaning for understanding, like WYSIWYG.  I think part of using Moodle is making mistakes along the way and troubleshooting.

One aspect of Moodle that made this process work well was the clear layout, step-by-step process, and Help section.  The clear layout allowed me to understand what I was doing and allowed me to manoeuvre around the site easily.  The step-by-step process to organize the forum made the task easier and allowed for beginner users, like me, to be able to follow along.  Lastly, the Help section helped to relieve the problems that I came across during the entire process.

Because I was having a lot of difficulty at the beginning, what surprised me was that when small challenges came up during the process, I found it easier to tackle and troubleshoot them as I continued on.  The small successes that occurred helped to increase my confidence in using Moodle.  It also surprised me how I became familiar with Moodle and was able to manipulate with success!  I look forward to more challenges and also overcoming each one.

Although I am unable to access the e-learning toolkit at the moment, I am able to reflect as a Moodle user on its potential as a successful LMS platform.  Looking at a sample Moodle page, Romeo and Juliet Sample Unit, I can see how Moodle can be efficiently used in a classroom.  The site is well-organized, and it shows each section explicitly.  For example, the Romeo and Juliet site has the following sections: Introductory Discussions, Assignments and Handouts, Quizzes, Journals, and Concluding Discussions.  In each section, there are sub-headings that lead to various links, like PDF files and Word Documents.  This clear layout will help the user easily find the necessary tools in order to be successful in this course.

A problem that I encountered while using this Moodle site is that the Navigation menu can seem overwhelming with the amount of text.  As well, another problem is the site seems underdeveloped. This site seems to have a strong backbone, but it only includes the essentials.  This approach makes it seem uninviting for the user and it would not promote engagement in discussion.  Since this is a unit geared towards high school students, there needs to be more graphics, parts of the play, or alternative methods on the site to engage the audience.

Overall, I think Moodle can be a good course site for teachers to use with their classes.  It allows for teachers to upload any information that students need to know.  It can also afford meaningful learning and student reflection.

Welcome to my ETEC 565 E-Portfolio Journey! Feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions along the way.