Dear Mr. Steve Cardwell, Superintendent of Vancouver School District,<\/p>\n
Currently, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) is creating a selection of blended classes (classroom and online learning) designed for secondary schools.\u00a0 As a representative of classroom teachers in the district, I understand the needs of the students and the schools.\u00a0 During monthly professional development opportunities, I have collaborated with teachers from across the district and discussed blended classroom learning and appropriate platforms. \u00a0This proposal explains why Moodle is the most efficient digital learning platform for the district.<\/p>\n
Rationale for Moodle<\/span><\/p>\n Using Bates & Poole\u2019s (2003) SECTIONS model for selecting and using technology, we can evaluate why Moodle is the best instructional design for this district.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0We specifically developed this platform for an English 10 class in a mainstream face-to-face (f2f) Vancouver school.<\/p>\n Students, Teaching and Learning, and Interactivity<\/em><\/p>\n We wanted to choose a platform that would suit students\u2019 different learning styles.\u00a0 Moodle offers a multitude of teaching and learning opportunities.\u00a0 These opportunities are achieved through wikis, discussion and chat forums, voice tools, web conferencing, social Web 2.0 tools, course content uploads, student work submissions, student blogging, and online quizzes and announcements.\u00a0 It provides asynchronous and synchronous learning through student-to-student and student-to-teacher communications. \u00a0In addition, a community of practice can be easily formed through the creation of visible or separate groups, where students can complete Moodle activities within these groups.\u00a0 For example, the site can present story excerpts, case studies, or other discussion prompts to promote dialogue and debate.\u00a0 This function allows students to work closely together on Moodle activities within their group and increases individual participation that may not be achieved in a class setting. \u00a0When we tested the site, students and teachers appreciated the rich variation of methods this site offered.<\/p>\n Ease of Use and Reliability, and Speed<\/em><\/p>\n We wanted a platform that was easy to use and reliable for students and teachers. \u00a0When we tested this site, students were able to accustom themselves to the layout and begin working on the course content within 20 minutes of use.\u00a0 Moodle also runs on various computer systems, including Windows and Mac OS X.\u00a0 Therefore, students were able to access this platform from a home computer or a school computer.\u00a0 As well, staff and site administrators were able to develop the site easily and upload course content promptly.<\/p>\n Cost<\/em><\/p>\n We were aware that the school district is currently in an $8 million dollars deficit and does not have the money to contribute to additional learning opportunities. \u00a0As open-source software, Moodle provides many similar opportunities compared to other LMS systems but at a low cost. \u00a0According to Learning Solutions Magazine, the average cost of ownership per learner for Moodle is $16.77.\u00a0 Total cost of ownership includes all costs associated with the computer hardware and software, administrative costs, training and development, maintenance, and technical support.\u00a0 These costs can be provided by the yearly school budget or from applied grants.\u00a0 The site administrator or teacher can do maintenance during professional development allotted time or during preparation blocks.\u00a0 As well, many schools have a full-time technical support worker. \u00a0Most schools in this district have at least two computer labs and adequate computer resources, which can help with transitioning into blended learning classrooms.<\/p>\n Organizational Issues and Novelty<\/em><\/p>\n We wanted to choose a platform that provided few organizational issues.\u00a0 Moodle is a recognized instructional design that is supported and used by many schools and administrators in the Vancouver district.\u00a0 In addition, regarding novelty, many teachers have already incorporated Moodle into their daily lessons because of its ease of use and reliability.<\/p>\n Efficiency<\/span><\/p>\n Although cost was an important issue, a key motivation for choosing Moodle over other LMS designs was how it addressed efficiency.\u00a0 The Vancouver district would appreciate a low cost but not if it substituted for design quality and efficiency.\u00a0 In this case, Moodle is open-source, yet it also affords e-learning and community of practice.\u00a0 The technological tools that we use to teach a class are \u201cmore than mere tools for the means-end purposes of solving problems\u2026[but instead] agents in the evolution of practices that bind individuals together in intellectual communities\u201d (Middleton, 2001, p. 1).\u00a0 Moodle is a technological tool that creates a constructivist learning environment, where \u201cknowledge is individually constructed and socially constructed by learners based on their interpretations of experiences in the world\u201d (Jonassen, 1999, p. 217).\u00a0 This instruction assists the learner in creating experiences that will facilitate learning, while still meeting the requirements for BC Ministry of Education\u2019s (2007) Personal Learning Outcomes for English 10 or any other courses.<\/p>\n Indication of Practice<\/span><\/p>\n We installed a trial Moodle site during the second term of a school year.\u00a0 To evaluate the site, we developed a rubric using Bates and Poole\u2019s (2007) SECTIONS model, and Moodle met or exceeded all the expectations.\u00a0 Students and teachers felt that Moodle created a seamless transition from the face-to-face classroom to the online classroom.\u00a0 Students were also excited to use this technological tool and were even more engaged with the course content.\u00a0 The varied features, like discussion forums and wikis, allowed students more opportunities for participation and ownership of learning.\u00a0 In the future, we would like to continue using the Moodle site for the entire school term, as we feel it would be equally successful in enhancing the learning experience.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/span><\/p>\n According to Joseph C. Panettieri (2007), the differences in LMS systems are the user interfaces, custom features, services for course building, integration of other on-campus systems, and licensing and pricing. \u00a0Students and teachers support this platform because they enjoy using the interface and the available custom features.\u00a0 Moodle provides feedback and assessment for students, and it creates opportunities for collection and collaboration that enhances learning experiences.\u00a0 Teachers are able to easily upload and integrate previous course content from their course websites and wikis. \u00a0Also, Moodle does not affect the district\u2019s budget negatively.\u00a0 Therefore, Moodle suits the needs of the students, the teachers, and the Vancouver School Board. \u00a0Overall, Moodle can achieve the most successful blended classroom for this district.<\/p>\n References<\/p>\n Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: A framework for selecting and using technology. Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher education: Foundations for Success. 77-105. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.<\/p>\n British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2007). Integrated Resource Package: English Language Arts 8 to 12. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http:\/\/www.bced.gov.bc.ca\/irp\/course.php?lang=en&subject=English_Language_Arts&course=English_Language_Arts_8_to_12&year=2007<\/a><\/p>\n Jagannathan, S., & Martinez, M. (2008). Moodle: A low-cost solution for successful e-learning. Learning Solutions Magazine<\/em>. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http:\/\/www.learningsolutionsmag.com\/articles\/71\/moodle-a-low-cost-solution-for-successful-e-learning<\/a><\/p>\n Jonassen, D. H. (1999). Designing constructivist learning environments. Instructional design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory<\/em>, 2<\/em>, 215-239.<\/p>\n Middleton, J.A. (2001). From manuscript to multimedia: How\u00a0technologies transform education research. Current Issues in Education <\/em>[Online], 3<\/em>(2). Retrieved June 4, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/cie.ed.asu.edu\/volume3\/number2\/<\/a><\/p>\n Panettieri, J. C. (2007). Addition by Subtraction. In University Business<\/em>. Retrieved\u00a0June 9, 2011, from\u00a0http:\/\/www.universitybusiness.com\/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=845&p=3#0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Mr. Steve Cardwell, Superintendent of Vancouver School District, Currently, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) is creating a selection of blended classes (classroom and online learning) designed for secondary schools.\u00a0 As a representative of classroom teachers in the district, I … Continue reading