F. Course Site

Copyright Considerations for Educators: A Blended Moodle

In reflecting on this experience of creating an online course site in Moodle, I went back to my Proposal (which seemed like it was written forever a go). If I knew then what I know now……

I definitely appreciate the experience of creating a Moodle site. It had been “one of those” platforms I had heard about but had not experienced. Previously, Moodle had been presented as a possible online solution for JK-12 teachers in my district. However, I resisted over the past five years given that I had been using Desire2Learn’s LMS (for eLearning Ontario initiatives). I had explored wikis and blogs for creating online spaces for teachers. For whatever reason, Moodle escaped me. Having now experienced course creation in Moodle first hand, I can vouch for it as a viable option. In my role which focuses on teacher training, I can see some potential for issues within the Moodle environment (more on this later).

My course site is set up as a Blended course – one that would supplement face to face professional development for teachers. Teachers therefore are the target audience. I wanted to make it engaging yet professional. Blended learning is a focus in my district. Many teachers naturally set up online learning space to accompany their face to face instruction. I wanted to create modules which could be an authentic experience.

Regarding the course components, here is a quick self-assessment:
– splash page with graphic user interface. A splash page is more inviting and welcoming to the user rather than viewing moodle’s lists or structure. I created something splash-ish. I have four graphics which are linked appropriately to the correct unit. My page appears more inviting with GUI, however, does not compare to some of the splash pages I have seen from my current colleagues and previous participants in the course. This is an area I need to improve upon.
– two or more complete learning modules. I created two learning modules. Originally I created the files in Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 however I struggled with the uploading of the HTML files to my moodle. Therefore I abandoned that strategy and copied my pages in to the built in editor within Moodle. My pages still load as webpages with links and embedded video
– one or more module programmed for selective release. I found this to be tricky. I searched through Moodle resources for tips on doing this. I located some information regarding conditional release and selective release which took me in a different direction, as they are not the same. I ended up using the “hidden module” option. Therefore the module is not programmed for selective release, however I can go in and selectively release it to participants. I had hoped to have the quiz appear only if previous course material had been read and discussion posts completed (that is conditional release – Moodle 2.0?).
– two general discussion topics – I think I got this one. 🙂 I created three discussion posts: to share what copyright considerations specifically apply to their teaching, to discuss a case study, final thoughts regarding copyright including the use of Moodle for Blended delivery
– one additional group discussion forum. I created a group discussion post where participants would as a small group (2 groups), choose a scenario to discuss (identify issues, resolution, and teachable moments)
– additional trials – I explored a variety of Moodle tools. Those that I kept include, a chat area ‘teacher lounge’ for teachers, quick link navigation area (to complement the splash page), and quiz (from previous assignment). I would have liked to have created and kept a glossary and survey (given my experience with these tools in D2L).

After exploration, research, trial and error – I did find this exercise to be a challenge. I underestimated the amount of time required for my own learning curve. The platform seems to be glitchy (unexpected issues, IE issues, etc). I consider myself to be fairly confident computer user including HTML editing, however, I did not find Moodle to be very user-friendly or intuitive. Resources available online are numerous and varied (from online forums, to manuals, to video tutorials). Numerous keen teachers would plug away as I did. However, implementation would be a challenge.