I went in to designing this course with a fair bit of trepidation. While Moodle has a reputation as being a versatile and powerful tool, I have also heard that it can be a real challenge learning its many intricacies. As with new technological undertaking I felt that the best approach was to start by focusing on the framework as a whole and then working my way down to finer details. Most of the pages were created using the googlesites html editor and then transferring it to Moodle.
My goal was to keep things as simple as possible. The splash page allows students to access everything they need right when they login. The course schedule and information are prominently displayed as are the individual modules. I opted to use the topic view because it keeps all important materials on the front page. Students can access links to forums or wikis through the module links on the front page or on the individual module pages.
The modules themselves break down into 4 topics. Each topic requires students to do readings, watch videos, take notes, add to the wikis and discussions and eventually write a quiz. I was impressed at how easy it was to set up and link all of these different tools. I am especially intrigued with the wikis and discussion forums. I have long wanted to incorporate more student lead learning into my courses, but have lacked the tools or the know how (or both I suppose) until now. I like that I can set up some discussion topics to get things rolling while also allowing students to bring up their own thoughts and questions. The biggest problem that I will have with the discussion forums is to come up with really good leading questions about AP Physics that foster genuine discussion. Given the subject matter I have a tough time coming up with questions that don’t eventually lead to definite answers.
While the first module is ready for students to use right away, the second one is hidden from access until students complete the first module. While individual modules are to be completed at the student’s own pace, I wanted to establish benchmark dates which all students must meet before we move on as a class. This is my first time through this course and I am a little uncertain as to how much time is needed for each topic. Because of this I prefer the flexibility of being able to choose when the next module will become available instead of presetting dates for release.
I was also very impressed with the quiz tool in Moodle. While I have seen many online quiz and test makers, Moodle’s was one of the most flexible. One of the best features was the ability to enter calculation problems with multiple variables. This would allow me to construct quizzes that would be somewhat cheat-proof despite being accessed online, since every student would essentially get their own individualized quiz.
Overall I am very impressed with both the scope and functionality of Moodle. While Moodle definitely has a variety of tools to work with, putting them to use was relatively simple. Moving forward I feel very confident exploring and implementing further Moodle tools.