Online Learning in an Open Source Environment

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Online Learning in an Open Source Environment

• D. Verne Morland
• Managing Partner
• ROI Learning Services
• 4 March 2004

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Objectives

• Explain the Open Source SW movement
• Summarize the Moodle design and features
• Discuss social constructivist learning theory
• Examine how Moodle works for
• Students
• Instructors
• Administrators
• Facilitate an open dialogue on commercial and
  open system learning environments

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Who Am I?
Verne Morland

• Managing partner, ROI Learning Services
• Corporate university designer for NCR
• Business analyst and marketing director
• Software designer and systems engineer
• BSEE (Princeton) and MSEd. (U Dayton)

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What is ROI Learning Services?

• Training outsource company
• Network of skilled practitioners
• Business and training needs analysis
• Instructional design
• Technical design and support
• Online and blended course development
• Classroom and virtual course delivery
• Learning and business impact assessment
• Your potential partner!
  (www.roi-learning.com)

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Getting to Know You
Have you

• Taken an online course?
• Independent, self-paced, self-study?
• Collaborative, facilitated, synchronized?
• Did you learn anything?
• Did you enjoy the experience?

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Getting to Know You
Have you

• Designed an online course?
• Facilitated an online course?
• Customized an online learning environment?
• Built an online learning environment?

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What Is Open Source Software?

• Free!
• Locally extensible
• Globally supported
• Platform independent
• Details at http//www.opensource.org/docs/definiti
  on.php

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Advantages of Open Source

• Open Source means that because the source is
  available for all to see, developers are building
  on the work of others, rather than constantly
  re-inventing the wheel, and being recognized for
  their effort. Bugs are found and fixed more
  rapidly than in proprietary software, and a
  spirit of honest and open collaboration prevails.

- Visualising a Better Way by J. Ul-Haque and
R. Whittaker
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Disadvantages of Open Source

• No single, responsible supplier
• No committed development schedule

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Leading Open Source Products

• LINUX - Operating System
• Apache - Web server
• Perl, PHP - Scripting languages
• MySQL - Database system

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Moodle Is

• Modular,
• Object-
• Oriented,
• Dynamic
• Learning
• Environment

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Moodle Is

• A course management system for developing and
  delivering Internet-based courses
• Based on social constructionist learning theory
• Available in 33 languages
• A free alternative to commercial software such as
  WebCT or Blackboard
• Written in PHP
• Runs on Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and Netware 6
• Used by a growing number of universities,
  schools, and corporations. (Currently 927 sites
  in 70 countries are registered on
  Moodle.org/sites.)

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Moodle Offers

• Forums,
• Chats,
• Resources,
• Journals,
• Quizzes and tests,
• Surveys,
• Workshops, and
• Assignments.

? Learning materials
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Social Constructivism

• Social constructivists view learning as a social
  process. It does not take place only internally,
  nor is it a passive development of behaviors that
  are shaped by external forces. Meaningful
  learning occurs when individuals are engaged in
  social activities.

- Social Constructivism By Beaumie Kim (2001)
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Moodle Is Versatile

• Moodle can be
• A complete online learning environment
• A focal point for online collaboration
• A repository of self-study courses and materials
• Moodle can contain
• Collaborative, synchronous courses
• Independent, self-paced courses

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Plain Vanilla Moodle
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Corporate Moodle
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Training Company Moodle
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The Students View of Moodle

1. Short video tour
2. Discussion using slides
3. Live, online demonstration

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Logging In to the OLC
Your Username
Your Password
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Center Home Page
Welcome message
Link to first HH online course
Discussion forums for new communities of practice
(CoP)
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Course Home Page
Recent activity
Participant profiles
Instructions for taking the course and using the
forums
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Course Topics
Topic description
Instructional articles
Unit quiz
Student journal
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Navigating Through the Course
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Learning Objectives
Intro
Unit 1
Unit 2

• Each unit begins with What You Will Learn
• Navigation flows from lesson to lesson
• Each unit ends with a Quiz

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Student Journals
Quick navigation
Journal instructions
Your personal entries
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Case Study
Quick navigation
Engagement question
Answer choices
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Retail CoP Forum
Quick navigation
Forum charter
Click to start a new discussion
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Forum Posting
Quick navigation
Subject
Message
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User Demo

• Harte-Hanks Online Learning Center

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The Instructors View of Moodle

1. Discussion using slides
2. Live, online demonstration

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Course Content Control
Adding new components
Admin areas
Editing and positioning
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Instructor Demo

• Harte-Hanks Online Learning Center

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The Administrators View of Moodle

1. Discussion using slides
2. Live, online demonstration

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Admin Controls
How things look and work
Who has access
Course control
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Grade Book
Assessments
Grades
Student
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Site Logs
Date and time
Student
Moodle object
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Special Reports
Student progress
Photographs
Student
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Administrator Demo

• Harte-Hanks Online Learning Center

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Key Take-Aways

• Open Source is FREE
• Open Source is extensible
• Moodle will be to online learning what LINUX is
  to operating systems
• Moodle is flexible (based on social
  constructivism but fully amenable to independent
  learning)
• Moodle is easy to use for students, instructors,
  and administrators
• Contact ROI Learning if you need help ?

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Thank You

• Discussion / Questions?