210 likes | 382 Views
Open Source Projects e.g. Moodle. June 1, 2005. Barron Koralesky Macalester College. Barry Bandstra Hope College. Outline . Open source solutions What is Moodle, why use it? Institutional case studies Hope College Macalester College MITC, open source, & collaboration Discussion.
E N D
Open Source Projects e.g. Moodle June 1, 2005 Barron Koralesky Macalester College Barry Bandstra Hope College
Outline • Open source solutions • What is Moodle, why use it? • Institutional case studies • Hope College • Macalester College • MITC, open source, & collaboration • Discussion
Open Source Learning Management Systems (LMS) What is open source & what is an LMS? • How does it differ from commercial models? • Cost • Control • What are examples of open source LMS systems? • Why open source for higher education?
Why use an LMS? • Promotes active learning • Accessibility (reserve readings) • Reusability • Extend the course outside of the classroom • Because millennial students want/expect it • Incoming faculty expect a LMS • Reduce photocopy and duplicating costs • Because everyone's doing it?
What is Moodle? • Name - Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment • Moodle - v. to lazily meander through something • Developer - Martin Dougiamas • Appeared August 2002 • Guiding philosophy - Social constructivism
Why consider the Moodle open source LMS? • Advantages • Cost (no licensing restrictions) • Linux/Win/Mac, Apache, mySQL, PHP • Configurability • Very active developer community • Driven by educators • Very active user (help) community
Why consider an open source LMS? • Potential challenges? • Institutional buy-in • Faculty • IT • Credibility • Installation • Faculty training • Operational support and help desk • Integrating LMS with other campus data systems
Functionality & Use • Syllabus tools (calendaring) – fluid syllabus • Communication tools (mailing lists, discussion forums, journals, course notices, file/link dispersal) – enhanced connection to students • Assessment and evaluation tools (quizzes, surveys, grade book, polls) • Formative & evaluative assessments • Enable student self-assessment • Assignments • Glossaries
Functionality & Use • Syllabus tools (calendaring) – fluid syllabus
Functionality & Use • Communication tools
Functionality & Use • Assessment and evaluation tools
Case Study – Hope College • Inception • Needed a platform for teaching Hebrew, but Hope had no LMS, and no plans to get one • Gestation • MITC-ITLAC symposium was the opportunity to hear about CMS and institutional experiences (primarily no CMS, some Blackboard & WebCT) • Experimentation • Searched the web, found possibilities • Hope's computing department allowed me to "play with" a number of open source projects • Piloted Moodle in religion courses (Spring 2003).
Case Study – Hope College • Campus pilot project (Fall 2003) • All-campus resource (Spring 2004) and why it has been so well received • Will be the delivery platform for summer 2006 online courses
Case Study – Macalester • Macalester had no LMS (2003-2004) • Instructional technologists saw need • Heard about Moodle from MITC colleagues & MITC itself • Free software, desktop hardware, allowed instructional techs to run pilot (2004-05) • Pilot pedagogically-focused faculty workshops with faculty development center and early adopter faculty B.K.
Case Study – Macalester • First semester • 25 faculty, 400 students, 35 courses • Second semester • 80 faculty, 1,200 students, 90 courses • Macalester ~1,800 FTE • Full support starting fall 2005 • Central IT server administration • Accounts linked to central systems • Courses/enrollment linked to registrar data
MITC, Open Source, & Collaborations • MITC collaborations • Liaison meetings • ITLAC symposia • Helps overcome our natural isolation & limited resources • MITC hosted projects • LMSs • Moodle, CHEF • Digital Asset Management • ContentDM
1/3 MITC Colleges using Moodle • Albion • Beloit • Earlham • Hope • Lake Forest • Lawrence University • Macalester • St. Olaf
MITC, Open Source, & Collaborations • MITC provides informal Moodle support • CMS mailing list • Moodle users chimed in • Discussions of campus adoption of CMS • Discussions about some issues, i.e. FERPA compliance • Call for collaboration • Improving use • Extending functionality
Collaboration Case Study • Mac helped Beloit with server choice & configuration • Heard of us and others through MITC • Existing relationships with colleagues • MITC server + local server • Macalester took workshop to Beloit • Macalester workshop in development • MITC funded travel expenses • MITC staff attended & assisted • Beloit expanding Moodle campus wide
Questions? Comments?Discussion? Barry Bandstra bandstra@hope.edu Barron Koralesky koralesky@macalester.edu