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Moodle, A Freely Available Open Source Virtual Learning Environment....but what are the actual costs?

Moodle, A Freely Available Open Source Virtual Learning Environment....but what are the actual costs?. Eric D Clarke; Claire Doody; Ruaidhri McVey Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland MedBiquitous Annual Conference May 13-15, 2008 Baltimore, Maryland. Overview What is Moodle? Actual costs

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Moodle, A Freely Available Open Source Virtual Learning Environment....but what are the actual costs?

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  1. Moodle, A Freely Available Open Source Virtual Learning Environment....but what are the actual costs? Eric D Clarke; Claire Doody; Ruaidhri McVey Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland MedBiquitous Annual Conference May 13-15, 2008 Baltimore, Maryland

  2. Overview • What is Moodle? • Actual costs • Hidden costs • (The Moodle effect, parts 1, 2, 3……) • Future costs

  3. My VLE is bigger than your VLE. My open source platform has more potential than yours. I am really tired of the rhetoric and really ready for collaborative learning platforms. Dispatches From the Course-Management Wars EDUCAUSE, Seattle, October 07 - Josh Fischman Blackboard Biggest booth Angel Learning “We’re kind of the upstarts” Desire2Learn Touting an oxygen bar at their booth Desire2Learn skirmishing with Blackboard in the exhibit hall, with lawyers seeking to collect evidence that the bigger company may be engaging in unfair competitive practices

  4. Major market share? Moodle.org • Sites: 35,143 • Users: 14,920,616 • Community members: 335,971 Size matters? (BRNO University, CZ) • Courses: 19,223 • Users: 41,305

  5. Law Society Of Ireland

  6. 1000 Users 750 users Since October 2005 500 users 5200 users

  7. What’s going on? Content Academic (Basic and enhanced) Admin information Communication Assessment (Formative and summative) 300 MCQs live now Group assessments Wikis Assignments (Clinical case uploads) 30,000 since Jan 07

  8. Social uses 20,000 IMs per month

  9. Support costs Third party support€50k pa 4 Moodle sites • 1 site pending Providing… Knowledge base Disaster recovery Developments (SMS) Code “fixes”

  10. Costs HEAnet Services €55k pa Network connection Server/back up €30k User support €?

  11. We took a terrifying step…….. We asked the students what they thought! The Moodle effect part 1

  12. Maybe its required actionthat scared us! We need 24/7 support technical support Moodle is ugly Too much dependence on Moodle It’s a ‘dumping ground’ for information Becoming a valid excuse for students who should be spending time on wards

  13. “I feel like I am Married to Moodle” How much space is there in a medical student’s head? What is the cost to the student if we try to overfill their head?

  14. Peripheral hospitals “To ensure proper use of Moodle and online resources students need consistent and reliable internet access on all RCSI sites. We need reliable connections!”

  15. Wifi in 11 Clinical teaching sites €30k Cannot cover everywhere! 3G on all student laptops? €20 per month per students

  16. Laptop ownership scheme • Before Moodle laptop use was “optional” • Heavy reliance on Moodle in clinical years • Clinical case uploads, MCQs • Elective sign ups • Video grand rounds/lectures • “My four year old laptop is not up to the job”

  17. Laptop ownership scheme • Review of laptop scheme €700K • Standard PC on entry • Tablet PC year 3 to 4 Can I have it in Red?

  18. Moodle effect - Part 2 • Research (Funding) • Dedicated departmental staff and time? • All staff taking ownership of content? • Moodle administration • Dedicated Moodle development team

  19. Moodle effect - Part 3 • Higher “production values” and costs • Tools/training for staff • Camtasia • Audacity • Online assessment techniques • Group based learning • eModerating skills • Move away from traditional teaching techniques • Pre-clinical online courses

  20. Student Management System Curriculum Mapping ePortfolio New ventures Competency Tracking Quality Assurance Future costs

  21. Future costs • RCSI has made 27 code changes to core Moodle code • All these will need to be coded to Version 1.9 • And all subsequent upgrades! • This all costs €600 a day!!

  22. What does Moodle really cost? TANSTAAFL There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch Robert A. Heinlein

  23. “He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.” Sir William Osler Thank you for your time and attention Any questions?

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