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Moodle and the L2 Classroom

Moodle and the L2 Classroom. Catherine Clements iTeach Workshop November 5, 2009. What is Moodle?. Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment! Open-Source CMS (Course Management System) Developed in Australia Competitor to WebVista/Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Sakai, etc.

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Moodle and the L2 Classroom

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  1. Moodle and the L2 Classroom Catherine Clements iTeach Workshop November 5, 2009

  2. What is Moodle? • Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment! • Open-Source CMS (Course Management System) • Developed in Australia • Competitor to WebVista/Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Sakai, etc.

  3. Differences between Moodle& WebVista • Format • Moodle -- outline format • WebVista -- folder format • This means better “movability” in Moodle • Easy & intuitive to move objects around on Moodle page • Interactive Tools • Moodle has many interactive tools allowing student collaboration • Multiple kinds types of forums • Different kinds of assignments & file uploading • Lessons • Ability to add RSS feeds, HTML blocks

  4. The Moodle Page

  5. Tools for the L2 Classroom • Content • Communication • Assessment • Mixed Moodle/On-Line Tools

  6. Content Tools • Uploading of Files • Very easy to upload course files/handouts • PowerPoint, Word, audio files from textbooks • Calendar • Appears in a separate block on the page. • Automatically shows students (and instructors) when on- and off-line assignments are due • Gradebook • Fully fledged

  7. The Gradebook

  8. Communication Tools • Forums • Used for back-and-forth written communication b/w students, instructors • Can be for general course announcements, and everyone can be subscribed via e-mail • Can be an assignment which is graded/rated by you (or other students) • Use these whenever you want students’ information to be seen by other students

  9. Forum Setup • Very intuitive

  10. Forum Setup • Make sure your instructions are very explicit

  11. Forum Finished Product • Allows back-and-forth communication between students

  12. How to Grade a Forum • You choose the grading scale • Scale of 1-10 • Not Satisfactory/Satisfactory/Outstanding • However, any feedback will be visible to other students • I use the Forum when I don’t want to leave explicit feedback on grammar, content, etc

  13. Forum Activity Ideas • Ask and answer • Students respond to a reading with one question they have about it. Then they answer their classmates’ questions about the reading. • Variations: Post your L2 reading strategies; brainstorm possible test questions

  14. Chat • Moodle has handy built-in chat feature • I use chat for on-line office hours • Activity idea: Have students chat with you or each other in lab, to practice their spontaneous L2 reading and writing • Teach L2 online slang to advanced students

  15. Glossaries • Create word list for semester • 1 per class, or 1 per student (or both) • Activities • Students extend words using “Reply” feature • Students use their or their classmates’ words in sentences/story • Students rate words based on usefulness; quiz/use most highly-rated words

  16. Glossaries

  17. Wimba • Suite of third-party Java-based voice-recording software tools • Podcaster, Voice Board, Voice E-mail • All asynchronous • Not real-time • Doesn’t need external hardware. Uses computer’s built-in or external microphone.

  18. Wimba • Podcaster • 1-way, web-based communication • Voice Board • 2-way, web-based communication • Voice E-mail • 1-way e-mail voice communication (sort of)

  19. Wimba activities are easyto add…

  20. … and set up • You specify variables like type of board (public or private), length of message, features • Then you record (or type) the prompt

  21. Wimba Activity Ideas • Voice Board • Students respond to a recorded prompt by answering a question, telling a story, using a target feature • You respond to students, and have them respond to your response telling you what they’ll improve next time • Students evaluate or respond to each other • Listen to their classmates’ recordings, name 3 things their classmates did well

  22. Wimba Activity Ideas cont’d • Podcaster • Dictation (combined with Assignment feature) • I use this with vocabulary words and concepts

  23. Wimba Activities cont’d • E-mail • Send a voice e-mail message to your whole class, instead of a text message

  24. Wimba & Gradebook • At this time, Wimba activities are not fed directly into the gradebook. You need to create the Wimba activity and create a separate offline activity to post the students’ grades for that activity. • This will be resolved in Moodle 2.0

  25. Lessons • Allow multi-page, in-depth lessons with multimedia, reading component, writing component, quizzes… • Good if you: • Are augmenting/replacing a textbook • Teach on-line regularly • Score feeds directly into gradebook

  26. Lessons

  27. Assessment Tools • Assignments • Quizzes

  28. Assignments • Offline • Use to post a due date and score for a paper test, presentation, or any assignment not completed on Moodle. • Grade goes directly into gradebook. • Due date is automatically added into Calendar

  29. Assignments • Online text • Students write directly in Moodle. You can give feedback in-line. • You can see at a glance who has completed an activity • Takes place of old “journal” feature.

  30. On-line Text

  31. Assignments • Uploading of files • Students upload a Word (or any type) of file • You see at a glance who’s submitted the assignment • You can specify a cutoff time and prevent late submissions

  32. Assignments • Quizzes • Many options for creating quizzes • Can create a test that’s a combo of questions • Scramble questions for less cheating • Provides detailed feedback • Tells you what % of respondents got a certain question right, which questions were hardest • Instantly tells you median/mean score • Allows you to tweak as you go • Can be self-grading • Can export quiz to other instructors

  33. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • YouTube • Embed videos into quizzes/online text/whatever • If you embed a video, students can watch it in same window as activity • Students watch a video, then comment on it/respond to it • Good for grammar, listening, media studies, culture …

  34. Moodle & YouTube

  35. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • Activity idea • Students watch a video using a target structure, then respond (in writing or on Wimba) using the target structure • Present Perfect with U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” • Modals with Oliver “I’d Do Anything”

  36. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • Pronunciation Practice using spoken/written on-line resources and Wimba • Students read and listen to a native speaker, then imitate that speaker • Activity idea: find a spoken and written bit of speech from a native speaker. Have students listen to whole speech, then choose a reasonable chunk (6 lines) to listen to and then record in Wimba.

  37. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • Media Mill for self-assessment • Record students’ in-class presentations. • Upload video to MediaMill • MediaMill is U of M’s dedicated audio/video server. • Post link in Moodle. • Students assess their own (and others’) presentations.

  38. Moodle & MediaMill

  39. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • DiLL files • Students record their DiLL conversations from Lab • I download DiLL files as MP3s, then upload them into Wimba • DiLL files are longer and less practiced than at-home Wimba files • Students listen to their DiLL conversations, and assess

  40. Moodle Integration with Other On-line Resources • Blogs, outside content can be linked to easily via HTML blocks • RSS Feeds are easy to integrate

  41. A Few Caveats • Moodle connection can time out, especially on wi-fi. Make sure students know this before (and while) doing long assignments. Hi kate , I spend long time to do the homework about Halloween listen assignment which should watch 3 cartoon and answer questions.I almost read each video over ten times in order to finish each question.when I already done most of them , I remembered I just leave 2 blank , and Iclick the "save without submitting" icon in order to get a short break. Then the horrible thing happen! The new screen coming up not as I think, it is the" login in "screen !!After I input name and password , All the answer I previously wrote has gone! There is a new blank screen without any answer! I am so crazy! OMGOK....... This letter just is a release of my emotion, I just want to say this with you.I will still go on to finished it.So faint.

  42. Caveats, cont’d • Wimba -- make sure students set up microphone correctly, using the built-in Setup Wizard. • Sometimes Wimba will record so faintly that it’s inaudible

  43. General Caveats & Conclusion • Make sure assignments look real. • Some students have preconception that on-line learning isn’t as valid as classroom learning. • Make no assumptions about your students’ aptitude for Moodle • Have extra activities planned for lab • Not everything needs to be digitized • Sometimes paper and pencil is best • Used judiciously, Moodle will enrich your and your students’ language learning experience.

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