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Teaching with Moodle in a Multipoint E-learning Environment. Kazunori Nozawa Ritsumeikan University, Japan nozawa@is.ritsumei.ac.jp. At-a-Glance. A multipoint environment solution for distance intra-communication Brief review of Social Constructionist Pedagogy
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Teaching with Moodle in a Multipoint E-learning Environment Kazunori Nozawa Ritsumeikan University, Japan nozawa@is.ritsumei.ac.jp
At-a-Glance • A multipoint environment solution for distance intra-communication • Brief review of Social Constructionist Pedagogy • Moodle as a good e-learning environment • Two graduate classes at an independent Ritsumeikan University Graduate School • SLEIS (Studies in Language Education and Information Science) IV • ICC (Intercultural Communication) II AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
A part of the multipoint Environment Originating Site RU Biwako Kusatsu Campus (Shiga) ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ RU Kinugawa Campus → Osaka Satellite (Kyoto) ← Office (Osaka) AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Specifications • Maximum of 42 Windows PCs at CALL Labs for each campus • Hitachi Multi-point Video-Conferencing System with own direct network connections + the Internet • Moodle on my own Windows 2000 server AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
E-learning Platform(CMS, LMS, VLE, OTF) • WebCT • BlackBoard ↓ • No budget! • Can not persuade your bosses AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Open-SourceCMS • GNU-based free software • Claroline • The Manhattan Virtual Classroom • A-Tutor • Xoops • WebOCM • Moodle AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Software Reviews • Edutools • http://edutools.info/course/index.jsp • TESL-EJ vol. 7. No. 2 • http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/information/tesl-ej/ej26/m2.html • XPLANA • http://www.xplana.com AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
What’s Moodle? • Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment • Developed by Martin Dougiamas in August, 2002 • 167 countries • 18652 registered sites (As of Nov. 28, 2006) AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Moodle: Features • Martin Dougiamas developed Moodle for educators from the beginning under a philosophy so-called social constructionist pedagogy • CALL Researchers and practioners in the world have been participating in the further development and improvement of Moodle in a collaborative style. • Teachers/practioners are NOT required to have advanced knowledge and skills while Moodle is easy to use and stable. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Social Constructionist Pedagogy • Constructivism • Knowledge is created through the interaction with the environment. • Constructionism • Learning effectiveness can be observed when something is usefully created for people. • Social Constructivism • Movement toward a whole community forms culture and meaningfulness. • Connected Behavior • Thoughtful actions stimulate learning. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Moodle: Features • Moodleis multilingual and many languages can be used. Problems for displaying two-byte languages such as Japanese have been solved in March 2004 with English(en_jp) language package. • Although the log-in check is done by e-mail account and course key (password), you can use it as a guest under the limitation. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Moodle: Features • Posted information in forums is automatically sent to registered people by email. • The participants’ activities can be understood by reading “recent activities” • Posted information in forums are displayed in layers so that you can read it without clicking each title and understand the relations among articles. • Posted information and mails are basically provided with the sender’s photo so that more realistic communication is done. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Moodle: Features • With the tracking function, all of each student’s learning processes can be traced. • Quizzes and questionnaires can be easily made, answered on line, and automatically calculated. Hot Potatoes exercises can also be provided. In addition, modules for attendance, calendar, resources, chat, Wiki, etc. are preset and usable while new modules are being developed. • Search function can be used to collect necessary contents, articles, mails, and individual student’s information. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Moodle is a solution • To provide a common e-learning or communication platform in a multipoint environment • To allow only students who enroll for a particular course • To motivate students in a different style of learning or presenting their ideas to share without any hesitation • To provide downloadable e-documents to students without having printing and shipping them out in advance AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV • To lecture CALL theories and practical approaches with updated ICT in English • To provide a reviewing chance on software or courseware and an academic journal article • To experience a peer-to-peer online evaluation • To discuss the related topics in a forum format for mutual understanding • To provide an experience as a multimedia project for teaching a foreign language and culture AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
SLEIS IV • To participate in either online or offline tasks of the course, the upper intermediate level of computer literacy is required. Some students sometimes have struggled to complete their specific IT tasks, but they managed to complete them in their own way. • The number of the enrollment was unfortunately small (7 in 2003; 5 in 2004; 6 in 2005; 2 in 2006) because technical topics are covered in English. There is a possibility to change the instructional language into Japanese in the future. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 • To provide the basics of NVC as a part of intercultural communication study • To enhance cultural awareness of the students • To review Japanese behavioral problems in communication and seek for more efficient ways to communicate with non-Japanese • To apply NVC features for language teaching and learning AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
ICC 2 AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Conclusion • There are many advantages to use Moodle as a common platform in a tertiary education setting, in particular in a multipoint e-learning environment. • There are still some unknown functions or unused modules of Moodle, it is quite ideal for the author to use Moodle for teaching and sharing information purposes. • The author will continue to teach both SLEIS and IC2 or conduct collaborative research projects with a more stable and updated version of Moodle and try for an efficient, communicative way to interact with students. AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Selected References • Brandl, Klaus. (2005). Are you ready to “Moodle”? Language learning and technology, 9(2), 16-23. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2006 from http://llt.msu.edu/vol9num2/ review1/ • Gonzalez, Dafne. (2005). Blended learning offers the best of both worlds, Essential teacher, TESOL, December, 42-45. • Hinkelman, Don. (2005). Blended learning : Issues driving an end to laboratory-based CALL, JALT Hokkaido journal, 9, 17-31. • Robb, Thomas N. (2004). Moodle: A virtual learning environment for the rest of us. TESL-EJ, 8(2) Retrieved Nov. 3, 2006 from http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/ information/ tesl-ej/ej30/m2.html. • Harashima, Hideto. (2004a). "A blended learning environment using Moodle" Collected Papers, 2004 National Conference of The Japan Association for Language Education & Technology. July 28-30, 2004. 181-184. • Harashima, Hideto. (2004b). "Creating a blended learning environment using Moodle" The Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of Japan Society of Educational Technology, September 23-25, 2004. 241-242. • Melton, Jay. (2004). The CMS moodle: A heuristic evaluation. Retrieved on Nov. 7, 2006 from http://jklmelton.net/2004/jaltcall/ AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia
Contact Info. Snail Mail: Prof. Kazunori Nozawa, College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577 Japan E-mail: nozawa@is.ritsumei.ac.jp HP: http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/is/~nozawa/index.html AsiaCALL 2006 at UPM in Malaysia