Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Using Moodle to Develop Online Communities
Frances Long
Moodle Moot, New ZealandSeptember, 2007flong@knowplace.ca
It takes 5 .5 days to drive across our country & 3 days to drive north in British Columbia
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Quick Survey(show of hands)
How many people… Teach Online?Have designed an online course?Work in a virtual team environment?Are comfortable learning from your students?Are committed to life-long learning?
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For Our 45 Minutes Together
Ask questions,
and interrupt often!
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Topics
1. Community
2. Role
3. Case Study: the Moodle Community
4. Keys to Success
1. Community
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Talk & Share
People
Space
Your Online Community has 3 Parts
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Your Space
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Our Space
Is Virtual
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Online teaching and learning Communities
knowMOODLE.ca
knowCOACH.ca
knowSCHOOLS.ca
knowCAMPUS.ca
knowTIPS.ca
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One person to one person One person to many people Many people to one person Many people to many people
In Communities We Talk and Share
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Constructivism
Construct knowledge
Ask Questions
Get Answers
Jerome Bruner
Father of Constructivism Theory, 1914 -
Talk and Share
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Talk and Share
Asynchronous Communication
= Talk in delayed time
Synchronous Communication = Talk in real time
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Asynchronous Communication
Write …..
Hit send….
AND someone (or everyone) reads what you have written
Talk and Share
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Synchronous Chat programs
• typed words in real time,
• video, pictures
• sound!
Talk and Share
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With People!
Everyone active = success!
Technical Person Manager/Principal Members/students Moderator/teacher
2. Role
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Guide on the side~ NOT ~
Sage on the stage
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The Continuum -- Interchangeable Roles is Key
Live OnlineNervous
Comfortable Online Guide Others
ePeers & eMentors
People
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4 Roles1. Technical
Use different tools Try new activities Learn with members
2. Social Welcome and encourage members Guide your members
3. Intellectual Provide content and intellectual
information4. Organize
Discussions and information
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Technical Role1. There will always be
PROBLEMS2. Don’t be afraid to say you
don’t know something3. Let your students take the
lead4. Experiment with new tools
(eventually you’ll figure out they are all basically the same)
5. Make MANY Mistakes,6. Keep your sense of humour
Visit 3 or 4 times every day !
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Social RoleYou’re the gracious host. You:
Are likely the only person they’ll know
Create the safety Foster enjoyment for learning Connect similarities and
differences between people Provide a climate to make
mistakes
Visit 3 or 4 times every day !
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Intellectual Role
You …. Supply most of the content Engage others to contribute Direct them to find more
content Guide them to be responsible
for their own learning
Visit 3 or 4 times every day !
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The Organizing Role
People ask… Where’s … How do I find …. How do I do X….
Organize: Posts, Content, People
Visit 3 or 4 times every day !
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To organize YOU….Time Management
Cultural shift (you teach in small spurts of time 7 days a week) 3 – 4 times a day: M – F 2 x day on weekends
Work in teams Use a variety of active learning strategies (appeal
to different learning styles) Answer posts and emails rapidly (an hour being
frustrated is a long time online and things can blow up!)
3. Case Study: Moodle
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Online Space Requirements Exit Criteria
Quizzes Assessments Follow up statistics and reports
Programs, Courses & Activities
Discussions Group projects Self directed projects Polls Enrolment key protected Re-use some courses (eg: change dates) Track participants Rate activities Real-time Chats
Intake An easy way for people to join our activities Advertise activities site wide Calendar Course Descriptions, dates (visible to guests) Easy to open new courses Easy methods to take money
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We Chose Moodle for two reasons….
1. Robust community of programmers
2. Robust community of users
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Moodle gives to us
We give to Moodle
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You don’t just take from a community
You have to give back!
~ To keep it ALIVE ~
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We Actively Researched!
Free Support (Forums for new users): http://moodle.org/course/view.php?id=5
Documentation: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Main_Page
Issue Tracker: http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/Dashboard.jspa
Contribute Code: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Developer_documentation
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We give with our strengths
Working with People
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We Bring People Together F2F
F2F Moodle user meetings during other conferences (2003 -)
Moodle Moot (February, 2006)
Brought together the right partners to host FIRST Canadian MoodleMoot, May 2007
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We Bring People Together Online
Local Moodle discussions (eg: Rural Moodle Schools in BC)
Sandboxes (eg: university departments)
Host free & open weekends to help people facilitate with Moodle tools
Integrated a virtual component into apx. half of the FIRST Canadian MoodleMoot, May 2007
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We Develop Towards A Vision
Conduct Moodle presentations Opened knowMOODLE.ca
dedicated to all things Moodle Trying to Build a Support
Network for Canadians Apply for grants to conduct
Moodle professional developmentc
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Behind the Scenes Relationships
Partnership with OKTECH.ca
Alliance with Lambda Solutions
Work WITH our “competition”
Wait for the right people to join us
4. Keys To Success
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Relationship 1st / information 2nd
Moderator is the Guide not the expert Everyone contributes to the health of the activityWork together as a team
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Be able to say…~ I don’t know the answer ~
It all changes too quickly
Ask for help from your students/members/clients
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Be committed: check in to the course/community…
3 or 4 times a day Monday through Friday
2 times a day on weekends
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Keep your Sense of Humour