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= Teaching and Training with Moodle  =


 * PLEASE NOTE: This wiki was created by Marlene Manto for a specific purpose. The site is NOT being maintained so please be aware that information and/or links may be out of date. **

Introduction
media type="youtube" key="nWPI35WGsTc?fs=1" height="366" width="449" align="right" The Moodle learning management system is an ideal platform for the delivery of training. It is relatively easy to use, it provides 24/7 access to resources and training, student activity can be monitored and tracked, it allows formative assessment via quizzes, it encourages extended work via additional enrichment activities and other tools and technologies integrate well eg video, audio, Toolbox learning objects etc.

Everyone has to experiment and learn the 'nuances' of Moodle and online training, however once you are experienced and are using it to teach students, it is important to ask yourself these questions:
 * Are my students interacting with each other (as they would in a classroom).....or only with the computer?
 * Is the learning engaging and interesting....or is it just a list of links?
 * Am I actually teaching....or only providing resources?
 * Do my students feel supported....or do they feel they are studying alone?

Let me introduce you to a number of people who were keen to enhance their student's learning experience, and found that sometimes, the simplest solutions can make a big difference....

Issues and Solutions

 * [[image:21stcenturytraining/hairdresser.jpg width="79" height="151" align="left"]] Susan’s issue: Wanting her online students to feel as much a 'part of a group', as her classroom students. **

Susan made it a requirement of the course that new students post some information about themselves in their profile, and encouraged the uploading of a profile photo by modelling this behaviour herself. She created a forum called 'Introductions' and asked that all students post to this forum, introducing themselves and also adding something of interest eg 'something that your work colleagues don't know about you'. Importantly, she modelled this herself. Susan also encouraged the students to respond to the posting of another student. All of this ensured that they communicated and got to know each other as 'people'.
 * Solution:** Profiles, photos, introductions and icebreakers
 * Resources:** Building Community (a video), Icebreaker Ideas and Not Another Icebreaker (an article)

** Kristina’s issue: Needing to make what may be perceived as a boring topic, seem a little more interesting....**

YouTube is a video sharing website which allows users to locate existing videos, upload their own, and share videos with others. There is an amazing amount of instructional material including an Education section. Kristina needed to 'pep up' the topic 'Rehabilitation in Sports Medicine' so she embedded the video Funny Sports Bloopers onto the front of the Moodle, and injected some humour to introduce the topic. :-)
 * Solution:** YouTube
 * Resources:** How to embed a Youtube video into a Moodle (video tutorial). Examples of what you can find on the **[|YouTube website]** are: How to tie a sling, Sales Tips - Open and Closed Questions How to use a bandsaw or Internet Safety for Teens. In fact, start your search with the words 'How to...' and you will be surprised what you find.

** Janice’s issue: Ensuring that her students thought of her as a 'real person', and felt connected and supported in their studies**.

Janice added her photo and contact details right on the front of the Moodle, and linked it to a video (or audio) welcome message. She also announced that Friday afternoon was time she allocated for 'being in front of the computer', and that she would have the chat room open if anyone had any questions or would like to chat about their studies.
 * Solution:** Photo, welcome message (video/audio) and chat.
 * Resources:** Building Community in the Online Classroom (an article), How to open a Chat Room (video demonstration), Ideas for Building community (video presentation)


 * [[image:21stcenturytraining/photographer.jpg width="114" height="124" align="left"]] Matt’s issue: Wanting to make his Moodle and other resources less 'text-based', and needing to find (usable and free) images and photos. **

Matt wanted to enhance his printed materials, Powerpoints and Moodle course so that it included more graphics (as in this example), however he knew that he needed to be careful about copyright. Flickr provided the means as it is possible to search only for Creative Commons licensed photos. He also wanted a place to //store// photos so that they could be embedded in his Moodle course as a Photo Gallery.
 * Solution:** Flickr[[image:21stcenturytraining/Flickr.jpg align="right" link="@http://www.flickr.com/"]]
 * Resources** - 'How to use Flickr' (video tutorial) How To Search & Credit Properly-Licensed Photos On Flick (article), 7 things you should know about...Flickr (PDF document) or Photo sharing With Flickr.com (a simple one-pager about Flickr)

** Alice’s issue: Turning her Moodle course's 'scroll of death' into something more attractive and easy to navigate...more like a web page.**

Alice's students were complaining that the online course was nothing but a //very// long list of links and resources, so Alice decided to spend some time rearranging the content so that it didn't all appear on the front page. She found she needed to make some decisions about what was //essential// information, what was //useful//, and what was just '//nice to have//', and make decisions about how they appeared in her course.
 * Solution:** Alter the instructional design
 * Resources:** Unmoodling Your Moodle (a presentation), Ideas to Defeat the Scroll of Death (a forum discussion). Think Outside the Square with Moodle (a recorded Elluminate presentation)


 * [[image:http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/5530226581_4fba8f7070_t.jpg align="left"]] Vicki’s issue: Counteracting the isolation that students were feeling, and providing 'real-time' support and instruction.[[image:21stcenturytraining/Skype.jpg width="93" height="56" align="right" link="@http://www.skype.com/"]] **

Skypeis a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet and 'see' when someone is online. A Skype communication can be as simple as a quick text message, or it can use audio or video - Vicki used it to provide a closer level of support for struggling students. WizIQ is a web-conferencing platform which can provide a rich 'real-time' environment incorporating text, audio, video plus a whiteboard and other tools. WizIQ is not free however something similar (Elluminate) is available from the We Collaborate site which is a free license for only 3 users - but it allowed Vicki to bring 1 or 2 students in for some extra help.
 * Solution:** Skype and/or WizIQ
 * Resources** - 'Making a video call with Skype' (video tutorial), [|Using Skype in the Classroom (or just learning how to use it!)] (blog posting) and Elluminate Practice Area.

** Rob's issue: Rob felt that his Moodle course was only 'one-way' - he provided the resources and the students (sometimes) used them .**

Create activities that encourage students to interact, create, communicate and have choices. Moodle has many rich resources and the use of Forums, Chat, Choice, Glossary, Webquests, Wikis, Gallery etc can make a real difference. Rob also investigated external Web 2.0 tools that could be integrated into Moodle such as Voicethread (for audio), Voki (for animations) and Wallwisher (for a noticeboard).
 * Solution:** Make it less like a 'resource-holder', and include more interaction.
 * Resources:** 47 Interesting Ways to Use Moodle to Support Learning (presentation), 10 Things you can do with a Moodle webpage (blog posting) and Best Ways of Using Moodle (presentation)

** Nancy’s issue: Finding suitable and engaging resources to embed into her Moodle course**.

The Toolbox Repository is a gateway to online training resources.It's like a 'Google' for learning objects (click here for definition) which allows trainers to access more than 2,500 quality, copyright cleared, (mostly) free online learning resources.
 * Solution**: Toolbox Repository
 * Resources**: Examples: Lead and support your team, Emergency procedures in the workplace, Orientation to aged care work or Drive a Forklift (Have a go at Task 3: Pick up, Move and Stack a Pallet).

Slideshare is a site which allows the uploading and sharing of presentations eg. PowerPoints, as well as the ability to add audio to make a ‘webinar’! An uploaded Powerpoint is allocated both a unique web address as well as 'embed code' which can be used to embed it right into the Moodle, so that it is both visible and usable without having to leave the Moodle site.
 * [[image:http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1159/5114539398_dd12b11a1a_t.jpg width="89" height="125" align="left"]] John’s issue: Needing to have his Powerpoint slides available for review after a classroom session, and also for those who couldn't attend. **
 * Solution**: **SlideShare**
 * Resources:** Examples of Slideshare presentationsincluding Death by PowerPoint....a must see. :-)

** Jurgen’s issue: Jurgen hates having to mark assignments! Especially when they are pages and pages of written material which he needs to read. **

Jurgen hated marking written assignments, and the students hated writing them, so for at least //some// assessments, Jurgen decided to utilise other technologies and give his students a choice. They could write a traditional paper if they chose, however he also encouraged them to consider //alternative// ways of demonstrating their knowledge and understanding. Some of these alternatives might be a video created with MovieMaker, a wiki site using Wikispaces, a Slideshare presentation, or a digital story made with PhotoStory3.So much more engaging for students, and so much more interesting for Jurgen to evaluate!
 * Solution**: Give alternative choices
 * Resources:** Student Involved Assessment (an article), E-assessment: challenges and solutions (Framework research), E-assessment and the AQTF (Framework research)

Logo created with: www.cooltext.com All photos are CC licensed Flickr photos:
 * Acknowledgements:**
 * Kristina: Photo by Christiana Care
 * Rob: Photo by KOMUnews
 * Vicki: Photo by FletcherPrince
 * Susan:Photo by Mark Emery Photography
 * Nancy: Photo by michale
 * Jurgen: Photo by Analia Manetta
 * Matt: Photo by xJasonRogersx
 * Alice: Photo by Old Shoe Woman
 * Janice: Photo by Old Shoe Woman
 * John: Photo by marcusjroberts