Presentation to the SUNY Delhi MoodleMoot on 7 August 2009

1. Migrating to Moodle: Faculty, Student and Technology Perspectives Keith Landa Purchase College SUNY http://www.slideshare.net/keith.landa What? Why? How?

2. Learning management system (LMS) Virtual learning environment (VLE) Open source - Created by ed, for ed Moodle community - http:// moodle.org Pedagogical origins - Focus on student learning - Emphasis on activities and student engagement International

7. LMS review @ Purchase (idealized) Fall 2008 : establish faculty task force; faculty survey of desired features; selection criteria (teaching/learning tools, tech support, cost); sandbox for each alternative LMS; compare representative demo courses; recommendation to faculty Spring 2009 : establish production system; communications plan; pedagogy/training workshops; JIT tutorials; course conversion assistance Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : course conversion and course prep Fall 2009 : migration to new LMS complete

8. LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20); student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

10. Faculty qualitative responses Blackboard likes : announcements; document storage/delivery; not having to photocopy materials; easy to navigate / simple interface; available to students anywhere; discussion forums; gradebook; “nothing to like about it” Blackboard dislikes : too static; clunky interface; too many clicks to do anything; enrolling students; entering grades; difficult to format and add forum posts; can’t upload multiple documents; cumbersome assignments and quizzes; doesn’t handle media files well; no blogs & wikis Blackboard wishes : reuse courses easily; blogs & wikis; TurnItIn; more user-friendly discussion forums; merge Blackboard and ERes; better quiz functionality; more integrated listserv, Blackboard, ERes functions; interface with ArtSTOR and EmbARK

11. Faculty Blackboard uses

13. LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20); student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

16. n=94 n=93

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21. Student comments http://www.wordle.net

22. n=95

23. LMS review @ Purchase (realized) Fall 2008 : faculty task force established (yes); faculty survey (yes); selection criteria (ambivalence among task force); no formal recommendation to faculty by end of semester Spring 2009 : production system established; pilot Moodle courses (~20) ; student survey (key driver); ongoing communication; development of general sense among faculty that ‘we’re going with Moodle’…. Context : faculty dissatisfaction with Blackboard; superficial use of LMS; escalating costs Summer 2009 : summer faculty workshop series (new); course conversion and course prep; consolidation of electronic reserves into Moodle courses Fall 2009/Spring 2010 : transition year; one more year of Blackboard; faculty encouraged/assisted to move courses to Moodle; ongoing Moodle workshops; termination of Blackboard at end of year

24. Why Moodle @ Purchase? Focus on teaching & learning - Robust set of activities & resources - Add-on modules from the community - Moodle development pathway Costs - No licensing costs - Similar support costs Risk management - Risks of open source - Commercial products have different risks Integration - Other systems - Web 2.0 world Flexible open architecture

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