Book Image

Moodle 1.9 Teaching Techniques

Book Image

Moodle 1.9 Teaching Techniques

Overview of this book

Moodle is the world's most popular, free open-source Learning Management System (LMS). It is vast and has lots to offer. More and more colleges, universities, and training providers are using Moodle, which has helped revolutionize e-learning with its flexible, reusable platform and components. It works best when you feel confident that the tools you have at hand will allow you to create exactly what you need.This book brings together step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions and learning theory to give you new tools and new power with Moodle. It will show you how to connect with your online students, and how and where they develop an enthusiastic, open, and trusting relationship with their fellow students and with you, their instructor. With this book, you'll learn to get the best from Moodle.This book helps you develop good, solid, dynamic courses that will last by making sure that your instructional design is robust, and that they are built around satisfying learning objectives and course outcomes. With this book, you'll have excellent support and step-by-step guidance for putting together courses that incorporate your choice of the many features that Moodle offers. You will also find the best way to create effective assessments, and how to create them for now and in the future. The book will also introduce you to many modules, which you can use to make your course unique and create an environment where your students will get maximum benefit. In addition, you will learn how you can save time and reuse your best ideas by taking advantage of Moodle's unique features.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
Moodle 1.9 Teaching Techniques
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewer
Preface
Index

Guiding and motivating students


The best online courses create learning communities in which all learners have a sense that they are part of a friendly, supportive group. They eagerly post in the forums, and they respond to each other quickly in a positive and productive way. They share their thoughts, impressions, and one starts to feel as though people are really getting to know each other. Learning is fun, even exhilarating. Some students can't wait to log on and participate.

Creating the learning environment

There are a few tried and tested ways to optimize the interactive forum experience. Here is a brief list:

  • Provide timely feedback and make sure that you maintain a positive and productive tone

  • Be sure to provide positive, encouraging suggestions

  • Post questions that are engaging and which tie to learning objectives

  • Encourage individuals to connect the course material to personal experience, and then post about it

  • Make participation in the forums a part of the students' grades

  • Model positive...