Creator: Wendi South Diffusion and Integration of Technology in Education.

THE MOXY OF MOODLE

Creator: Wendi South

Diffusion and Integration of

Technology in Education

WELCOME MCCSC SCHOOL BOARD

Wendi South

7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher at Batchelor Middle School

Currently pursuing PhD. in Educational Technology

IS THERE A NEED FOR NEW INNOVATION IN BATCHELOR MIDDLE SCHOOL?

Have you ever wished that there was a place where students could gather to review work and ideas before submitting?

Have you ever wished that you could have a flexible enough class schedule so you could attend when it was convenient for you?

Have you ever wished to provide for your students and educators a platform for collaboration and interaction outside of a bricks and mortar classroom?

If you answered YES to any of these questions then Moodle might be just what you need.

WHAT IS MOODLE?

WHERE DID MOODLE ORIGINATE?

Creator: Martin Dougiamas When: 2002 How: Dougiamas started a Ph.D. to

examine "The use of Open Source software to support a social constructionist epistemology of teaching and learning within Internet-based communities of reflective inquiry". *

Purpose: to help educators create online courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

PHILOSOPHY

The five key principles about learning on which Moodle has been and will continue to be developed.

1 We are all potential teachers as well as learners.2 We learn well by creating and expressing for others.3 We learn a lot by watching others.4 Understanding others transforms us.5 We learn well when the learning environment is

flexible and adaptable to suit our needs. *

* http://www.moodle.org

THE MOODLE EXPERIENCE

DEVELOPMENT

Problems faced during development

The need to de-emphasize individualization and emphasize collaboration

The need for more interactive input from the educator

DEVELOPMENT

Some problems that were experienced during development were overcome by

Allowing users to help create the code

Providing a community for users to discuss benefits and bugs

Emphasizing strong security

Being a translucent and open process

DEVELOPMENT

The initial audience for Moodle was educators who wanted collaboration, interaction, and a depository for material.

Today all facets of education use Moodle: colleges, middle schools, high schools, and individuals.

COMMERCIALIZATION

There is no “thing” that has to be marketed.

There must be change agents that are willing to put their ideas into practice to prove that Moodle can be a profitable innovation.

COMMERCIALIZATION

COMMERCIALIZATION

Innovation- DecisionProcess

KNOWLEDGE- 2002

PERSUASION- Features of Moodle:

Assignment moduleChat moduleChoice moduleForum moduleGlossary moduleLesson moduleQuiz moduleResource moduleSurvey moduleWiki moduleWorkshop module

DECISION According to http://www.moodle.org:

The design and development of Moodle has been guided by a social constructionist theory and practice of teaching and learning.

“You are allowed to copy, use and modify Moodle provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not modify or remove the original license and copyrights, and apply this same license to any derivative work.” *

*http://docs.moodle.org/en/Philosophy

IMPLEMENTATION-

possibilities:Online coursesHybrid coursesIndividual and group

activities

CONFIRMATION

RATE OF ADOPTION OF MOODLE Innovators and Early Adopters

Technology DirectorTechnology educatorsContent Area educators

Strategies to Encourage AdoptionProvide research to support its use to increase

performance Provide practical yet creative ways that Moodle

can be utilized inside and outside the classroom.

Provide technical support for problems and questions

RATE OF ADOPTION Laggards

Teachers close to retirementTeachers who enter education late in life

Strategies to Encourage AdoptionProvide one on one or small group training Pair up laggards with someone who is eager to

use technology.

ATTRIBUTES TO REACH CRITICAL MASS OF MOODLE IN EDUCATION Relative Advantage

Provide data that Moodle is just as, if not more, effective in interacting and collaborating in the virtual world.

Determine if it has longevityDetermine if it is rational

ATTRIBUTES TO REACH CRITICAL MASS OF MOODLE IN EDUCATION Complexity

Easy to create and navigateEarly adopters can be “pilot-ers” for later

adoptersEarly adopters can provide support to guide

later adopters Supports individual and group activitiesUpgrades and innovations available without

costly feesAbility to create and customize themes

ATTRIBUTES TO REACH CRITICAL MASS OF MOODLE Observability

Must demonstrate observable advantages for implementation

With performance being measured, degree of student engagement, collaboration, and participant interaction need to be observable

DECENTRALIZED DIFFUSION SYSTEMWhy

Innovators of Moodle could be trained and placed at various schools to spread the knowledge faster.

Who Teachers who are knowledgeable about technology and are eager to learn the different ways to implement technology in the classroom. Administrators at the school level could be in on who would be able to assist in choosing the best change agent for each school.

DECENTRALIZED DIFFUSION SYSTEM

Role of Change Agent

Persuading peers that Moodle would make their job easier and streamlined at a time when more responsibility is being added.

Provide support for early adopters so they can support late adopters of Moodle.

Providing examples that will increase student engagement and learning.

Aid in problems or questions that may arise in the early stages of adoption. A manual should be created based on problems encountered and how they were resolved.

ONGOING SUPPORT

Instill a desire to adopt Moodle based on benefits that are demonstrated during training.

Post examples of new Moodle courses that are being created to keep the interest of Moodle in the forefront of change agents’ minds.

Provide follow up training and sharing sessions for change agents.

Foster collaboration of Moodle users to support one another so that adoption will not be for a short period but a sustained adoption to last.

CRITICAL MASS OF MOODLE How can critical mass be reached?

In education to have universal adoption of a new technology it is best to get leaders in the schools on board that will use their influence to persuade others to adopt new ways of doing tasks.

Implying that Moodle will eventually be required would persuade some to adopt faster so that they will be ready and knowledgeable when wide spread adoption is not an option.