using moodle for openlearn
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Jenny Gray, Leading Technical Developer
openlearn, The Open University
7 May 2010
Using Moodle• VLE integration
– single code base– shared functionality
• Open content, open source philosophy • Good initial product
– Easy to set up– Simple content display– Easy to extend– Good basic tool set for learners
What’s core?• Core
– myLearningSpace (myMoodle)– Activities: quiz,glossary
• Contrib– Activities: questionnaire, blog, forum, wiki– YUI course menu block
Key setup changes• Authentication plug-in choice• Manual self-enrolment onto courses• Open to Google• Guest and authenticated user permissions
What’s not core?• Content discovery
– RSS feeds– Extra course metadata– Full-text search– Related resources block– Course ratings– Course tagging
• Search engine optimisation– Site map– Themes– Language changes
•
• OU systems– XML publishing and display– Authentication
• Supporting learners– FlashMeeting– Compendium– Activity reports
• Supporting teachers– Alternative formats block
Extra RSS feeds• Feed of all visible
courses in the site• Feed of all courses in
a category
Course tagging• Tag this course• Tag cloud at top level and
on each course home page
Related Educational Resources• 3 groups of links
– 2 controlled by us • OU links• OpenLearn links
– 1 user-generated
Extra course metadata• Extra fields in the course table
• Duration• Level
• Displayed on– Course and category index
pages– Course search results– Course home page
Course rating• Rate any course
• 5 * rating• Averaged for users• Link to course questionnaire
• Displayed on– Category index pages
Search Engine Optimisation• Open to more than just Google• Altered <title> tag structure in our themes• Unit tags and descriptions in <meta> in our themes• New URLs
– http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/Plate tectonics/S279_1 – XML Site map pushed to Google weekly
What’s reusable?• Moodle 2.?
– RSS feeds – Course tagging
• Contrib– FlashMeeting – Compendium – Related resources block
(maybe)– Course ratings
• Advice– Extra course metadata– Activity reports– Full-text search– Alternative formats– Themes– Language changes– Site map
Lessons learned – the good• Good framework to build on
– Plug-in infrastructure– Roles and permissions flexibility
• Good community– Plenty of support– developments coming “for free”– availability of lead developers to discuss plans– success in contributing back to core product
Lessons learned – the bad• Time consuming to keep up-to-date• Poor core code quality• Plug-in framework doesn’t always go far enough• Principles of openness not embedded