Using Moodle to Develop Online Communities Frances Long Moodle Moot, New Zealand September, 2007 It takes 5.5 days to drive across our country & 3 days to drive north in British Columbia

Quick Survey (show of hands) How many people…  Teach Online?  Have designed an online course?  Work in a virtual team environment?  Are comfortable learning from your students?  Are committed to life-long learning?

For Our 45 Minutes Together Ask questions, and interrupt often!

Topics 1.Community 2.Role 3.Case Study: the Moodle Community 4.Keys to Success

1. Community

Your Online Community has 3 Parts

Your Space

Our Space Is Virtual

Online teaching and learning Communities knowMOODLE.ca knowCOACH.ca knowSCHOOLS.ca knowCAMPUS.ca knowTIPS.ca

 One person to one person  One person to many people  Many people to one person  Many people to many people In Communities We Talk and Share

Constructivism Construct knowledge Ask Questions Get Answers Jerome Bruner Father of Constructivism Theory, Talk and Share

Talk and Share Asynchronous Communication = Talk in delayed time Synchronous Communication = Talk in real time

Asynchronous Communication  Write …..  Hit send….  AND someone (or everyone) reads what you have written Talk and Share

Synchronous Chat programs typed words in real time, video, pictures sound! Talk and Share

With People! Everyone active = success!  Technical Person  Manager/Principal  Members/students  Moderator/teacher

2. Role

Guide on the side ~ NOT ~ Sage on the stage

The Continuum -- Interchangeable Roles is Key Live Online Nervous Comfortable Online Guide Others ePeers & eMentors People

4 Roles 1.Technical  Use different tools  Try new activities  Learn with members 2.Social  Welcome and encourage members  Guide your members 3.Intellectual  Provide content and intellectual information 4. Organize  Discussions and information

Technical Role 1.There will always be PROBLEMS 2.Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something 3.Let your students take the lead 4.Experiment with new tools (eventually you’ll figure out they are all basically the same) 5.Make MANY Mistakes, 6.Keep your sense of humour Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

Social Role You’re the gracious host. You:  Are likely the only person they’ll know  Create the safety  Foster enjoyment for learning  Connect similarities and differences between people  Provide a climate to make mistakes Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

Intellectual Role You ….  Supply most of the content  Engage others to contribute  Direct them to find more content  Guide them to be responsible for their own learning Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

The Organizing Role People ask…  Where’s …  How do I find ….  How do I do X…. Organize:  Posts,  Content,  People Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

To organize YOU…. Time Management  Cultural shift (you teach in small spurts of time 7 days a week)  3 – 4 times a day: M – F  2 x day on weekends  Work in teams  Use a variety of active learning strategies (appeal to different learning styles)  Answer posts and s rapidly (an hour being frustrated is a long time online and things can blow up!)

3. Case Study: Moodle

Online Space Requirements Exit Criteria  Quizzes  Assessments  Follow up statistics and reports Programs, Courses & Activities  Discussions  Group projects  Self directed projects  Polls  Enrolment key protected  Re-use some courses (eg: change dates)  Track participants  Rate activities  Real-time Chats Intake  An easy way for people to join our activities  Advertise activities site wide  Calendar  Course Descriptions, dates (visible to guests)  Easy to open new courses  Easy methods to take money

We Chose Moodle for two reasons…. 1.Robust community of programmers 2.Robust community of users

Moodle gives to us We give to Moodle

You don’t just take from a community You have to give back! ~ To keep it ALIVE ~

We Actively Researched!  Free Support (Forums for new users):  Documentation:  Issue Tracker:  Contribute Code:

We give with our strengths Working with People

We Bring People Together F2F  F2F Moodle user meetings during other conferences (2003 -)  Moodle Moot (February, 2006)  Brought together the right partners to host FIRST Canadian MoodleMoot, May 2007

We Bring People Together Online  Local Moodle discussions (eg: Rural Moodle Schools in BC)  Sandboxes (eg: university departments)  Host free & open weekends to help people facilitate with Moodle tools  Integrated a virtual component into apx. half of the FIRST Canadian MoodleMoot, May 2007

We Develop Towards A Vision  Conduct Moodle presentations  Opened knowMOODLE.ca dedicated to all things Moodle  Trying to Build a Support Network for Canadians  Apply for grants to conduct Moodle professional developmentc

Behind the Scenes Relationships  Partnership with OKTECH.ca  Alliance with Lambda Solutions  Work WITH our “competition”  Wait for the right people to join us

4. Keys To Success

Relationship 1st / information 2 nd  Moderator is the Guide not the expert  Everyone contributes to the health of the activity  Work together as a team

Be able to say… ~ I don’t know the answer ~ It all changes too quickly Ask for help from your students/members/clients

Be committed: check in to the course/community…  3 or 4 times a day Monday through Friday  2 times a day on weekends

Keep your Sense of Humour

Frances Long