for Korean Language Classrooms Russell Hugo Department of Linguistics Language Learning Center University of Washington June 2010

What is Moodle? Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment CMS (Content Management System) CMS (Content Management System) Open Source (Free) / PHP Open Source (Free) / PHP Users: 35+million / Sites: 45, Users: 35+million / Sites: 45,000+ 1

Why use Moodle? Open source Open source Large community of users Large community of users Robust and flexible roles Robust and flexible roles Save instructor’s time Save instructor’s time

Why use Moodle? (Teaching) Security Security Automated & streamlined grading (Stats analysis, gradebook) Automated & streamlined grading (Stats analysis, gradebook) One-stop course website (with interaction) One-stop course website (with interaction) Ease of archiving and recycling Ease of archiving and recycling

What can Moodle do? Question bank: Question bank: –Shared across courses –Randomized questions Auto grading Auto grading Adaptive Adaptive Analytics Analytics Feedback: Feedback: –Detail per answer / different times Questions:

What can Moodle do? Multimedia: – –A/V may be integrated into nearly any feature. – –Students may record audio directly as an assignment.

What can Moodle do? Dropbox: – –Assignments or general Interaction: – –Wikis, forum, chat Other: – –Post nearly any file format (PDF, DOC, etc) – –Available customization and notification

What can Moodle do? Language Packs

Question Types Essay (Manually graded) Essay (Manually graded) Short Answer (Complicated auto-grading) Short Answer (Complicated auto-grading) Random Short-Answer Matching Random Short-Answer Matching True/False True/False Matching Matching Cloze / Embedded (Hot Potatoes) Cloze / Embedded (Hot Potatoes) Multiple Choice Multiple Choice Drag and Drop Drag and Drop Audio recording (Assignment) Audio recording (Assignment)

Question Types Multiple Choice Multiple Choice

Some UW Moodle examples Korean 1 st year, 2 nd year Korean 1 st year, 2 nd year –Vocabulary practice quizzes –Composition submission –Audio recordings Linguistics Linguistics –200+ students per quarter for introductory class. –All quizzes and homework are handled by Moodle. –Time and labor benefits (Grading) –Supplementary study options (Self-guided study)

Some UW Moodle examples Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew –Secure language proficiency exam Other languages using Moodle: Other languages using Moodle: –Arabic –Chinese –Czech –Danish –English –Estonian –Finnish –French –German –Hebrew (Biblical) –Indonesian –Japanese –Lithuanian –Mongolian –Norwegian –Polish –Russian –Spanish –Swedish –Tibetan –Uygur

Incremental vs. complete launch Supplementary materials (e.g., syllabi) Supplementary materials (e.g., syllabi) Naming conventions Naming conventions Customization and archiving Customization and archiving Incremental steps are safer Incremental steps are safer

Incremental launch examples Linguistics: Linguistics: –Fall: Quizzes –Winter: Quizzes & HW –Spring: Quizzes, HW, and some tests. Korean: Korean: –Fall: Recording assignment and supplementary materials –Winter: + Quizzes

General course management Outline/Weekly Outline/Weekly Roles Roles Enrollment Key (Student responsibility) Enrollment Key (Student responsibility) Archiving and course reset Archiving and course reset

Roles & TAs Enrollment keys for groups Enrollment keys for groups TAs as non-editing teachers TAs as non-editing teachers

Question Bank design Depth vs breadth Depth vs breadth  Arbitrary, but careful planning is recommended. –Depth of 3 (Korean) –Depth of 4 (Linguistics) Organization Organization –Lesson (Korean) –Type (Linguistics)

Cheating prevention Randomization Randomization –Actual questions  Question order  Choice order Time limits and availability Time limits and availability Logs Logs –Detailed record of exact student activity. –Did they really experience a problem?

Prevention of hardware and software issues Required quiz for the first week. Required quiz for the first week. –Test audio –Test fonts Optional: Optional: –End of the quarter survey

Other modules suited for language teaching Covcell: Covcell: –Whiteboard –Audio/Video Conferencing –Presence block (Chat) Hot Potatoes Hot Potatoes

Moodle 2.0 Is the future of Moodle worth waiting for? ETA: July 20th ETA: July 20th Conditional activities 2 Conditional activities 2 –“Completion tracking”  # number of new posts or replies in a forum made  # scored in a quiz  Has created # pages in a wiki or has made # edits  A user has viewed a resource # number of times  A user has participated in an activity (i.e. has made a choice)  A completion Criteria can be date based if required  It can also be set that a student themselves can mark when they deem the activity completed

Moodle 2.0 Is the future of Moodle worth waiting for? Community Hubs Community Hubs New blocks New blocks –Comments may be added to any page. –Student personal online file repository Blogs Blogs

Moodle 2.0 Is the future of Moodle worth waiting for? Fixes/Improvements Fixes/Improvements –Quiz and questions  Tagging, searching, flagging  Layout, navigation –Backup and restore –Layout flexibility –Multiple enrolment –Better file management –New HTML editor – /messaging integration –New workshops module –New Wiki module

Limitations and Downsides Interface Interface –Student user –Instructor learning curve  (interface makes it seem more difficult). Server required Server required –Linux recommended  Arguably wider support and larger community Administrator knowledge required (PHP, MySQL) Administrator knowledge required (PHP, MySQL) –A skilled admin is recommended. –Bugs

Limitations and Downsides Amount of options Amount of options –Some obscure terminology HTML interface HTML interface –Allegedly fixed in 2.0.

Thank you References: References: – 1 – – Links: Links: –  Korean Moodle Forum –  Moodle for Language Learning –  COVCELL testing course

Question Types Cloze / Embedded Cloze / Embedded