Moodle: Engaging Students Online Nathalie Rudner, Thornhill Secondary School Anita Drossis, Vaughan Secondary School York Region District School Board

 an ABEL tool  a course management system that allows teachers to create quality online courses customized to meet their own specific classroom needs  can be used to deliver course content and/ or to supplement course materials What is Moodle?

Moodle:  provides a multimedia learning experience  extends our students’ learning beyond the classroom.  creates an interactive space for students to learn  provides resources and opportunities for students to review material taught in class  allows course material to be available to students at all times How can Moodle engage students?

Moodle can be used to Address Different Learning Styles Improve Literacy Skills Provide Access to Multimedia Resources Create Collaborative Workspaces Provide Feedback to Students What can Moodle do for your Students?

In Moodle, you can meet the needs of different students by: providing a variety of resources that appeal to different types of learners providing video and sound clips explaining concepts for visual and auditory learners providing copies of class notes for students who have difficulty with note-taking or who miss class providing interactive activities for students who learn by doing Address Different Learning Styles

Grade 9

Grade 11

Class Notes

SMARTboard Lessons

Sample Solutions

Using Moodle, provides opportunities for students to improve their literacy skills by: providing different opportunities for students to communicate (projects, question and answer, definitions) having practice questions for students to post answers a get feedback from other students and the teacher having students write opinion pieces on an article, website or text providing a database to students to present research information providing a space for a glossary of terms as students learn new material Improve Literacy Skills

Individual Wiki

Databases

Building Vocabulary

Using Moodle, provides opportunities for students to improve their digital literacy skills by: teaching students how to interact in an online environment providing different media for students to communicate in (chat, messaging, discussion forums, wikis) guiding students as they collect and analyze data from internet resources (students post their projects online as they work for teachers to give continuous feedback) providing opportunities for them to use technology they will encounter in the workforce Improve Literacy Skills

Digital Literacy: Student Perspectives ~ Ambika, Grade 11 “It gave me a different view on how we learn from the computer. Before it was just research, but now it's actually asking questions and interacting with the computer more.” ~Armin, Grade 11

Discussion Forums

“My favorite activity in Moodle has to be the discussion forum. I'm the kind of guy that cannot sleep when things are on my mind...so I ask questions on Moodle and they are answered….” ~ Daniel, Grade 11 Discussion Forums

Using Digital Tools

In Moodle, you can build a resource library that could include: course outlines and handouts access to student/ teacher power point presentations web links for research purposes that have been approved by you video clips/ applets to support learning from sites such as links to online tutorials that reinforce concepts Provide Access to Multimedia Resources

Video Clips “It was fun watching posted videos as well as being able to see other people's projects. “ ~ Iana, Grade 11

In Moodle, you can create collaborative workspaces called wikis to encourage students to work as a team: to research a topic to create presentations to draft documents to develop a lab procedure to edit each others work Create Collaborative Workspaces

Group Wiki

Example 1: Approved Example 2: With comments

In Moodle, you can create opportunities for students to obtain formative feedback through: practice quizzes online games peer/ teacher editing of written work discussion forums assignments with in-line comments Provide Feedback to Students

Practice Quizzes “This feature on Moodle has helped me study for many quizzes and tests. I usually do the [practice] test first and whatever I don't understand I'll study it instead of wasting my time trying to figure out what to study for.“ ~ Bradley, Grade 11

Games

Feedback from Students

The Student Perspective ~ Memy, grade 11 “I liked how it was really easy to communicate with the teacher and my peers when I needed help or had questions.” ~Iana, Grade 11

A Teacher’s Perspective Narindra Dat, Chemistry/Science Teacher

Getting Started An electronic version of “Moodle Pages” will be available online. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at: or Participate in the ASI Moodle at: in the Professional Learning category.