Moodle is an open source virtual learning environment (VLE), that you can you use to create web-based resources and courses. Moodle grew out of a PhD research project by Martin Dougiamas .

The word Moodle was originally an acronym for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It's also a verb that describes the process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often leads to insight and creativity.

Text page

This type of resource is a simple page written using plain text.

A number of formatting types are available to help turn your plain text into nice-looking web pages.

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HTML page

This sort of resource makes it easy to develop a complete single web page within Moodle, especially when you are using Moodle's WYSIWYG HTML editor.

The page is stored in the database, not as a file, and you have a lot of freedom to do almost anything you like using HTML, including Javascript.

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Files and web pages

This resource type allows you to link to any web page or other file on the public web. It also allows you to link to any web page or other file that you have uploaded into your course files area from your own desktop computer.

Normal web pages are simply displayed as they are, while multimedia files are dealt with more intelligently and may be embedded within a web page. For example, MP3 files will be displayed using a built-in streaming player, as will movie files, flash animations and so on.

There are many options for displaying your content in popup windows, framed windows and so on.

In particular, if your resource is a web application or other type of content able to accept parameters, you can choose to send information to your resource such as the user's name, their email, the course they are currently in, and so on.

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Directory

The directory resource can display a whole directory (and its subdirectories) from your course files area. Students can then browse and view all those files.

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IMS Content Packages

IMS content packages can be created and edited using a variety of content-authoring software. Content is usually displayed over several pages, with navigation between the pages. The content-authoring software produces a zip file, which can then be uploaded to your course in Moodle.

The zip file is unzipped automatically in Moodle, and the content of the package displayed.

There are various options for displaying content in a popup window, with a navigation menu or buttons etc.

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Labels

Labels are a little different from other resources because they are text and images that are actually embedded directly among the other activity links in the course page.

 Assignments

Assignments allow the teacher to specify a task that requires students to prepare digital content (any format) and submit it by uploading it to the server. Typical assignments include essays, projects, reports and so on. This module includes grading facilities.

 Chats

The Chat module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion via the web. This is a useful way to get a different understanding of each other and the topic being discussed - the mode of using a chat room is quite different from the asynchronous forums. The Chat module contains a number of features for managing and reviewing chat discussions.

 Choices

A choice activity is very simple - the teacher asks a question and specifies a choice of multiple responses. It can be useful as a quick poll to stimulate thinking about a topic; to allow the class to vote on a direction for the course; or to gather research consent.

 Database Activity

The Database module allows the teacher and/or students to build, display and search a bank of record entries about any conceivable topic. The format and structure of these entries can be almost unlimited, including images, files, URLs, numbers and text amongst other things. You may be familiar with similar technology from building Microsoft Access or Filemaker databases.

 Forums

This activity can be the most important - it is here that most discussion takes place. Forums can be structured in different ways, and can include peer rating of each posting. The postings can be viewed in a variety for formats, and can include attachments. By subscribing to a forum, participants will receive copies of each new posting in their email. A teacher can impose subscription on everyone if they want to.

 Glossary

This activity allows participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary.

The entries can be searched or browsed in many different formats.

The glossary also allows teachers to export entries from one glossary to another (the main one) within the same course.

Finally, it is possible to automatically create links to these entries from throughout the course.

 Hot Potatoes

This module, the "HotPot" module, allows teachers to administer Hot Potatoes quizzes via Moodle. The quizzes are created on the teacher's computer and then uploaded to the Moodle course.

After students have attempted the quizzes, a number of reports are available which show how individual questions were answered and some statistical trends in the scores.

 Journals

This module is a very important reflective activity. The teacher asks the student to reflect on a particular topic, and the student can edit and refine their answer over time. This answer is private and can only be seen by the teacher, who can offer feedback and a grade on each journal entry. It's usually a good idea to have about one Journal activity per week.

 Labels

This is a not a true activity - it is a "dummy" activity that allows you to insert text and graphics among the other activities on the course page.

 Lesson

A lesson delivers content in an interesting and flexible way. It consists of a number of pages. Each page normally ends with a question and a number of possible answers. Depending on the student's choice of answer they either progress to the next page or are taken back to a previous page. Navigation through the lesson can be straight forward or complex, depending largely on the structure of the material being presented.

 Quizzes

This module allows the teacher to design and set quiz tests, consisting of multiple choice, true-false, and short answer questions. These questions are kept in a categorised database, and can be re-used within courses and even between courses. Quizzes can allow multiple attempts. Each attempt is automatically marked, and the teacher can choose whether to give feedback or to show correct answers. This module includes grading facilities.

 Resources

Resources are content: information the teacher wants to bring into the course. These can be prepared files uploaded to the course server; pages edited directly in Moodle; or external web pages made to appear part of this course.

 SCORM/AICC Packages

A package is a bundle of web content packaged in a way that follows the SCORM or the AICC standard for learning objects. These packages can include web pages, graphics, Javascript programs, Flash presentations and anything else that works in web browsers. The Package module allows you to easily upload any standard SCORM or AICC package and make it part of your course.

 Surveys

The Survey module provides a number of verified survey instruments that have been found useful in assessing and stimulating learning in online environments. Teachers can use these to gather data from their students that will help them learn about their class and reflect on their own teaching.

 Wikis

A Wiki enables documents to be authored collectively in a simple markup language using a web browser.

"Wiki wiki" means "super fast" in the Hawaiian language, and it is the speed of creating and updating pages that is one of the defining aspects of wiki technology. Generally, there is no prior review before modifications are accepted, and most wikis are open to the general public or at least to all persons who also have access to the wiki server.

The Moodle Wiki module enables participants to work together on web pages to add, expand and change the content. Old versions are never deleted and can be restored.

This module is based on Erfurt Wiki .

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Group Mode

The group mode can be one of three levels:

The group mode can be defined at two levels:

1. Course level 

The group mode defined at the course level is the default mode for all activities defined within that course

2. Activity level 

Each activity that supports groups can also define its own grouping mode. If the course is set to " force group mode " then the setting for each activity is ignored.

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Forum Types

There are several different types of forum to choose from:

A single simple discussion - is just a single topic, all on one page. Useful for short, focussed discussions.

Standard forum for general use - is an open forum where any one can start a new topic at any time. This is the best general-purpose forum.

Each person posts one discussion - Each person can post exactly one new discussion topic (everyone can reply to them though). This is useful when you want each student to start a discussion about, say, their reflections on the week's topic, and everyone else responds to these.

Q And A Forum - The Q & A forum requires students to post their perspectives before viewing other students' postings. After the initial posting, students can view and respond to others' postings. This feature allows equal initial posting opportunity among all students, thus encouraging original and independent thinking

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Wiki types

There are three wiki types: Teacher, Groups, Student. In addition, like any activity, the wiki has the Moodle group modes: "No Groups" "Separate Groups" and "Visible Groups". This leads to the following matrix of nine possibilities:

	No Groups	Separate Groups	Visible Groups
Teacher	There is only one wiki which only the teacher can edit. Students can view the contents.	There is one wiki for every group which just the teacher can edit. Students can view the wiki of their group only.	There is one wiki for every group which just the teacher can edit. Students can view the wikis for all groups.
Groups	There is only one wiki. The teacher and all students can view and edit this wiki.	There is one wiki per group. Students can view and edit the wiki of their own group only.	There is one wiki per group. Students can change the wiki of their own group only. They can view the wikis for all groups.
Student	Every student has their own wiki which only they and their teacher can view and edit.	Every student has their own wiki, which only they and their teacher can edit. Students can view the wikis of other students in their group.	Every student has their own wiki, which only they and their teacher can edit. Students can view the wikis of all other students in the course.

· A teacher can always edit every wiki in the course

 

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