tips and tools for using/building moodle

focus on balance in your 'moodle'

Database tool (see moodle .org for ideas)

objectives: eg
- students can create and share notes and engage in 'peer review'
- learner centred
- cross references and links 'notes' in data base
- collaborative working
- informal learning environment
- provides feedback
- text or video reviews
- image gallery
- icebreakers
- web links

Pedagogy of E Learning

When you take the 'e' out of 'e-learning' what are you left with?
Learning!
Wherever you are teaching, whatever tools or resources you use you are still 'building for pedagogy'; not process

Use as a scaffolding tool; constructivist in approach to meet different learning styles and needs to:
-engage, explore, experiment, scaffold...
-accessibility shouldn't exceed engagement

How?

• use themes that are visually engaging not look like an 'intranet' as information repository
• innovative design; use of video, pictures, html blocks and lables
• allow room for personalising through themes: eg use 'dashboard'; drop downs; colour; focus
• link pictures as 'labels'
• link and embed content
• check copyright at smartcopying.edu.au
• enlarge text editor to provide more options
• be creative

use settings - insert tables/colums and rows; insert links onto labels; 'show' topics/hide topics so resources are still visible
use surveys
use main menu blocks
use photos - flickr: creative commons
use icons - iconspedia web 'free icons'
use 'art' - devientart
use photoshop/photo editor - go to picnik to resize photos
use navigation 'schema' (eg icons in labels)

see moodle.org to download and explore 'building' a moodle for yourself...

add accordian course format 'plug in' - needs to be added by admin; to make things 'not visible' so that it is still accessible

see 'imoot' as example of moodle site