For Staff
...wanting to author e-learning materials
- Using the Course Materials Repository
- Using Online Coursework Submission
- Using the Plagiarism Detection Service
- Using Moodle
- Using WebCT
- Using Perception
- Using a Personal Response System
- SENDA
- Supporting Online Learning
- IPR and Copyright Guidance
- E-Learning Network (Mailing List)
- Training
- Learning and Teaching
In this section:
- Introduction
- What does Moodle offer?
- How to access Moodle
- Requesting a course
- A teacher view of Moodle
- Organising your Moodle course
- Adding resources to your Moodle course
- Adding activities to your Moodle course
- Supporting and monitoring students in Moodle
- Resources for learning about Moodle
Moodle
Introduction
Moodle is an 'virtual learning environment' (VLE) that enables teaching staff to create online courses. The use of online learning through a VLE provides an additional tool to support learning and teaching. Moodle offers a variety of course and communication features, including content management (resources) and activities such as discussion forums, chat facilities, quizzes, surveys, glossaries, wikis, etc.Why is the University of Essex using Moodle?
Aside from the learning and teaching benefits:- Moodle is very flexible and adaptable
for administrative purposes. In particular,
Moodle can be tied into our existing systems: one login for all
university systems; automatic synchronisation of users and
enrolments; and better ‘links’ between Moodle and other e-learning
systems (myEssex portal, the Course Materials Repository, and
Online Coursework Submissions).
- Moodle is widely supported by
a team of programmers and an international user community,
drawing upon the different contributions posted to an online
community (http://moodle.org/).
- An increasing number of educational institutions are using Moodle globally and nationally (for example, the Open University). A list of institutions using Moodle can be found at http://moodle.org/sites/.
Support for Moodle
Moodle is being implemented by the University from September 2007 and is supported by the Learning Technology Team (email: ltt, non-Essex users should add @essex.ac.uk).- If you are new to Moodle (and online learning learning
generally), it is strongly recommended that you
attend the 'Introduction to Moodle' training course.
- To explore the Moodle environment, there is a
"Teacher Sandbox" course, a test course for teachers to
experiment with Moodle. Please contact us if you wish to be
given access.
- For details on how to request an online course
for supporting student learning, please read the 'Request
a course' page.
- A 'Student Guide to Moodle' (PDF) provides assistance for students in the early stages of using Moodle, particularly when accessing their online course for the first time.
PDF files require the free Adobe Reader to view them.
Accessibility
For advice about accessibility and online learning, please see the Accessibility pages. There are also useful guidelines from the Alert project: Accessibility in Learning Environments and Related Technologies (University of Durham, Bournemouth University): series of thematic guidelines (July 2005).
