The Web2.0 tool I am discussing today is Moodle. I chose this tool because it is going to be an integral part of my Action Research Project (ARP). I am going to research how using Moodle in the classroom can increase homework completion and motivation for the student body.
Moodle is an open source course management system (CMS). Moodle does need to be installed into a web server, but is completely free of charge to use. This makes it a great research tool as well as a cost effective one. Moodle can be used on a large scale with thousands of people or simply for a single classroom, which is what I will be looking at.
There are many different modules and the entire site can be tailored to a specific class or group. Teachers may add links to articles or videos that are relevant and support the current curriculums. There is also a discussion module, which enables a chat room for registered users. The possibility for testing and assessments is also valid and can produce interesting graphs of information obtained from particular assignments.
Moodles’ diversity allows it to be customizable to all styles of teachers and is flexible for changing units, events and subjects. This is what makes Moodle appealing to a wide audience is the flexibility in adding and developing individual sites.
I choose to work with Moodle for my ARP because it is a great tool that students, teacher, and parents can all use together to communicate and share ideas and knowledge. Students at my school were getting bored with their everyday, physical planners, there was a need for an accoutrement and Moodle adds all the aspects students need to stay organized and on top of both homework and class work. It also aids in the awareness of parents wanting to see what their students are learning.
I believe that I have only scraped the surface of what Moodle can do for my students. I am looking forward to delving deeper and discovering oodles more in moodleJ
Information Courtesy of http://moodle.org/
