Using Moodle at DWU

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The advent of the internet has revolutionized  teaching and learning. Knowledge is no longer absorbed from reading printed books, journals and newspapers. There are various other online sources that one can use to acquire information.

As such, more and more institutions of higher learning are following the trend by using online platforms to facilitate teaching and learning. This shift is also reflected in the language used and the type of learning.

I learnt about Moodle when I joined Divine Word University in 2012. The online learning management system was used by the University to provide a blended teaching and learning approach.

In a recent workshop at the National University of Samoa, I found out from colleagues at the University of Fiji that they are also using Moodle and Turnitin.

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From 2012 to today, I have taught myself how to use Moodle. There were no ongoing workshops on Moodle like we had this year (2016).

I used the Moodle website and YouTube to educate myself. After reading and watching videos about the various functions and applications, I have through self-led practical application developed my knowledge on how to use the learning management system.  

I am not yet an expert but have a very long way to go. I am yet to use the lesson, SCORM package, database and external tool activity modules. Also, for the resources module, I am yet to use the IMS content package. I need to watch more tutorials and need more practice in order to use these activity and resource modules effectively to aid in teaching and learning. 

With the use of Moodle, learning has shifted from teacher centered to student centered. Students are now challenged to play a proactive role in the teaching and learning process. This is done via the various online activities like quiz, glossary, wiki and discussion forum.

The teacher is no longer the giver of knowledge but only a facilitator. A facilitator is supposed to channel the knowledge shared by various online and offline sources to meet the learning outcomes of the particular unit or course he or she is teaching.

That means the content of the unit or course must be determined by the learning outcomes. This makes it easy for the teacher to measure the learning outcomes in his or her assessment tasks.

From that experience, I came up with the teaching philosophy ‘No one has monopoly over knowledge’. The philosophy simply means that in this day and age the teacher is not the sole giver of knowledge. Knowledge or information can be sourced from various sources anytime and anywhere provided the seeker is connected to the internet, next to a library or has money.

I have on a particular unit webpage the topic and the minor learning outcomes or objectives for that particular week connected to the major learning outcomes. What I share with the students is what various sources or scholars say about the topic and my personal evaluation of what they said. I encourage students to read widely by consulting other sources apart from what I have shared with them to grow their knowledge.

We do online and offline activities to help us practically apply the knowledge. For example, after presenting a Microsoft Word Document handout on Rise and Fall Realism. I gave students a hypothetical case involving Australia and PNG.

In this scenario, Australia is the dominant power in the region or the hegemon, PNG is a country that is slowly rising and is a threat to the status quo. Students are to determine using the knowledge shared from Rise and Fall Realist scholars whether or not both countries will be engaged in either a challenger or preventive war.

Their answers are shared in the Facebook discussion group called IR431 International and Regional Security. I assess them on how they understand the main logic or principle assumptions of rise and fall realism.

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Apart from using Moodle, I have also included Twitter and Facebook in adherence to the University’s direction to be the champion in online learning in PNG.

Furthermore, instead of explaining what the theory of liberalism is on a lengthy PowerPoint slide. I gave them a glossary activity which has two main components outlined in the marking rubrics;  they are tasked to find an online or offline definition from a source, and discuss the common elements of the definition after comparative analysis. The follow up face-to-face discussion draws from the information shared in the glossary.

These online teaching and learning strategies are aimed at helping students achieve the main learning outcomes of a particular unit. However, there are some students who do not understand the direction the University is taking. This is reflected in their evaluation when students make comments like  ‘lectures are necessary than online activities’. 

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 16, 2022 at 12:33 PM

    As a student, I should admit that MOODLE is a very effective learning platform. However, that may not be the case in Papua New Guinea where constant power outage and disruptions to networks can be a frustrating situations for students.

    I see that to access MOODLE, one has to have access to a relible network system. I have seen the disadvantage of MOODLE when attempting quizes. One can be opted out of the quiz at random, and in the course of trying to refresh the network connection again, the quiz time runs on.

    ReplyDelete

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