Technology/Moodle

MOODLE Moodle is an online platform where students, Fellows, and facilitators (administrators) can share and access just about anything related to individual classes and the MSSELI curriculum as a whole. Students are able to plug into an online system that resonates with their Digital Native sensibilities, and they perform assignments that enable their teachers to assess exactly how well they understand the concepts and materials being taught. Fellows are able to gather this information and use it to adjust and improve their in-class instruction. Facilitators are able to disseminate essential information about the program and monitor the progress of all the MSSELI participants. The most dynamic uses of Moodle are seen amongst the Fellows. Moodle has provided a means for the participating teachers to have more in-depth discussion and collaboration with fellow participants and has increased the amount of engagement. Prior to the implementation of Moodle, discussions and idea sharing were more limited in the professional learning community; participants were more likely to share their thoughts only with their tablemates. As a result, Fellows were only able to have discussions with about one-fifth of other participants. With Moodle, and specifically with the use of threaded discussions, the level of interaction has risen dramatically, allowing Fellows to connect with all other participants online. Link to 2009 Moodle Course (for course participants only)

Further, it has been demonstrated that teachers who may be reluctant to speak to one another in person are more likely to discuss their ideas online. This also allows the facilitators to follow all conversations in real time, enabling them to interact with participants both face-to-face and online in a timely fashion. These facilitators are able to see the whole conversation develop online and
can conduct formative assessments that guide their instruction.

All elements of the MSSELI design for professional learning are published in the Moodle course management software system for program leaders and participants. MSSELI's use of Moodle and other information and communication technologies (ICT) has encouraged the beneficial implementation of ICT at the classroom level. The Results/Impact section that follows will discuss the specific benefits of Moodle in greater detail.

In collaboration with the TeacherTECH program at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (University of California at San Diego), MSSELI adopted Moodle in 2007.