It’s Official: We are Moving to Moodle
Status
>> Moodle will be rolled out gradually for production use for the 2009-2010 academic year. We will still be using Blackboard as our production course management system for 2009-20010.
Will We Still Be Using Blackboard?
Yes. Blackboard will be definitely be in use for the 2009-2010 academic year, and if you are using it, you should continue to plan on using it for next year. If you have been using it for your courses in the past, please plan on continuing to use it this Fall and Spring as usual, however we will phasing it out of the next two years as we move to Moodle.
History
In March of 2008, the LMIS committee approved a document recommending the adoption of Moodle as our Learning Management System. A copy of the report is available here.
The Faculty Senate unanimously approved this recommendation on March 24th. Find out more about Moodle here.
The Search for a Blackboard Replacement
There has been an ongoing evaluation other Learning Management Systems (LMS) to replace Blackboard, sponsored by the LMIS Committee since Fall of 2006.
In January of 2007, testing and evaluation of Moodle began by a select group of faculty appointed by LMIS, the technology advisory committee of the Faculty Senate, who appointed a subcommittee to do the evaluation. The original members of the subcommittee are and additional subsequent testers of Moodle were:
- Randy Bentson, Faculty
- Renee De Voursney, Student
- Diane Kelley, Faculty
- Elizabeth Knight, Library
- Pepa Lago-Grana, Faculty
- Patrick O’Neil, Faculty
- Lotus Perry, Faculty
- Dan Sherman, Faculty
- Yvonne Swinth, Faculty
- Randy Thornton, Instructional Technology
- Linda Williams, Faculty
To find out more, please feel free to contact any of the committee members or testers.
What is the time frame for implementing Moodle?
Moodle will be gradually phased in over the 2008-2010 academic years.
Can I start using Moodle now on my own?
Yes! Any UPS faculty or student may log into Moodle with their UPS network / email name and password. Faculty will find that their current courses are already setup in Moodle, and their students already added. You need only build out the course. Your students can already login to it with their UPS email name & password. You can access it here:
http://moodle.pugetsound.edu
Contact Cindy Riche for more information or to arrange training if you’d like.
What are we doing with Moodle?
We have been testing Moodle since Spring of 2006. We are moving to Moodle starting in Fall 2009. Visit the Move To Moodle page for updates and more information.
What is Moodle?
Moodle is a Learning Management System similar to Blackboard.
Moodle is free, open-source, web-based application built on standard platforms, including Linux and Windows server. It has an open modular design which allows easy integration of additional features. Moodle is supported by a world-wide community of programmers and teachers who contribute to its design and growth.
Moodle was created by Martin Dougiamas in the late 1990s. It was designed by educators for educators, and is especially influenced by the constructivist theory of pedagogy, which supports a highly interactive learning style. As a result Moodle has many tools designed for student contributions to class content.
Who Uses Moodle?
Moodle has been adopted by many Liberal Arts Colleges, such as Bryn Mawr, Carlton, DePauw, Lewis and Clark, Macalester, Reed, and Smith, as well as numerous larger schools such as U.C.L.A., San Francisco State, The University of Georgia, The University of Minnesota, and many others. Moodle doubled its growth among US community colleges last year.
In addition to its extensive use in schools in Australia and New Zealand, Moodle is widely used in Europe, especially in Spain and the U.K. The largest Moodle installation in the world is the Open University in the U.K. with over 200,000 students using Moodle.
More About Moodle
To find out more about Moodle, visit Moodle.org. Here are some other sources of information about Moodle:
Moodle Testers
If you are a Moodle tester, click here to visit our page about Moodle Documentation.
Note: Yes, we will still be using Blackboard as our production course management system for 2008-2009. Its eventual replacement, Moodle, will be rolled out gradually for production use during the 2009-10 academic year. See The Move to Moodle page for more.
What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is courseware - web based software that is an on-line extension of the classroom. It can contain syllabi, readings, assignments, links and other information that your Professors may post to it. Blackboard is optional; it may or may not be used in a course. Your Professors will tell you if they use Blackboard for a particular course and what method they have set for you to enroll in the course.
Where is Blackboard?
Use a web browser and go to the URL http://blackboard.ups.edu or just use the login button above. You do not have to be on campus to use Blackboard; it can be reached from anywhere on the web.
Are We Still Using Blackboard?
Yes. We will be using Blackboard at least through 2008-2009 academic year, though we will be converting to Moodle as our LMS over the next two years.
Check the Move to Moodle page for more information.