Administrating Moodle - the Challenges

ULCC Moodler was invited to sit in on the first of ULCC's 'Webimoot' series last Tuesday, 6th November. Facilitated by ULCC for their customers, 'Administration: Assessing the Challenges' brought together moodle administrators to focus on a number of objectives:

• defining the role of 'site' administration
• update on what's new (especially with upgrade to 1.9)
• Identifying what delegates feel are key issues
• identifying solutions and next steps

It was great fun, and everyone said they enjoyed the session:

"I think the most enjoyable part for the first moot was just using the technology. I really enjoyed the session, especially after my intial disappointment when I was told there were no working headsets available! It's now that I know the questions to ask. I think we have come a long way in a short time and thanks for the support you've given so far." Maria, Newcastle.gov.org

What was particularly interesting, and very informative, was a presentation by James Ballard, the notable ULCC Learning Technologist, which outlined the challeneges facing site administrators along with an introduction to some of the new tools being made available to them in the 1.9 release. Some of this I'd never thought of before, so worth having a look at it:

• Technical

Whilst ULCC maintains server and Moodle installation, there may arise issues with incorporating external data (such as user accounts and offered courses) that need to be accurate in order for Moodle to utilise them.

• Quality

Having resources online can allow increased monitoring of quality, however it can also raise expectations for user experience, particularly those familiar with current trends in web technologies. In some areas you may also be competing directly against online training providers or other institution's websites.

• Curriculum Delivery

How well does your Moodle site support Curriculum activities? Often these are kept separate rather operating hand in hand. Are online activities tied into syllabus and learning objectives?

• Value added

There are a number of areas where Moodle can be used to provide resources and activities that add value to teaching and learning: libraries, key skills, extra-curricular, events, support, advice.

• Diversity

Moodle is compliant with accessibility standards, however any content added to it by users may not be - how are these monitored? Moodle also provides opportunities to cater to different learning styles through various activities and you may even find that your potential student enrollment base is increased by the ability to cater for things such as direct or mobile learning.

• Assessment

Online assessment is becoming increasingly popular and will develop hand-in-hand with the growth of e-portfolios. Moodle has a variety of tools to support this which are greatly improved in 1.9. Moodle may also need to communicate with other systems to cater for this.

• Staff Development

A whole topic in itself (mentioned in a previous blog),so not mentioned in great detail during the presentation. However ULCC are looking at ways to incorporate, track, and manage CPD via Moodle.

Moodle training is a particular area where community resource sharing can benefit all. Comments?

Another impressive resource is launched by JISC

ULCC Moodle Blogger apologises for the late arrival of this blog. Encamped in a Bedouin settlement somewhere in the Moroccan Sahara, I had dispatched it with a passing spice merchant by camel train, and hoping for a westerly wind to take it up the coast to Tangier and onto Europe.

On Monday 22nd October, I attended a launch at the British Library of JISC's digitisation project: British Newspapers of the 19th Century. The resources displayed to the assembled guests were impressive indeed:

10 billion words and 2 million pages are being digitised from complete runs (or the majority) of 19th century local, regional and national British newspapers.

Iconic historical events will be amply represented from the Battle of Waterloo, the Great Exhibition of 1851 to the opening of the Suez Canal. Read the factual reporting of the Battle of Trafalgar in the Examiner and the gory details of the Whitechapel murders in the melodramatic Illustrated Police News to name but a few. Many famous authors of the 19th century period wrote for newspapers, and their work is represented, Dickens and Thackeray included

Opened by the respective heads of BL and JISC, it was certainly a grand affair. We're now able to celebrate another excellent resource made accessible that weren't thought possible a few years ago (details of licensing and accounts will be made available shortly - watch this space).

One thought that struck me was that, in an age where a keystroke brings thousands of resources to the desktop, this can be as much a problem as having access to only a few. Sitting around the Bedouin camp fires, I was reminded of a story I presented to a JISC conference a couple of years back, illustrating one of the key issues ...

A group of English teachers, attending a 'Subject Day' organised by RSC London, were demonstrated a JISC resource by LION (Literature Online) and were all impressed. Everyone present demanded to know how they could get hold of this fantastic resource. The JISC representative said that he would check and get back to them after lunch. He returned to say that all their colleges already owned the licence for this resource. This highlights a problem of how we ensure that we're able to break down the internal organisational barriers so that these treasures are actually used effectively by the people they were designed to support?

Answers on a postcard to ULCC Moodle Blogger, c/o Sahara Desert