Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is an open source course management system. It enables educators to produce internet-based courses and websites.
One of the main advantages of Moodle is that it has a strong grounding in social constructionist pedagogy. The focus of the Moodle project is to give educators the best tools to manage and promote learning.
Moodle provides all the sophisticated high level functionality of an educational Content Management System.
Features include:
- Highly customizable.
- Supports a range of user authentication mechanisms through plug-in authentication modules, allowing easy integration with existing systems:
- Standard email method: students can create their own login accounts. Email addresses are verified by confirmation.
- LDAP method: account logins can be checked against an LDAP server. Admin can specify which fields to use.
- For example, IMAP, POP3, NNTP: account logins are checked against a mail or news server. SSL/TLS certificates are supported.
- Students are encouraged to build an online Edit profile including photos, description. Email addresses can be protected from display if required:
- Every user can specify their own timezone, and every date in Moodle is translated to that timezone (e.g. posting dates, assignment due dates etc).
- Every user can choose the language used for the Moodle interface (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese etc).
- Flexible array of course activities:
- Assignments – Assignments enable teachers to grade and give comments on uploaded files and assignments created on and off line.
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- Chats – The chat module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion via the web.
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- Choices – Here a teacher asks a question and specifies a choice of multiple responses.
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- Databases – The database module enables participants to create, maintain and search a bank of record entries.
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- Forums – Forums provide the opportunity for asynchronous discussions.
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- Glossaries – The glossary module enables participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary.
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- Lessons – A lesson activity presents a series of pages to the student, who is usually asked to make some sort of choice below the content area. A lesson activity allows the teacher to create an adaptive learning experience, without direct teacher interaction.
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- Quizzes – This module allows the teacher to design and set quiz tests, consisting of multiple choice, true-false, and short answer questions and more. Each attempt is automatically marked, and the teacher can choose whether to give feedback and/or to show correct answers.
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- Resources – Teachers can provide course resources in various formats – pages edited in Moodle, uploaded files or web links.
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- SCORM packages – SCORM is a collection of specifications that enable interoperability, accessibility and reusability of web-based learning content.
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- Surveys – Teachers can use surveys to gather data from their students that will help them learn about their class and reflect on their own teaching.
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- Wikis – a collection of web pages that anyone can add to or edit.
- Groups – teacher(s) and students can be placed in one or more groups.
- Mail integration – copies of forum posts, teacher feedback etc can be mailed in HTML or plain text. Users can set a preference for daily emails in their profile.
- Plugins to enhance functionality:
- Activities (including word and math games).
- Resource types.
- Question types (multiple choice, true and false, fill in the blank, etc).
- Data field types (for the database activity).
- Graphical themes.
- Authentication methods (can require username and password accessibility)
- Enrollment methods.
- Content filters.
- Includes the TCPDF library to generate PDF documents from pages.
Website: moodle.org
Support: Documentation, GitHub Code Repository
Developer: Martin Dougiamas, Moodle HQ and contributors
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Moodle is written in PHP. Learn PHP with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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