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Using Moodle as a Bridge to
Blended Learning
Blended learning is one of the answers to today’s fast-paced, constantly changing, and demanding world. In order to guarantee success, collaboration, cooperation and the development of critical thinking skills are essential.
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This five-week session aims at exploring the potential of three Moodle activities: forums, lessons and workshops as tools to enhance those skills in adult blended learning environments.
Session objectives:
By the end of this session participants will have:
- Experienced first-hand how interaction takes place in blended environments, taking into consideration these three skills
- Reflected on and discussed the concepts of collaboration, cooperation and critical thinking skills in blended environments
- Identified different Moodle settings to work with varied learning objectives
- Expanded educational strategies and techniques to promote a deeper blended learning experience
- Designed tasks that correspond to each of the three Moodle Activities based on their own teaching context
- Provided feedback and graded other colleagues’ work
- Created a list of best practices to promote blended learning
Target audience:
Target Audience: EFL or ESL teachers, professors, designers, tutors, administrators or any other professional involved in teaching adults. Though prior experience in using Moodle would be of help, tutorials will be available.
Sponsor:
TESOL CALL-IS
Syllabus:
Week 1: Getting to know each other
Participants will:
- get to know the moderator team
- introduce themselves in a forum and get to know each other
- learn about the mechanics and requirements of the session
- read about key concepts: collaboration, cooperation and critical thinking skills.
- explore these principles in blended learning environments
Week 2: Maximizing Cooperation
Participants will:
- share their prior experience with Moodle Forums
- learn/refresh about the type of forums in Moodle and their implications
- design a task to experience the different types of forums
- reflect on colleagues’ tasks and give them feedback
Week 3: Enabling Collaboration
Participants will:
- understand the use of Moodle workshops to foster language learning
- discuss the benefits that this tool presents in terms of peer assessment
- give feedback and grade other colleagues’ work
- reflect on their experience after using Moodle workshops
- participate in a wrap-up live session to summarize best practices from weeks 2 and 3
Week 4: Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Participants will:
- watch an introductory video with different uses and benefits of lessons
- grade sample lessons using criteria presented in the introductory video
- participate in a discussion forum in which they will provide the rationale for their choice
- consider ways of adapting these lessons to their teaching context
- share their own sample lessons as a blueprint
- participate in a wrap-up live session to summarize best practices from week 4
Week 5: Putting it all together
Participants will:
- share opinions and ideas in a final round-up discussion to consolidate the list of best practices
- reflect on their own teaching context and how to take advantage of these best practices
- complete a course evaluation
Media:
Moodle: http://moodle4teachers.org/course/view.php?id=59
WizIQ: Inside Moodle Course
Moderators:
Bettina Sierra
I have been a TEFL since 1995. I have been working at the BNC in Uruguay for about twenty years. Currently, I am the Director of two of its franchises. My main area of interest is innovation through educational technology.
Carolina Omar
I have been working at the BNC in Uruguay since 1992. I have been a TEFL since 1998. In 2003, I started leading one of the Uruguayan BNC's franchises (Alianza Prado). I am interested in Moodle and blended learning.
Diana Vidal
I have been a TEFL teacher since 2007. I have been working at the Uruguay’s BNC (Binational Center: Uruguay-United States) for the past seven years. I have been teaching all ages and levels at Alianza Sayago (BNC franchise). I am interested in the use of technology in education, and blended learning.
Fabiana Hernández
I have been a TEFL teacher since 2000. I have been working at the BNC in Uruguay for the past ten years and I am currently the Academic Director of one of its franchises. I have been published by Mextesol Journal on the implementation of Skype in the EFL classroom.
Gilda Battagliese
I am an Expert in Virtual Learning Environments (OEI, VE, CAEU). TEFL Diploma (Alianza Cultural Uruguay-EEUU University of Maryland,BC). IT Mentor and Teacher (Alianza). President of the Education Committee (Partners of the Americas-Uruguay Chapter). Teacher-in-Residence (Minnesota,2009)
Mariel Doyenart
I have been a TEFL teacher since 2007. I am currently an Academic Coordinator at the BNC's headquarters in Uruguay. I also coordinate the BNC's teacher training program. My main areas of interest are blended learning, educational technology and assessment.
Victoria Dieste
I have been a TEFL teacher since 2003. I have been working at the Uruguay’s BNC for the past ten years and I am currently the Director of one of its franchises. I am interested in the use of technology in education and have co-presented in MoodleMoot Uruguay (2011, 2012).
Primary Contact:
Victoria Dieste
victoria.diesteATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
bettina.sierraATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
carolina.omarATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
diana.vidalATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
fabiana.hernandezATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
gilda.battaglieseATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
mariel.doyenartATalianzaDOTeduDOTuy
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