FUNNY THING FORM

Moodle could benefit from a better forum

By On February 13, 2012 · Leave a Comment

The ideas in this post have been around for years.  What prompted this was a post from Dan on Moodle.org asking for feedback on compelling features of ForumNG, one of the projects out of the Open University.  Looks like there is a possibility of improved forums in Moodle [...]

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The lessons @Chuxiong 2011

By On June 3, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Chuxiong in May 2011 was a return visit. In 2007 we did four three hour workshops over two days, mainly oriented towards staff.
This time quite different: three two hour sessions with students.  All studying to be teachers.

The aim:

explore some physics concepts demonstrate some teaching strategies as alternatives to teacher talk, class [...]

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Weiman article (Part 3) Engagement, Test results and Attendence

By On May 24, 2011 · Leave a Comment

A look at the Weiman Study (continued).  This is one anonymous comment on the Chronicle page on this article: “I have tried most of the teaching methods out there in the course of over 20 years of teaching. Many “experimental” methods are effective, but they ALL result in less material being covered. Moral of [...]

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Weiman article (Part 2) Setting up the experiment

By On May 22, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Continued from Part 1.  The first time I have written several posts in a row for a while.  I’ve just run a session with some staff introducing the findings of the paper, with due regard for the 40 years of work (at least) that is is based on. All quotes below from the paper.

[...]

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China

By On May 22, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’ve had a quiet day today part way through a visit to Chuxiong Normal University.  Two sessions so far: Thursday (Information Science Majors) and Friday (Physics Majors)

The aim: exposure to a few strategies to support active learning practice in English have fun

All these students will be teachers sometime.  The hope: just to see [...]

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Traditional Instruction vs “Deliberate Practice” (Part 1)

By On May 21, 2011 · Leave a Comment

The Latest Cark Weiman study
Summary: “Science” just published (May 13, 2011) a fascinating article:  Improved Learning in a Large Enrollment Physics Class, Louis Deslauriers, Ellen Schelew, and Carl Wieman
Carl is a Physics Noble prize winner, now working in science education.  The article is on an experiment they did in [...]

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Moodle 2.0 Wellington workshop

By On April 12, 2011 · Leave a Comment

After a false start (abandoned due to the February 4 earthquake) I made it to Wellington for a Moodle 2.0 workshop.  Details here.  If anyone from the TALO group is reading this (especially Leigh) then probably best to move on.

I still value Moodle as a Walled Garden.  I see this as a [...]

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Workplace learning: professional trajectories

By On April 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment

How do you help competent professionals in a field to become also competent in an education role?

I spent a week in Auckland in late March considering this question.  Moodle shut down on me.  Where better to work then Columbus Coffee

You need an awareness of adult education principles (not just theory thought)
I [...]

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Starting out in Moodle 2.0+

By On March 23, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’ve now completed a few small pilot training sessions in Moodle 2 .0. Some general comments:

The same:

Workflow: Edit mode on, the Add resources/Add activities dropdowns, the icons, Sections
Forums (the bug with Q&A forums is still there)
Groups/groupings (except for new site wide groups aka cohorts)

Different Navigation in [...]

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Moodle 2 wish list

By On March 16, 2011 · 4 Comments

I’ve pondered for weeks how to make a first post on Moodle 2.  Here is my wish list.  I got the idea from Mark Deschler’s wish list post.  He has some great comments on how to get involved.  I’m always surprised with 1,000,000 people on Moodle.org why so few vote in [...]

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