Moodle Best Practices

Welcome

Use these links to navigate to the topic of your choice.

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1. Best Practices to Develop a Welcome Video

Sample Video:

Click here for a sample welcome video that was created by Lisa Gedak for the Level Up: Learning to Teach Online Course at KPU. You may need to log in to the KPU Media website:

Resources:

References:

Carlisle, K. L., Carlisle, R., Ricks, S. A., & Mylroie, R. (2018). Is My Instructor a Robot? Creative Methods for Establishing Social Presence in Online Human Services Education. Journal of Human Services, 38(1).

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2. Best Practices to Build Community

CoI is highly effective in blended and online courses by outlining defined arenas to examine the synchronous and asynchronous aspects of online teaching and interaction. The element of social presence can be used to create community by considering the scheduling, tools and environments for administrative and classroom duties. Since “…,issues of open communication and group cohesion must be the primary focus at the beginning of the inquiry process” (Vaughan et al., 2013, p. 12), being clear on office hours, class etiquette, and the methods of connection help define the class as a cohesive unit where information sharing is encouraged, and communication can occur. The utilization of video, audio, and text features can support the facilitation of content and peer interaction and can be used synchronously through the shared notes and chat features or asynchronously with forums, email or shared documents. Incorporating differences in communication styles allows for greater participation and interaction – the hallmarks of community.

Cognitive presence can also be applied through these clarified channels and environments by developing the course progress with instructor and learners “…prepared to clarify expectations, negotiate requirements, engage in critical discourse, diagnose misconceptions, and assess understanding” (Vaughan et al., 2013, p. 14). Being active participants with influence over course content deepens the sense of community, extending beyond the course itself. By adapting and adopting learner input, the course becomes truly shared and space for participants to always have a sense of belonging.

The above ‘negotiation’ between course members is directly tied to teaching presence, as there is no separation between educator and learner, only natural, cohesive relationships that should be nurtured into community. This then informs Social Presence through those choices of software, communication tools, and administrative guides. All three Presences combine to create a community of learners where “where students collaboratively assume increased responsibility and control to resolve specific problems and issues,” and the “…the instructor ultimately has control and responsibility for the design and delivery of an educational experience” (Vaughan et al., 2013, p. 17).

Resources:

References:

Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Athabasca University Press. https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120229_99Z_Vaughan_et_al_2013-Teaching_in_Blended_Learning_Environments.pdf.  

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3. Course Syllabus

Resources:

References:

Tulane University (2015) licensed under  CC BY 4.0. https://www.accessiblesyllabus.com/about-us/ 

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca 

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4. Utilizing Checklists

Resources:

References:

Gawande, A. (2010). The checklist manifesto: How to get things right. New York: Metropolitan Books. http://atulgawande.com/book/the-checklist-manifesto/ 

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5. Module Overviews

Whether you are using a topic or a weekly format in your KPU Moodle course site, it is good practice to provide information to your students in small, digestible pieces. Start with clear headings and providing module or topic overviews to help establish a consistent course structure. These are helpful ways to ensure students focus on the key concepts to meet the learning outcomes in the course, successfully.   This overview supports students becoming situated in the topic and the relevance it has for their course outcomes and future learning before they engage with the material. It can be challenging for students to identify their own areas of focus and key takeaways. Providing overviews and summaries each week is a strategy that supports teaching presence.

“Keep in mind that online learning may be new to your students, too, so weekly summaries or regular notes keeping them up-to-date, summarizing the past week, providing guidance for the week ahead and any other important communications will help orient them as well” (Moore & Hodges, 2020, para. 9).  

Resources:

References:

Moore, S., & Hodges, (Mar 11, 2020). So You Want to Temporarily Teach Online. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/03/11/practical-advice-instructors-faced-abrupt-move-online-teaching-opinion 

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6. Learning Content & Activities

Determining course content and activities can be challenging when designing a course, and while “…the instructor ultimately has control and responsibility for the design and delivery of an educational experience” (Vaughan et al., 2013, p. 17), it must be done within the parameters of the approved course outlines and the designated learning outcomes. Constructive alignment, or the process of developing learning content and activities that are clearly outlined before any instruction occurs (Biggs, 2014, p. 5). It provides educators with a framework to ensure that assessments are aligned to evaluate the learning outcomes and that the content and activities are designed to support students to achieve those outcomes, thus demonstrating their learning.

Once you are clear about the content and activities you wish to deliver and how they will be evaluated, you will be able to determine what resources and technology tools can support your objectives. One example is to examine the learning outcomes for a course and then decide the best tools and environment to guide learners through the learning process. Perhaps learning content will be shared in a reading or a video or Powerpoint presentation, which is to be followed by a synchronous discussion in a Big Blue Button (BBB) session where more information is added and questions can be addressed. Following this session students are provided an activity to apply their learning, this is shared in a discussion forum between classes where students comment on each others work.

Tips to Reduce Cognitive Overload

Triandafilide (2020) provided a list of considerations for reducing cognitive overload when designing courses:  

Creating Accessible Content

Sharing information in multiple ways helps to engage different learners. As you create learning materials, be mindful of accessibility. Ensure that images contain alt-text, that videos have captions, that documents are accessible to screen readers, and that links use descriptive words.

While an important part of higher education is managing large amounts of information and unique and challenging ideas, there are limits. Content is easily accessed, and thus quantity must be an integral consideration when aligning course content and activities with the Learning Outcomes prescribed. 

Resources:

References:

Biggs, J. (2014). Constructive Alignment in university teaching. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1 (5) 

Triandefilide, J. (2020, October 16). Preventing the risk of cognitive overload | World of better learning. World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2020/10/09/online-teaching-preventing-the-risk-of-cognitive-overload/ 

Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Athabasca University Press.  https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120229_99Z_Vaughan_et_al_2013-Teaching_in_Blended_Learning_Environments.pdf.  

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7. ASSESSMENTS

The KPU Moodle installation offers many opportunities for assessment, including quizzes, video-based assignments and folio thinking. Moodle also offers the ability for learners to self-assess or peer assess, using activities such as workshops, e-portfolios and forums.  Built-in Moodle rubric templates and the ability to create and customize rubrics allow instructors to provide an explicit set of criteria for assessing student work or performance. All the various assessment options available through Moodle should support students in meeting the learning outcomes. 

A good start when designing assessments is to identify which course outcomes will be covered by each assessment. It is important to note that each outcome does not require its own assessment. As well, consider how this learning would be applied in the “real world” and how it could be replicated as a means to demonstrate learning.

Ideally, assessment should be frequent, so that students can get regular feedback, and varied, so that students can show their knowledge in different ways. The role of both formative and summative assessments in measuring student success is important, as well as, perhaps allowing students choice on how to demonstrate achievement for the learning outcomes.

Formative Assessments

Shepard (2005) argued that formative assessment is a process in which the instructor and the student collaborate to support learning and student success. Formative assessment does not necessarily require marks or weights, although can be designed to be formal or informal. Formative assessment is timely and valuable feedback, identifying gaps and misinformation, and assessing student skills and knowledge frequently to support students in meeting the learning outcomes and achieving success in the course. This means that students should be encouraged to take risks and make errors as part of the learning process, with formative feedback coming from instructors and peers.

Best Practices for Formative Assessments (Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, 2017) 

• Keep clear criteria for what defines good performance 
• Encourage students’ self-reflection 
• Give students detailed, actionable feedback 
• Encourage teacher and peer dialogue around learning 
• Promote positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem  
• Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance 
• Collect information which can be used to help shape teaching 

Summative Assessments

Summative assessments generally have higher-stakes than formative assessments and accentuate the need to align the assessment with the course learning outcomes. Summative assessments are designed to “evaluate student learning, knowledge, proficiency, or success at the conclusion of an instructional period, like a unit, course, or program” (Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, 2017, para. 1). 

It is also valuable to provide samples of exemplary work to inspire and guide learners, and be clear if you are assessing product or process.

Designing Assessments with UDL

Best Practices for Summative Assessments (Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, 2017) 

• Use a rubric or table of specifications 
• Design clear, effective questions 
• Assess comprehensiveness 
• Make parameters clear 

References:

Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (2017). Formative and Summative Assessments.  https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/Formative-Summative-Assessments. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Shepard, L.A. (2005). Linking formative assessment to scaffolding. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 66–70.