Moodle & Distributed LearningMoodle & Distributed LearningIn Nova Scotia

MoodleMoot 2009

• Provincial Perspective• Michael Jeffrey, jeffremg@gov.ns.ca

• Nova Scotia Department of Education• Transition of a Virtual School to Moodle

• Guy Aucoin, guy@ccvs.ednet.ns.ca

• Chignecto Central Virtual School• Moodle for Non-Classroom Purposes

• Sue Taylor-Foley, staylor-foley@ssrsb.ca

• South Shore Regional School Board• Discussion

Agenda

Moodle in Nova Scotia

To make available in English and French increased course options and/or course components online to meet the needs of learners in the public schools in Nova Scotia, especially those students in small high schools, and to provide a medium to support online Professional Learning for teachers.

Vision for theNova Scotia Virtual School

• 7 Regional School Boards• 1 Pan-provincial School Board

• 133,100 public school students• 9,900 teachers

• 93-year history in distributed learning

Learning Resources and Technology Services

Nova Scotia Context

Current Status: 2008-09

• Common platform for online learning• http://nsvs.ednet.ns.ca

• Moodle– 7222 Users

• 700 students in 35 Online courses

• Moodle v. 1.9• Commercialized Moodle• Self Enrolment

– LDAP to province-wide e-mail• Shared Management

Learning Resources and Technology Services

Moodle

Governance

• NSVS Online Steering Committee– One representative per school board– Department of Education (Chair)

• Operations– Department of Education (ITS & LRTS)– School Board Hosts– Dr. Tech & Associates Learning Designers

Applications of NSVS

• Formal courses

• Online Extensions of classroom courses

• Online tutoring

• Non-credit courses

• Professional Learning

– Communities

– Resources• Working groups & committees

• Teachers Provincial Agreement

• Perceived threat to small schools

• Success for all learners

• Scheduling synchronous components

• Advance registration + critical mass

• Digital rights

• Identity

Issues

Learning Resources and Technology Services

MoodleMoot 2009 Presentation

Guy Aucoin, Consultant

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

• Established in September 2003.

• Approx. 100 students each semester

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

• Offer 16 courses• Fine Arts Courses• Science & Math Courses• Others

(Entrepreneurship, Africa Canadian Studies)

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

• Why an online school?– Area- Approx. PEIx2– Small high schools– 4 Adult High School

Campus

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

There are two components to our Online System:

Asynchronous Component

Ex. Moodle

Synchronous Component:

Ex. Marratech

• Synchronous Component– Weekly eChats– Large and small eChats– Common Room– Remote Access to

student computers

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

Asynchronous Component

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

GradeKeeperGradeKeeper

aTutoraTutor

Drop In/Out Box

Drop In/Out Box

Asynchronous Component

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

GradesGrades

Content ActivityContent Activity

SubmissionActivity

SubmissionActivity

MoodleMoodle

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

• Other Uses of Moodle in CCRSB– iSchools

• Teacher access to Moodle to use as a classroom tool

– CCRSBonline• Online courses for teachers• Use for Principals to interact with each other• Professional Learning Communities

• Comments from students about what they liked from CCVS:

• “I got to meet people from other schools and I got to take courses that were not typically available at my school.”

• “The Work. I felt it gave me a better understanding of the material I need to know for university.”

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

• Comments from students about what they liked from CCVS:

• “I liked meeting new people through CCVS and seeing where I stand mathematically against other schools.”

• “The idea of being able to wok ahead on a course inside and outside the school area.”

• “It was very rewarding to be able to do this. It was fun and different at the same time.”

Chignecto Central Virtual Chignecto Central Virtual SchoolSchool

Learning Resources and Technology Services

More Moodling Moments-Moodle for Non-Classroom

Purposes

Sue Taylor-FoleyCoordinator of Assessment & Technology

South Shore Regional School BoardBridgewater, Nova Scotia

Non-Traditional Uses

• Communication within school setting

• Communication amongst users in different settings

• Document depot

• Support for specific user groups

• Extension of traditional PD experiences

Communication within school setting

• Professional Learning Community

• Program Support/Resource

• Accreditation/ School Improvement Planning

Communication & Support for Users in Different Settings

• Administrators• Science 10• Technology Services• Literacy/Technology Mentors• Math Mentors• International Students and Home Stay

Parents• Guidance Counselors• Student Services Staff• P.E. teachers

Document Depot

Document Depot

• Provincial assessment data

• Board assessment data

• School assessment data

• Students needing additional support

Extension of traditional PD experiences

• Opportunities for:– continued growth and support– continued interaction with others– P.D. and interaction as the user wants– to have participants shape what P.D.

and interactions look like to meet their needs

– supports a hybrid model– when, where and how you want it

More Moodling Moments-Using Moodle to Support

Learning & Communication

From one small site…

• Number of sites have grown

• Technical expertise has grown

• Ways to use sites have developed

• Great things are happening that engage and challenge users

• New ways to use Moodle are being discovered everyday

Learning Resources and Technology Services