More Moodle

This is a followup on my last post about Moodle. I previously identified some resources to help implement Moodle on your machine or on a portable jumpdrive to learn this popular and free learning management system.

I have also explored some free Moodle hosting options and have been most satisfied with Global Classroom, a free host for educators. I was able to set up my account in less than a minute and was instantly up and running. Thus far, I haven't had any problems with accessing the site or with using features of the learning management system.

If you are not familiar with Moodle and need training, there are some great free resources available:

• Moodle Training Videos (introduction)
  Movie tutorials from TeacherTrainingVideos.com will walk you through all of the basic Moodle features.
• Moodle Training Videos (in depth)
  Movie tutorials from TeacherTrainingVideos.com will explore more advanced features of Moodle learning management system.
• Download free Moodle Manual eBook (pdf)
  This eBook will provide you with details about each of Moodle's many features.

Resources:

• GlobalClassroom
• Moodle
• TeacherTrainingVideos.com

Moodle on a Stick - more learning in your pocket

If you need to learn how to Moodle because your school is considering a new LMS, out of curiousity, or because you are applying for a job at a Moodle school and don't want to appear clueless? Below are a few options to allow you to work with Moodle — from roles ranging from student all the way to administator — on your jumpdrive or other portable media. I am focusing on portable options to make it easier to work on different machines.

Option 1: Download and Install server software and Moodle

• MoWes Portable
  This is my prefered portable server software due to the ease of software installation. You will be prompted for the software you want to download in addition to the required applications (Apache, MySQL and PHP). You will see a number of popular packages, including PHPMyAdmin, Wordpress, Drupal, and Moodle. Select the apps you want to install and you will receive a zipped folder with everything. You can always go back and add more applications. I started up my MoWesPortable without problems and installation of Moodle was a breeze.
• XAMPP Portable
  Similar to MoWes Portable, XAMPP is very popular and this portable options works the same way. I have used this for Moodle before. I found the installation a bit more difficult than MoWes Portable, but this is a great product.

Option 2: Ramen Moodles (just add water and heat)

• Portable Moodle from Sourceforge
  If you just want to Moodle and are not interested in running other apps (Wordpress, Joomla, etc.), this portable option will get you up and running in no time. Provided by Sourceforge, this package includes just what you need to get Moodling. After downloading, I was up and running in a minute.

Here's a little hint for any of these. Read the documentation to figure out what the default admin password (i.e. user: admin, password: password). While our school does not use Moodle, I've found this portable option to be helpful in understanding how that CMS is organized.

Learning Management - Free Style

Have you been looking for a free hosted LMS or CMS to teach a course? Have you ever wanted to teach a little something online, even make a few bucks? It has been some time since I've searched for free course management systems and mostly I was familiar with those that have to be installed on a server (Moodle, ATutor, Sakai). I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a growing number of applications that are hosted online.

Here are a few that I found impressive:

• nfoMedia
  This course management system and social networking application is available to instructors in higher education (check availability). Features include blogs, video lectures, exams, journals, gradebook, message board, chat, and text messaging.
  
  I signed up for an nfoMedia account and was rewarded with a free stainless steel coffee tumbler.

• NineHub (Moodle)
  Free Moodle host with unlimited bandwidth. This is the place to go if you've been curious about Moodle. You can get up and running in no time for no cost! I signed up for an account here and am happy to say that I am plugging away at putting a course online, no muss, no fuss.

• Ecto
  Ecto is a hosted, open networked Personal Learning Environment. This learning management system is built on the principles and architecture of social software. Students, as well as instructors, can add content. While the basics are free, Ecto has recently added a paid feature, in collaboration with AT&T — live conferencing with AT&T Connect—enabling integrated voice, web and video conferencing from the community and group dashboards.
  
  
• edu 2.0
  Teach private or public classes with many features (lessons, quizzes, rubrics, multimedia, attendance, groups, chats, widgets, etc.). New resources are added often by the edu 2.0 community.
  
  
• learnhub.com
  Learnhub is a social learning network that offers you the option of selling courses and lessons online.
  
  
• My iCourse
  Still in beta, this learning management system that also allows payment for courses.

Overall, the future looks promising for those of you who would like to work with a free hosted CMS.

Picture This

Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words. Sketchcast.com is a free online Web 2.0 application that allows users to create sketches with audio. With this nifty app, instructors can quickly illustrate formulas, flowcharts, drawings, etc. with or without narration. Even for those institutions that have lecture recording software like Tegrity, sometimes all you need is a few minutes to sketch your instruction, feedback, etc. Your product can be easily embedded in webpages, blogs, etc., like YouTube videos. It's definitely worth a look.

ooVoo - Free Video Conferencing for Six

Another exciting beta is out. ooVoo is a free video web conferencing application that allows you to see all participants at the same time. Additionally, users can share files, text chat and take snapshots of the group. This application is another tool that can be used in education for collaborative exercises, study groups, and office hours. I have used ooVoo a few times, and the only problems seem to be related to our school's bandwidth during peak hours.

I have a free Elluminate vRoom, which is helpful for the uses listed above, but the three person maximum is definitely limiting. While ooVoo does not include a whiteboard and many other tools included in Elluminate, it does allow twice as many participants. I'm interested in seeing how this application evolves.

ooVoo
Elluminate vRoom

Free Lecture Recording (Beta)

Tegrity has recently released a free beta version of its lecture recording software. This application is web-based, hosted on Tegrity.com and available to everyone. Tegrity ME2 records video, audio, PowerPoints, full-screen video, and user applications. This free version is limited to 5 minutes, but allows instructors and students to create short presentations (or segments of longer presentations) with ease. Users are provided with a URL to their presentation and code to insert in MySpace and Facebook pages. I was able to have Tegrity's ME2 up and running within 8 minutes. This is definitely worth a look.

Free Tools to Rival Adobe CS3

CNET provides readers with a list of alternatives to Adobe CS3 software. Roll your own Adobe CS3 for Free explores a number of OpenSource applications, including The GIMP (image editor), Audacity (audio editor), and KompoZer (web editor).

I personally carry a portable version of Audacity, The GIMP, and NVU ( on which KompoZer is based) on a flash drive, never further from me than my pocket or bag. Check PortableApps.com. These OpenSource options might surprise you; they're rich, load fast, and adding new features frequently.

Students (and instructors) frequently acquire trial versions of popular software, which expire in a month or two. These applications - and the others listed by CNET - might be the option needed to continue building web pages, graphics, presentations, sounds, and video.

Roll your own Adobe CS3 for Free
Audacity
KompoZer
The GIMP
PortableApps.com

Top 100 Tools for Learning

The Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies announced it's pick for the top 100 tools for learning (actually 134 as several tied). Most of these tools are free and you might find something here you weren't aware of; it's a treasure hunt.

Check out the Learning Toolbox to see how these and other tools are being used in education:

1. Personal Toolset: tools to access and view content as well as communicate with others (for your own personal learning/working)
2. Producer's Toolset: tools to develop and deliver content and other learning solutions (for yourself and others)

Centre for Learning & Performance Technology Top 100

Centre for Learning & Performance Learning Toolbox