Got Moodle? Subscribe to the Extensive Reading approach to second language acquisition? If so, check out the Moodle Reader Module, a plugin that provides quizzes on more than 600 graded readers and books for EFL/ESL students.
According to developer Tom Robb of Kyoto Sangyo University, “The Reader module allows quizzes to be randomly generated from a larger set of items for each book. The module allows teachers to easily install the module on their own Moodle system, download the quiz material for those textbooks in their graded reader library, and configure its operation to their own preferences.”
Be aware that you must supply the actual reading materials to your students; Reader Module is strictly a means for administering quizzes based on the reading. Also, as a security measure, Tom requires that you contact him via email for authorization to download the quizzes. Visit moodlereader.org for all the details, including the option to establish your own free course area on his Moodle site.
Today I want to show you how easy it is to add the free Moodle course management system to your self-hosted teaching site using cPanel and Fantastico. But first, I’d like to discuss some things to keep in mind when you and your students start using Moodle.
When signing up for a web hosting account, most of us choose the least expensive option, which is shared hosting. Wikipedia defines share hosting as “a service where many websites reside on one web server connected to the Internet.” It is the cheapest hosting option because many people are sharing the overall cost of running and maintaining the web server.
This arrangement generally works well for personal sites and even small business sites. But if your site starts getting “hit” beyond a certain threshold, it slows down the entire server because everyone is sharing the same system resources. Most web hosts closely monitor server activity and will issue a warning should you exceed their threshold (this varies by web host). Ignore warnings at your own peril — in the worst case your account may be suspended.
You can avoid unpleasant surprises with a dose of common sense. First, make sure you choose a reputable web host (see Part 2 of this series for guidelines). Reputable hosts are there when you need them and will try to resolve any issues fairly. They can also suggest upgrade solutions should you need one to handle more traffic.
I bring this up because Moodle increases server load depending on the number of students interacting with it at any given time. This is generally not a problem when randomly accessing Moodle outside of class for homework or other assigned tasks. But problems can occur in wired classrooms or computer labs when too many people are using Moodle at the same time. Response becomes slower and slower, and eventually the system may freeze (I speak from experience).
So, tip number two is to limit the number of your students simultaneously accessing Moodle to no more than 20. This is purely a guideline but one that has worked consistently for me. You can manage this in larger classes by preparing one or more non-Moodle learning activities and rotating your students accordingly.
More and more teachers are jumping on the bandwagon and creating some sort of web presence. Many teachers that I know have set up a blog as their base of online operations. Free services such as Blogger, WordPress, and EduBlogs make it so easy!
These free services are a great place to start. But if you’re like me, at some point you realize their limitations. Caps on storage space or bandwidth. No FTP capability. Unsightly advertising. Inability to use themes other than those provided. Limited customization. You can, of course, upgrade to a premium account to get some of these features. After all, outside of advertising, that’s how these services make their money.
But let’s say you want to expand your web presence with a wiki, bulletin board, forum, or Moodle. Unless your school is doing the hosting or footing the bill, you could end up with a hefty charge at the end of each month.
A more economical solution, and one that is ultimately more flexible and satisfying, is to host your own site. For one low, flat monthly fee, you can set up any number of blogs, wikis, Moodles, etc., and customize them as you like. This is also a very good option for teachers whose schools have unusually tough firewalls or less than cooperative system administrators.
Other self-hosting advantages include:
- No bothersome advertising
- Free email accounts with your own domain name
- Complete control of all your files and information
- Direct upload and download of these files to and from your server
- One-touch installation of WordPress, Moodle, and other scripts
- Complete site backup and restore capability
Where to start?
I would suggest first getting a domain name. Be wary of the “free domain for life” that some web hosts offer. Why? Because if the hosting company goes out of business, or is bought by another firm, your domain name could disappear or be held hostage to extract more money from you (I speak from experience).
Play it safe and get your own name from a third-party domain name registrar and manage it yourself. I use GoDaddy and have no complaints, but there are a number of others to choose from. Expect to pay $8-15/year to secure your domain name.
Tip: No matter where you register your domain, make SURE to keep a safe copy of your username and password. This info is vital for connecting your domain name with your website.
What’s next?
Now that you have a domain name, it’s time to go shopping for the right web host. Details coming up.
This post features a more specialized e-learning site, one that will guide you in creating and deploying your own e-learning materials for an online course you may be asked to teach some day. And yes, the course is 100% free of charge.
Online Instructor Training is one of many free subjects offered by the OpenCourseWare division of the University of California at Irvine. The course encompasses 10 areas of study in a completely self-access mode of instruction. No registration is required. Simply visit the site and click on “Begin Course.”
A new window will then open and present you with 10 study modules encased in a Moodle interface. Subjects range from “The Online Course Syllabus” to “Facilitating an Online Course,” and may include text (Word/PDF), audio, video, or other media to support the instruction. Two of the modules are dedicated to using Moodle. This is icing on the cake. Not only are you learning how to teach online, but acquiring basic proficiency in Moodle as well.
As you move through the modules, you can’t help but appreciate how much time and effort are required to develop a professional online course. At UC Irvine, for example, online instructors must build the following components into each lesson:
- Lesson introduction
- Learning objectives
- Special readings or terminology
- Topic 1, Topic 2, Topic 3
- Discussion prompts
- Homework assignment
- Lesson Summary
Teachers must also be “visibly” present to the class through regular content postings and updates, forum discussions, and other communications. Download a more detailed overview of UC Irvine’s course development guidelines here.
For anyone seriously considering teaching online, this training program should definitely get you moving in the right direction for planning, building, and eventually facilitating your course.