In Australia, moodle is slang for “to toss around an idea in your head for a while to look at different aspects of it.” Practically speaking, Moodle is free software that allows instructors to share material with students and to direct online discussions. For Lake Forest College, Moodle is part of an ongoing initiative by LIT to replace the Campus Pipeline system with more robust course tools.

A Moodle web page is automatically generated for every course at the College, and, unlike Pipeline, the data can be retained after the end of the semester.

For instructors who do not have the time to master new software, Moodle can be used at the simplest level, which is no more complicated than ordering a product online and perhaps even simpler. This is because Moodle is divided into independent modules, each with its own set of options.

For instance, if a professor only wants to use the online discussion module, there are just a few steps to learn in order to implement this feature. With a few more clicks and choices, each student’s participation grade can be posted privately, even while contributions to the discussion remain visible to the entire class.

A busy instructor may want to master a few more modules, in order to streamline the tedium of recordkeeping for classes. Or a Library liaison can be given access to a Moodle class site to post research and citation guides. Outside of classes, Moodle learning communities can be created, though there are no plans for pages moderated only by students.

Some instructors will want to test the limits of Moodle right away by exploring the wealth of free help and documentation.

For assistance with Moodle, contact your IT liaison or visit http://moodle.lakeforest.edu/.