As of August 1st, 2008, the Edutech web site will no longer be updated. Edutech was funded by the Swiss Virtual Campus programme, which ended on July 31st, 2008. Some activities will be taken over by the e-Learning Services group at the SWITCH foundation.
Course Platform Evaluation Report
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| Products | Moodle 1.5.2Martin Dougiamas and open-source community: http://www.moodle.orgMartin Dougiamas is the originator, lead developer, project manager and release manager of Moodle, present on moodle.org since 2002. Moodle.com was launched in 2003 to offer commercial service by Moodle Partners (Swiss Moodle Partner: mediagonal AG, Fribourg). Last major evaluation update: August 2005 About product About producer Strengths Weaknesses | |
General | ||
Multilinguality | The Moodle interface is available in many languages, including French, Italian and German. Users can choose their preferred language for the navigation interface. Moodle also offers the possibility to create multilingual content for resources that are edited within Moodle (text, html). It takes a bit more effort when editing, but is not too complicated to accomplish. (For any multilingual text, one enters the text in both languages, separating them out with special markers.) | |
Student's Environment | ||
Ease of Use | Generally very easy to use and navigate. | |
uses browser functionality | Back and forward work fine, as well as keyboard shortcuts. | |
browser bookmarks | Local bookmarks to content, discussions | |
URL access possible | Can send url for direct access to content, forum discussions or tools (glossary, for example). | |
in-system bookmarks | Not as standard, though some users have used the glossary module as a link list. | |
print current page | Seldom use of frames, therefore less pitfalls (frames used for links to external pages, for example) | |
save page on local disk | Browser's save page as works. | |
find word in current page | Yes | |
no frames | No frames for almost all content (frames used for links to external pages, for example) | |
scalable font | Yes, fonts scale up and down using either browser menu or keyboard shortcuts. | |
Compliant with common web technology | No apparent problems on Windows Firefox 1.0.4.0, Windows Internet Explorer 6.0.2 or Macintosh Safari 1.3 | |
Firefox 1 ok | OK with Firefox 1.0.4.0 (Win) | |
IE 6 ok | OK with IE 6.0.2 (Win) | |
Safari ok | OK with Safari 1.3 (Mac) | |
Functional environment | Navigation is mostly straight forward. Student can easily set language and visibility of elements. Breadcrumbs are not always intuitive, since links to a resource have a path that shows the type of activity instead of the part of the course the resource is located in.
(For example, Moodle shows Main Course > Forums > A Specific Forum instead of Main Course > Topic 6 > A Specific Forum) | |
keyword search | Search in forums, search in glossary, search Wiki, search course summaries (no full text content search) | |
configurable environment | Change interface language OK, hide/reveal tools works. Even after changing themes the settings stick. | |
effective navigation aids | Linked breadcrumbs | |
context sensitive help | Aimed at teachers mainly. Students get help specific to search, chat, grades (not every item). | |
Collection of Tools | Wiki, announcements (news forum), calendar, glossary, assignments, chat, choice, lesson, quiz, scheduler, workshop, forum, journal, survey. Document repository for course only, limited groupware functions (visibility only) | |
Tutoring and Didactics | ||
Ease of use | The different options available for creating and managing a course are mostly very straight forward. What is not described well in the Teacher's Manual has to be learned at the moodle.org forums, or gleaned from the examples provided with the Demo course. | |
Communication | Forums are a mainstay of Moodle. There are 3 different types of forums: standard open forum, one topic per user forums and single-topic forum (like news). Groups can be formed, yet determine only the visibility for a course or an activity (whether or not one group can view another group's work). Document upload and download is possible. A wiki could be used for collaborative work on a text (as long as the editing were timed well enough to make sure group members didn't write over eachother's contributions). | |
forum threaded | Yes, can display threaded conversations several different ways | |
forum searchable | Yes | |
private workgroup forums | A group can be designated as invisible to other groups for any activity including forums | |
internal mailing system | No internal email system. You can send messages to other members. If they're not online, they receive an email (to their external email address) | |
mailing system interoperable with emails | No internal email system. Users' email addresses can be made available. | |
chat | Yes, have to be enrolled in a course that offers it (possible outside a course with the help of a meta course) | |
whiteboard with integr. chat | No white board | |
Instant Messaging | Yes, messaging and seeing who is online are both possible. | |
Student management | A teacher can enroll students that are already in the system in their course. Administrators can use file upload to enroll students in courses and in groups. Self enrollment by students is possible. The new meta-course feature allows easier enrollment of the same students in several different courses. | |
class enrollment by tutor | Teacher can enroll students that are already in the system, administrator can upload file to enroll students and create groups | |
class enrollment by student | Students can enroll themselves. | |
tutors can build groups | Teachers can manually build and change groups of students already in the system, admins can use file upload. | |
students can build groups | Only teachers and administrators can build groups, a student would have to be given teacher privileges. | |
Activity tracking | Logs and activity reports offer possibilities that are easily accessible. The course can be monitored rather closely, if desired, or just checked occasionally. | |
individual page/tool access | Under Participants > Activitiy Reports: show page views and times for groups and all, Activity Reports for each student | |
class page/tool access | Administration > Logs show all views and times. Averages and stats under Administration > Grades | |
tracking of individual activity in forum | Participants > Forum posts: Lists all forum posts for each participant | |
tracking of class activity in forum | Yes | |
individual performance in tests | Yes | |
class performance in tests | Yes, under Administration > Grades. Grades can be downloaded as xls or txt file | |
class assignment performance | Can check that file has been uploaded and get a list of those who have uploaded, % doesn't seem to be caculated | |
Course Development | ||
Ease of Use | Moodle offers 3 models of course structure that are quickly recognized: by week, by topic or social. Adapting one or the other model is not complicated. The weekly and topical structures resemble the syllabus approach; the social model is more like a seminar, as it is based solely on discussion as the main structuring element. | |
can define course structure | Yes, teachers can edit, create or upload course content. The course creator role allows to create new courses as well. Automatic navigation between/within modules is not created, but breadcrumbs are generated dynamically. | |
up/download of resources and content | Upload various file types through web interface only, webdav not yet, no ssh/sftp. Can upload and unzip zip archives. | |
Hypertext linking | You can add urls to one part of a course that link to another part. Course entry page can link to all parts of a course. | |
Flexible Development Framework | Adding functionality to Moodle is possible and encouraged. Links to external, dynamically generated pages work within Moodle. A formal API doesn't seem to be complete; rather, the Developer's Manual provides a template for activity modules, with instructions in a readme file. A resource named Core API exists, but is not yet complete. | |
extensible architecture | Yes, this is encouraged in the Moodle community. | |
support for client side scripting | Javascript pages yes, Flash yes | |
support for server side scripting | Link to a php page on a different server works, uploading a php page doesn't. (Moodle doesn't parse php files uploaded to it's file system for obvious security reasons.) | |
server side scripting API | Couldn't find an API specifically provided for server side scripting. It may be necessary to check the core API or go through the source files. | |
custom navigation scheme | The default navigation isn't hierarchical, it's breadcrumb-based. Replacing it is theoretically possible (modify php source code). | |
Developers support | The Moodle community is large and active. The main developer is quite present in the forums at moodle.org. Documentation is pretty good, though not complete. Documentation includes a Student Manual, a Teacher Manual and a Developer Manual, though they are not always up to date. | |
basic manual/tutorial for authors | Teacher's manual gets you off the ground quickly for simple course setup. | |
advanced manual for programmers | Developer's Manual: http://moodle.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=3866 | |
complete documentation of APIs | A Core API exists online, but is not complete:http://moodle.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=1267 | |
responsive support | The main developer and the user/developer community are very active. | |
online user forums | Yes, very active | |
Compatibility with common web authoring tools | HTML pages or other files can be uploaded from within Moodle only, or linked from Moodle and displayed either in a pop-up window or in a frame. WebDAV is not yet implemented. Style sheets are used throughout. | |
compatible with standard web content | HTML, CSS, javascript, flash, commonly used media files (avi, etc.) | |
Assessment | Many quiz types are available from within Moodle. You can create questions with the built-in quiz editor. Questions can be read from a text file, in several different formats (including questions created from WebCT and Blackboard), plus a module for importing HotPotatoes Quizzes is available. | |
Online Quiz Editor | Yes | |
Offline Quiz Editor | Quizzes generated from other tools can be uploaded into Moodle (Hot Potatoes, for example) | |
Broad Range of Quiz Types | Multiple choice, short answer, true-false, matching, random, numerical, embedded | |
Extensible Quiz Engine | Yes | |
Support for e-learning standards | Moodle includes a module for uploading SCORM packages (.zip files) that simplifies the upload/unzip process. The uploaded scorm's structure is displayed next to the content, which is opened in an iframe. The version 1.5 release notes state that the SCORM module is now fully conformant with the SCORM 1.2 standard. Quizzes can be exported to IMS QTI 2.0. | |
SCORM package import | Tested importing a 1.2 package - OK | |
IMS-CP import/export | No | |
IMS-QTI import/export | Not yet. From the release notes for version 1.5: '[Quiz module] Is prepared for the handling of IMS QTI questions once web services for these become available.' | |
Adaptable look and feel | The overall look and feel can be changed using what Moodle calls themes. Logos can be added, and style sheets modified to make minor changes easily. Individual courses can have their own themes that differ from the entry page or from site level theme. Styles can be changed at the course element level also, as these use style sheets too. Users can also choose their preferred theme if the site has been configured to allow it. | |
course level look-and-feel | Yes: Course Settings > Force Theme > Choose theme | |
multiple corporate identities | Individual courses can have a theme applied to them. An existing theme can be set as the parent theme for another. | |
System & Administration | ||
System management | Installation is not difficult. Moodle can apparently be used for large institutions (40,000 students). The latest version offers an https login page. | |
Performance | Supposedly scalable to a 40,000 student university | |
Security | Version 1.5.2 has https login page if required | |
Administration | One server - multiple institutions is not a default option. However, it can be done without too much work. Moodle has been shibbolized for use with Switch AAI login. | |
One server - multiple institutions/faculties | Not by default. The courses are grouped by category, which could be defined as separate institutions. | |
Flexible Authentication Scheme | Several authentication schemes available, SWITCH AAI is enabled (implemented by SWITCH). | |
Documentation | Yes | |