Moodle Mobile

Sonia Staneland

Background

E-learning Team

E-learning Manager Andrew Checkley

E-Learning Officer Sonia Staneland (joined in June 2015)

Croydon College and University Centre Croydon

E-Learning Blog: https://moodle.Croydon.ac.uk/elearning

• Teaching background

• Moodle is a learning platform

• Design is important

• Open source

• Moodle – high levels of students using Moodle

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Main points

• The Development of the Mobile theme

• Mobile Moodle and blended learning activities

• Other practical uses of Mobile Moodle

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• Library Induction – Moodle induction included

• Moodle Mobile Theme already established

• Work started in 2011

• Study 2005 – mobile technology was already acknowledge as a useful inclusive educational tool (Kukulska-Hulme et al, 2005)

• E-learning team encouraged using mobile devices for learning

• Wanted to prevent technical barriers

Moodle Mobile Theme

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Research

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• Croydon Borough had a large use of Blackberry devices

• Use of mobile devices was expanding

• A variety of software – for example IOS, Android

• Too many types of devices (and potential for more in the future) to create Apps suitable for all

Solution – Develop something that worked on the browserUpdates are made on the server 5

Features

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• Cross platform compatibility (desktop, tablet, phone)

• Increase the use of College webmail (we now have Microsoft 365 integrated)

• A more personal feel of Moodle for students

• An enhanced Messages Moodle feature

• Accessibility

• Easy Navigation

‘…your learners are your primary customers’. (Stephen Walsh – A co-founder of Kineo and Director of Sales and Marketing.)

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Mobile Theme- Early Version

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- From iPhone (iOS)

Mobile Theme - Design Refined

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- From iPhone (iOS)

Mobile Theme - 2014 Version

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- From iPhone (iOS)

Mobile Theme- The Current Design

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• Emulates the look and feel of a mobile App

• Provides quick access to services

Desktop Theme- for tablets

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- From iPad Mini

Learning Activities-Treasure Hunt

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QR code links to a location on Moodle

This has a clue to the next physical location

- From Android operating system(right image)

Learning Activities-Voting using Moodle’s ‘Choice’

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‘…Smartphones now most popular way to browse internet – Ofcom report’. The Guardian – 6th August 2015

- From Android operating system, phone held horizontal

Learning Activities-Kaltura Media Server

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Upload videos straight to Kaltura and play on Moodle

You can record straight from a web cam.

To Sum up

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• User friendly/appealing to the primary customers – students

• Used theme rather than design an mobile App to enable Moodle to be accessed by all devices – but looks like an App

• No updating as Moodle runs through a browser – updates on server

• Using mobile phones can contribute to learning outside the classroom

• Information is conveniently available

• Able to take advantage of mobile device features such as the camera for a multi-sensory approach to learning

Further Information

E-Learning Bloghttps://moodle.Croydon.ac.uk/elearning

Thank youEmail: Sonia.Staneland@Croydon.ac.ukTwitter: @soniastaneland 16

ReferencesHern, A (2015) “Smartphone now most popular way to browse internet – Ofcom report”, in The Guardian found at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/06/smartphones-most-popular-way-to-browse-internet-ofcom

Walsh, S (2005) “Seven Ways to Market Elearning” blog found at: http://www.kineo.com/resources/papers-and-guides/learning-strategy-and-design/7-ways-to-market-elearning

Kukulska-Hulme, A., Evans, D. & Traxler, J. (2005) “Landscape study on the use of mobile and wireless technologies for teaching and learning in the post-16 sector”

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