Data will have to be transferred, and costs will lessen once the new version of Moodle, Pierce’s virtual classroom system, will begin operating in the Summer.
The decision to upgrade to Moodle 2.2 was forced upon the college by Moodle’s hosting sight, Remote Learner, which will no longer support the current Moodle 1.9.
Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass said that the transition will be easy.
“For the students the transition will be unnoticeable, and training for teachers will be available,” Bass said.
By the numbers
There are currently 20,000 active users in the Moodle system this year, and about 500 courses activated.
Profit is made by Remote Learner with the amount of data that is used, not by active members.
By a contract with Remote Learner, Pierce is considered a level 3 user. This is because Pierce keeps two years of data in archives, whereas most schools only keep about a year.
The change will tremendously decrease the amount of data, which will make Moodle less expensive for the college.
The changes
“Moodle 2.2 includes new tools, toolbars, APIs and user interface options,” Remote Learner Vice President of Client Services Rob Deter told faculty members in a meeting.
He also reassured them that the transition will be simple.
“The look and feel is very similar for faculty,” he said. “It is 90% of same.”
All of the information will be transferred by Bass so teachers will not have to worry about saving or backing up anything.
Reactions
Diane Levine, professor of anthropology and linguistics at Pierce for almost 15 years, has been using Moodle as a supplement in her classes for the last four years.
“Instead of handing out the syllabus, instead of giving out handouts I put them on Moodle,” Levine said.
She has used other online systems in the past.
“I used Etudes and that was not helpful at all,” she said. “Moodle is a big improvement over that.”
Paula Deming, 23-year-old biology and veterinarian technology major, has used Moodle in her classes before.
“I have taken a lot of exams and quizzes on it, and it’s pretty good” Deming said.
Deming likes the connivence of being able to get handouts on it, but admits that it can sometimes tempt her to skip class.
“[If] I know that nothing is happening in class but this handout [on Moodle}, then I can just go online,” Deming said.
Training
There will be a test site for faculty and training for Moodle 2.2 starting mid-April.
For more information about the new Moodle email Wendy Bass at Bassw@piercecollege.edu.
