"Teaching takes place as students handle collections, work in labs, engage in fieldwork and argue a position in a seminar."
Dr Bill Sillar, Institute of Archaeology
QUICK LINKS
- Lecturecast: A system for recording lectures and events and making them available online
- Moodle: A virtual learning environment which enhances teaching by allowing staff to create their courses online
- Electronic voting systems: Teaching tools to establish students' knowledge and opinions
- E-Learning Environments (ELE): Supporting staff and students at UCL to use technology to enhance teaching and learning
- E-Learning Strategy 2012-2015
Moodle
Used in nearly all taught modules and programmes at UCL, Moodle is a virtual learning environment (VLE) which allows staff to create courses online. Content such as lecture notes, timetables, reading lists and web resources can be easily uploaded to course pages, providing a constant and easily accessible reference for students to consult. Moodle also offers a number of interactive tools.
How does it work?
For each module, staff create a simple website which includes a short description of the course, assessment methods and learning outcomes. Links are added to any related course information including timetables, reading lists, web resources, videos, podcasts, images and lecture slides.
There are numerous online resources at UCL which Moodle can reference, including library pages, Lecturecast and past exam papers. Moodle supports group work by allowing members to create their own areas in which to talk and share files. It also facilitates forums, which encourage the continuation of discussions outside the lecture theatre, and wikis and blogs to promote student contribution. Other features include quizzes, which reinforce students' learning, and news forums.
Benefits of Moodle
- Supports students at any time of the day; especially useful during revision periods
- Provides students who have difficulty taking notes or whose first language is not English with key course information
- Allows for coursework to be submitted online using Turnitin
- Promotes collaborative learning and the creation of learning communities
Moodle can also be used to enhance distance learning courses. In the below video, Rosalind Duhs from the UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) explains how.
Further examples
- ZooMoodle - a Virtual Educational Resource for the Biosciences (VERB)
- Museums Moodle
- Using Moodle Chat to help students understand troublesome topics
Contact and training
- Book onto Getting started with Moodle, the introductory course to Moodle and e-learning which provides the basic skills required to set up a course in Moodle
- Once you've started there are several more advanced courses in Moodle provided by E-Learning Environments (ELE)
Page last modified on 08 jun 12 12:26
Tell us about the inspiring teaching and learning taking place in your department: email ele.cooper@ucl.ac.uk or call 020 7679 5992 (internal extension 45992).
