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Moodle - faculty review
What are the major pros and cons of Moodle/Catalyst from a faculty perspective?
Pros - easy to learn, easy to get going, lots of functionality, something similar to all functions in other LMSs, some are actually better in Moodle than in the other LMSs, instructor control over look and features available within a course
Cons - still maturing so there have been some significant changes between releases - 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, although this will diminish as there isn't a lot of additional functionality to needed to achieve parity with other more mature LMSs
What are the major pros and cons of Moodle/Catalyst from a student perspective?
Pros - similar to other LMSs, students have pretty good control over their view via student profile options. Most functions work as "expected" so students have little difficulty getting going. There is lots of in-context help available - help icon button next to an input or a menu provide a popup window with an explanation of what is required and how it works.
Cons - currently Moodle and DeAnza do not provide a good student guide, so students do not have documentation and/or support. This is only a problem for a few students who really like formal training or detailed written instructions and are not comfortable just trying it.
How does Moodle/Catalyst compare with ETUDES Classic, WebCT, and Blackboard?
Moodle now has all the major functionality found in ETUDES Classic, WebCT, and Blackboard. There are some differences in how they are implemented so there are differences for student and faculty.
For example I like the discussion forum in Moodle better than that in WebCT. It is about the same but different than Blackboard. I personally didn't like the ETUDES Classic discussion forum - either one. However, I miss the posting count by user id by time period report that I could get from ETUDES Classic. The "better" discussion tool that was not integrated into ETUDES Classic was a major hassle for me and the students. I know that some faculty currently using WebCT don't like the Moodle discussion tool, but I don't know the specifics.
So much is experience and personal preference, it is difficult to say that one is better than the other - just different. After using an LMS for several quarters, you find things that work for your courses, your students and your teaching style.
When I first started using ETUDES Classic, after using WebCT and Blackboard, I really didn't like it. However, after 5-6 semesters, I was surprised how many things I missed when I switched to Moodle for Summer 2006. I'm still learning Moodle so there are a number of things that I find awkward or "missing" but there a number of other features that I haven't figured out how to use or incorporate into my teaching.
There are some features that I really like - a discussion post can be altered for up to 30 minutes after the initial post - fixing all those typos that show up as soon as you hit the save button can get fixed. Luv it.
How many hours of training should faculty have to use Moodle/Catalyst for course development and delivery?
DeAanza / SFSU on-campus training offered in August was about 5 hours - one day. The online course offered through CVC required 6-8 hours to complete, including online discussions over a 2 week period. That was plenty for getting started. Many of the attendees in both classes were new to Moodle (and LMSs) and felt that they were ready to develop and deliver their courses with Moodle.
Does Moodle/Catalyst have a feature for tracking student attendance, logging in and out?
Yes - there is extensive security with logging and tracking down to the individual activity and discussion.
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