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Introduction to Moodle™
This article will provide a broad overview of what the Moodle learning platform can do and how it has been used across industries to meet a wide range of learning needs. You'll see how the education, healthcare, non-profit, and business sectors are taking advantage of Moodle's most powerful benefits:
True customisation and flexibility, allowing you to do exactly what you want and need.
Moodle provides unrivalled security for your data, media and users. Constant and continuous improvements from a community dedicated to improving Moodle ensures your long-term peace of mind using the learning platform.
What is Moodle LMS?
Moodle is the most popular and most used learning management system in the world. It's easy to see why. The Moodle Learning Management Platform (LMS) is a flexible, open source learning management solution. With 100 million users (and counting) and over 100,000 Moodle sites deployed worldwide, this easy-to-use eLearning platform serves the training and coaching needs of all types of organizations in over 225 countries worldwide.
Moodle/Moodle was developed by Martin Dougiamas, who grew up in the Australian outback in the late 1970s. Dougiamas lived in a remote area of Australia where curricula were transmitted primarily by radio, which indoctrinated him into distance learning at an early age.
Moodle 1.0 was officially released in 2002 and was designed as a platform that provides educators with online learning technology in a personalized environment that encourages interaction, exploration, and collaboration. Within their Moodle sites, educators, trainers, and employers can create and deliver online courses to help their audiences achieve their learning goals.
Today, Moodle is used by organizations of all shapes and sizes, many of them outside the education community. Most commonly, the Moodle learning platform is used by businesses, corporations, hospitals, and non-profit organizations for training, online learning, and in some cases, extended business processes.
Compliance training (legal);
Commissioning of products and services and related training;
Competency-based learning and management;
Workplace safety training;
Online learning and continuing education opportunities;
Develop online courses;
Launching products and services;
Use in communities of practice.
Why is Moodle considered the best LMS in the world?
With 100 million users worldwide, growing every day, Moodle is by far the most widely used learning management platform (LMS) by organisations of all shapes and sizes. "Moodles" love the system not only because it is so widely used, but also because it is easy to use, extremely flexible, configurable, feature-rich, and well supported across the globe.
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Key benefits of Moodle LMS
1. Moodle is customisable and flexible
The Moodle LMS software is free to download and is distributed under the GNU General Public License. The Moodle code is open source, which means that anyone who uses it can view, change, modify and redistribute it if they wish. While some Moodle site owners choose to maintain Moodle completely on their own, others outsource specific tasks to Moodle hosting providers as this is more cost-effective.
With an almost infinite number of customization options, Moodle can have exactly the functionality and features you want, as well as the flexibility to adapt as you change in the future. Reaching Moodle's full open source potential on your own can be a complex and time-consuming task.
Not only is it more cost-effective to outsource Moodle hosting to a provider, but it also means you'll get expert Moodle help for a fraction of the cost of doing it yourself.
Below is a list of services that Moodle service providers typically offer:
- Install and setup Moodle in the cloud or on a suitable server
- Implementation and configuration of Moodle
- Moodle / Moodle integration
- Installing plugins for Moodle
- Install themes for Moodle (include your logo and color scheme)
- Update Moodle
2. Get real insight into your learners, courses and teachers
Learning platforms such as Moodle and others generate mountains of data, but typically have limited reporting and analysis capabilities. Moodle only allows the generation of standard reports for certain subsets of data, but not all. Many companies choose to extend these reporting capabilities by accepting to install a suitable plugin to access ALL training data in their LMS.
3.Moodle keeps evolving and innovating – benefits
As an open source project, Moodle is collaborative and supported by a strong global community. A big advantage of open source software is that the code is open to scrutiny. This means that developers from all over the world have access to the code and can change it to continuously improve the software and make it more secure.
This also means that the code is verified by actual Moodle users. The benefit of this is that Moodle is constantly updated by people who understand what users need for a better user experience.
The final advantage of using an LMS that is run by one of the largest open source teams in the world is that there are an infinite amount of learning resources. In the Moodle community forums, you can connect with other Moodle users and find answers to your questions. With just under 300 million forum posts and over 72 million Moodle learning resources, chances are your question about Moodle will never go unanswered.
The open source Moodle project is managed by a dedicated team at Moodle HQ with a head office in Perth, Australia, and satellite offices around the world. Moodle HQ consists of a diverse group from around the world, with different backgrounds and opinions, who are committed to working on new features.
4. Moodle will do exactly what you need
Moodle has been so widely adopted because it is configurable, extremely flexible and feature rich. In addition to being able to modify Moodle code, there are over a thousand Moodle plugins that allow you to configure Moodle to work exactly the way you want.
With over 1000 Moodle plugins developed by the global community, learners, managers and administrators have the opportunity to develop in an environment that makes learning collaborative, engaging and fun.
How Moodle can be used: 9 ways Moodle is used in business
When Moodle launched for K-12 and higher education institutions in 2002, many did not anticipate the popularity it would gain in the corporate world. Designed to help people learn in a private and collaborative online environment, organizations around the world quickly realized the business applications of this open source tool. From the beginning, Moodle has been used in organizations to achieve impressive business results.
1. Optimising learning with Moodle
Moodle is used by many organisations to induct new employees. If you've worked in a small or medium-sized company, the onboarding process may have been procedural and paper-heavy. With Moodle, the onboarding process can be streamlined for administrators and used to welcome and engage new employees. HR managers particularly like the ability to provide onboarding through course modules on Moodle as the results can be tabulated and analysed. In addition, different courses can be cloned so that modifications can be made for different departments.
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2. Optimise training for compliance with Moodle
Similar to why HR managers love Moodle onboarding, compliance trainers appreciate Moodle's online learning capabilities because they can easily prove who has successfully completed compliance training. And even better, the Moodle Badges plugin allows you to reward your people upon successful completion of compliance training!
3. Competency-based learning in Moodle and metrics with Moodle
When developing a competency-based learning (CBL) program with Moodle's competency module, learning managers have a process for defining competencies that are linked to an assessment scale, such as a series of numbers or letters, used to determine the learner's level of understanding of the defined competency. This could also be something like 'incompetent', 'competent with supervision' or 'fully competent'.
Unlike assessments, which can consist of test scores, participation points, attendance, and projects, competencies assess a series of statements that can be submitted at the end of the course along with an overall grade or even at the activity level.
4. Creating a safer workplace with Moodle
Like compliance training, Moodle workplace safety training lets you know who has taken the mandatory training and who hasn't. With the ability to add videos, discussion questions, quizzes, and external resources to your Moodle online courses, safety and hazards training can be completed at a time and place that is convenient for the learner.
5. Building better courses with Moodle
Moodle has many tools to create dynamic, interactive and engaging online courses. With multiple modules for synchronous and asynchronous learning activities, learners have multiple tools to learn in real time and at their own pace. With Moodle's course creation tools, you can create e-learning programs using a range of strategies including: self-paced, non-self-paced and blended learning.
6. Commissioning products and services on Moodle (training right now)
Toyota originally created the concept of just-in-time production: producing only "what is needed, when it is needed, and in the quantity needed." In today's business world, products and services are updated, modified or changed at an ever-increasing rate, so it's important to understand that product awareness training is not a one-time event. Rather, product knowledge is an ongoing educational initiative that changes as new customers and new features emerge. Moodle makes it easy to train your employees across all departments, and even provide "just in time" access to just the product knowledge needed by their functional teams.
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7. Using your Communities of Expertise (COE) and Communities of Practice (COP) on Moodle
COEs and COPs are informal groups of people within the business community who have common goals and interests, who work together to educate each other and learn from each other. Moodle is often used in organizations to help employees connect with experts in specific subject areas. In these COEs and COPs, users can ask questions or search discussion forums for the knowledge they seek.
8. Moodle Continuing Education
Given that Moodle was originally created for higher education, many organisations use Moodle to provide their employees with continuing education opportunities to help them further their careers. We've seen many of our clients provide leadership training, management training and even high school courses to salespeople looking to upskill.
9. Customer, channel and partner training in Moodle
One of the best things about Moodle is that users can easily create their own accounts to access the courses you want to give them. This makes it easy to train customers, sales channels and business partners at a low cost.
5 ways Moodle is being used in healthcare
Just as Moodle has established itself in the corporate world (of education), the open source learning management system has rapidly gained popularity in the healthcare sector. Moodle is used by a variety of healthcare organizations, including medical universities and others.
1. Blended learning in Moodle
Healthcare organisations are using blended learning techniques made possible by Moodle to provide a holistic approach to practitioner training. What exactly is blended learning in healthcare? It is the combination or 'blending' of different learning approaches that help to deliver tangible learning outcomes; often times linked to improved patient outcomes. Typical tools for a blended approach to healthcare training include: online training, simulations, coaching and mentoring, and classroom training. To learn more about these components, download our eBook, Blended Learning in Healthcare.
2. Competency-based learning and Moodle training
There is no doubt about the benefits of competency-based learning (CBL) for the health facility, as one of the main advantages of this approach is the ability to measure performance after training and during the follow-up period. With the pay-for-performance movement in healthcare, it is natural to strive to move from measuring skills and paying for them to measuring outcomes and paying for results. Check out the eBook on competency-based learning in healthcare..
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3. Moodle legal compliance training
The volume of mandatory compliance training in healthcare is unmatched by any other sector. Before an employee even sets foot in a hospital or healthcare facility, compliance training is required. This applies to doctors, nurses and even salespeople who work in hospitals. Before the advent of online learning and open source learning management systems like Moodle, compliance training was a time-consuming and administratively burdensome process.
4. Communities of Practice and Communities of Expertise
Clinicians from every profession recognize that it is difficult to keep up with the rapid evolution of knowledge. Between the long hours of providing quality patient care, it can be extremely difficult to find time to keep up with learning. Communities of practice and similarly communities of expertise on Moodle can help clinicians share knowledge effectively. Instead of ten practitioners reading lengthy studies, one of them can provide the lessons learned to their colleagues.
5. Moodle Continuing Education
While communities of expertise keep clinicians in the loop, continuing education will provide them with structured progress through measurable learning outcomes. This learning can either be achieved through practical skills learned on the job, and then reinforced with online training; or be knowledge-based learning, such as certifications and applied courses specific to the practitioner's field. With Moodle, continuing education for healthcare professionals is easy, reliable and consistent!
There are many more ways in which Moodle can be used in healthcare. Contact one of our Moodle experts to learn more about how we've helped healthcare organizations around the world achieve compliance, effectively train physicians, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
9 ways Moodle is used in education
Moodle was originally developed with higher education environments in mind, but quickly expanded to cover the entire spectrum of educational institutions. Moodle has become an intuitive and supportive environment for every level of the education system. Moodle can be used by administrators working in the K-12 system, higher education, and private schools. All of the features highlighted below are applicable to all levels.
Moodle for secondary education
1. Creating an effective modern learning environment
The traditional classroom is merging with the online world and students need to know how to function in this blended learning environment. Moodle is a safe entry point for young students to begin to navigate online, and allows them to feel comfortable online. As students take e-learning courses, Moodle teaches them basic computer skills, such as writing, sending emails, working with PDF files, and working with online videos and files.
2. Engaging students for better learning
Keeping students engaged and interested can be a huge struggle for teachers, especially in elementary and middle school. Moodle has the ability to incorporate games into courses (this is called gamification in Moodle). These games are educational in nature and help engage young students and encourage them to participate.
3. Diversifying teaching methods
Multimedia elements such as video, audio and slideshows can be embedded in Moodle courses. Like gamification, these different elements keep students' minds stimulated and engaged by providing different teaching methods
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4. Simplifying the evaluation process
Grading of assignments and quizzes can be done directly in Moodle/Moodle through the Gradebook plugin.
These are just a few of the ways you can use Moodle in education. Contact one of our Moodle experts to learn more about how we've helped educational institutes around the world increase student success.
Moodle for higher education
5. Open and accessible communications
A constant flow of communication is essential for success in higher education and Moodle opens up this channel. The different modes of communication available in Moodle include forums, messaging, chat, comments and blog posts to allow students and faculty to communicate outside of the classroom, allowing learning to go beyond the school day. The great thing about Moodle is that you can access it at any time of the day or night, so you can log in whenever you have time to catch up on communications.
6. Easier collaboration
Moodle enables and encourages collaboration and teamwork. The Moodle communication features listed above (discussions, forums, messaging) allow students to work together, share ideas and ask/answer questions as needed.
7. Creating multimedia lesson plans
In higher education, learning materials and supplementary resources are just as important as classroom lectures. On Moodle, you can easily upload and share resources, articles, videos, photos and anything else students may need to complete coursework and assignments.
8. 24/7 tasking
In Moodle, assignment submission is not limited to school hours - assignments can be submitted at any time, including weekends, early mornings and evenings.
9. Compatibility with mobile phones and tablets
Moodle is designed for learning on the go. Moodle Mobile is based on responsive design and is compatible with a range of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Course content on Moodle can be accessed from home, while travelling on the bus, at work on a coffee break or from anywhere you have internet access. It's also possible to connect with course participants, submit assignments, check upcoming deadlines and track your progress.
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4 ways Moodle is used in non-profit organisations
Learning management systems are a cost-effective way to train nonprofits on policies and procedures, as well as generate reports on training for board members, staff, clients, and volunteers. Here are four ways Moodle is being used in nonprofit organizations.
1. Moodle can be for any NGO a fully functional website
Moodle can be used by non-profit organisations for their website and to create online-based classrooms - this allows for anywhere, anytime learning and the opportunity to form a social community. On Moodle, staff and volunteers can interact, participate in discussions and even collaborate on work. Moodle allows for course and user management, including course information and student activities.
2. Global coverage and online availability
Installing open source Moodle ( Moodle ) in the cloud makes it particularly useful for non-profit organizations. Nonprofits often have clients and employees spread all over the map, so the ability to access Moodle from any device that connects to the internet offers an effective method of delivering training.
3. Easy to use course creation
Moodle's easy course creation features have allowed countless nonprofits to generate revenue through their eLearning programs. Often, e-learning programs created by nonprofits are community-oriented and focused on bringing about social change by taking the opportunity to reach a broader, global audience.
4. Maintaining curriculum consistency
Moodle enables standardized curricula and training. Consistency is essential for any organisation because it means all members are on the same page and there are no gaps in members' knowledge.
All these features and concepts in Moodle work together to bring more attention to your cause. By building a sense of community, your community in turn begins to grow your brand. Overall, Moodle gives you the tools you need to be effective by allowing you to focus on your cause and people.