Moodle is a open source course management software designed to support and enable instructors to create online courses that can include text and multimedia learning resources and activities. It includes built-in, synchronous and asynchronous blog, forum, chat, assignment, quiz, wiki, and other features, designed to deliver online courses and to supplement traditional face-to-face courses. Moodle is available for free on the web, so anyone can download and install it. You are allowed to copy, use, and modify Moodle provided that you agree to: provide the source to others; not modify or remove the original licence and copyrights, and apply this same licence to any derivative work. More infomation can be found here on the Moodle licence.
Moodle enables instructors to build rich learning environments that can be used to teach classes completely online, to enhance traditional face-to-face classes, or to support hybrid learning environments. Instructors can use built-in tools for a variety of purposes, such as to:
Construct learning modules that deliver content and learning activities to students;
Support online discussions, including asynchronous "Forums," synchronous "Chats," and asynchronous one-to-one "Dialogues";
Facilitate the creation of course glossaries;
Support collaborative writing projects using wikis;
Support reflection activities using the assignment or blog tools;
Provide quizzes and self-tests;
Enable students to submit individual and group assignments and share work with peers online;
Enable students to view all of their class schedules on one calendar;
Deliver grades to students in a password-protected environment.
Using Moodle 1.9 Presentation
Using Moodle - Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System by Jason Cole and Helen Foster is published by O'Reilly as part of the Community Press series.
