Moodle Platform Research Articles

Personalisation of Moodle Learning Management System for Effective Teaching and Learning in Higher Learning Institutions: A Case of the State University of Zanzibar

The Learning Management System (LMS) continues to persuade instructors and students that the use of the Moodle platform is the correct choice to meet their educational needs. This study presents the personalization of the Moodle LMS based on students’ needs and interest in meeting the intended course objectives. The study employed a quantitative method administered by a questionnaire. The data were analyzed quantitatively and discussed to meet the study objective. The study findings indicated that 61.3% of the respondents have confidence in the use of personalised Moodle LMS to improve their understanding of their lessons. The study also revealed that almost all respondents (95%) agreed that the personalised Moodle LMS motivated students’ learning. Further, and unexpected, the study findings revealed that the Moodle learning environment and pedagogical underpinning were minor challenges to students; instead, the major challenges were infrastructure challenges such as internet access and tools. The study recommends that instructors and students should make the Moodle LMS an essential asset for improving teaching and learning in Higher Learning Institutions. The originality of the contribution of this study is the conclusion that personalized Moodle LMS should be maintained to attract and motivate students in learning activities.

Integration of Blended Learning in the Advent of COVID-19: Online Learning Experiences of the Science Foundation Students

Blended learning has become immensely integrated in contemporary times owing to the emergence of COVID-19. Consequently, it was seen as an effective approach to meet the accelerated demands of the diverse student population in universities and colleges. The rapid progress of the online world has made it essential to switch from face-to-face to online space. However, first-year Science Foundation students appear to encounter challenges using various learning platforms. While the demands of the online spectrum have changed due to the advent of COVID-19, this paper aimed to assess student participation and experience while teaching online on numerous platforms including Microsoft Teams, Google Teams, Moodle, and WhatsApp. The qualitative approach was employed to obtain descriptive data which was later quantified. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to conduct interviews with a total of 120 Science Foundation students at the University of Venda in the academic year 2021 to obtain the students’ online learning experiences. The findings of this study showed that due to the variety of online platforms used in the various modules, the students are unable to interact with the lecturers since the online learning platforms were quite new and tricky to navigate through. In addition, the researchers tried to fill the gap and implement strategies for effectively engaging pedagogy on online platforms. Students’ experiences were related to poor network connectivity, computer illiteracy, difficulty adapting to the Moodle platform, intermittent home learning environment, lack of interaction, and heavy workload. There is a need for a holistic understanding of how technology has transformed the teaching and training landscape to enable academics and students to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

Redes neuronales de apoyo en la docencia bajo Moodle para predicción de deserción y reprobación escolar

Artificial Intelligence (AI) designs computer tools that simulate human intelligence processes, including learning, reasoning, and selfcorrection. In the educational field, AI facilitates the evaluation of student progress thro ugh neural networks that adjust tests to previously achieved achievements. The purpose of this work was to design an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) that will analyze the performance of students in the subject of Biomedical Informatics I at the Facultad de Medicina of the UNAM in order to estimate the probabilities of passing, failing, and dropping out. Materials and methods: A neural network was designed in Python, consisting of 3 fully connected layers, using performance information from approximately 2000 students in the Moodle platform for Biomedical Informatics I during 2019, 2020, and 2021 at the Facultad de Medicina of UNAM. The neural network was trained to estimate the probable performance of the students, executing 2500 epochs with a mean absolute error level of 0.0158. A kappa accuracy rate of 0.947 was obtained through a confusión matrix when classifying between passing and failing grades. For visualization, a web system with a traffic light system was designed to allow evaluation and teaching coordinators from the Department of Biomedical Informatics to consult the results obtained from the network. Discussion: The network must continue to be fed with controlled data, meaning data that is specifically worked for the network’s training, since the quality of the data in the input directly determines the quality of the data obtained at the end of the process, affecting the network’s objective attainment. Conclusion: There is still much to learn and work to be done, but the interdisciplinary effort will allow us to improve our system and ultimately support the educational process of future doctors in the best way possible. Keywords: Neural networks; education; Moodle; dropout; failure; AI; machine learning.

El docente de las asignaturas optativas en modalidad a distancia

Distance education at the Faculty of Medicine (FM) is a modality that contributes to fulfilling the professional profile of the surgeon. Currently, there are 26 subjects called elective subjects online in the distance modality (MOLIMOD), attended by 46 advisors. The teacher evaluation is characterized by assessing the satisfaction of the students in the achievement of their learning, the performance of the teachers, their abilities, the use of psycho-pedagogical resources and learning strategies. The MOLIMOD advisors were evaluated from 2015 to 2022 through a questionnaire on the Moodle platform applied at the end of the course. The questionnaire was confidential and consisted of six dimensions. The teachers who are part of the Open University and Distance Education System of the Faculty of Medicine (SUAyED-FM) make up a varied academic body, ranging from 25 to 92 years of age, with training in various disciplines. The results allow us to support the argument that there is coherence between the definition of the teaching profile established by the SUAyED and the performance of its functions in the distance modality. Keywords: Medical education; teacher evaluation; distance modality; optional subjects.

Effectiveness of an Adaptive Learning Chatbot on Students’ Learning Outcomes Based on Learning Styles

Intelligent learning systems provide relevant learning materials to students based on their individual pedagogical needs and preferences. However, providing personalized learning objects based on learners’ preferences, such as learning styles which are particularly important for the recommendation of learning objects, re-mains a challenge. Recommending the most appropriate learning objects for learners has always been a challenge in the field of e-learning. This challenge has driven educators and researchers to implement new ideas to help learners improve their learning experience and knowledge. New solutions use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP). In this paper, we propose and develop a new personalization approach for recommendation that implements the adaptation of learning objects according to the learners’ learning style mainly focused on the use of a chatbot, named LearningPartnerBot, which will be integrated into the Moodle platform. We use the Felder-Silverman Learning Styles Model to determine learners’ learning styles in order to recommend learning objects, and also to overcome the cold start problem. A chatbot is an automated communication tool that attempts to imitate a conversation by detecting the intentions of its user. The proposed LearningPartnerBot should be able to answer learners’ questions in real time and provide a relevant set of suggestions according to their needs.

Possibilities of Building a Personalized Educational Trajectory Using Moodle Platform

The article examines the differences between the two concepts of personalization and individualization in the context of education. The authors emphasize that most scientists agree that it is necessary to distinguish between these terms. Individualization implies the possibility of choice for students within the framework of the main educational program, and personalization – the development of an educational path, taking into account the interests, experience and pace of mastering the material for each student individually. The authors of the article draw attention to the terminological ambiguity associated with the introduction of digital technologies in education and offer clear and concise formulations for defining terms. The article also describes the designer of individual educational trajectories – an innovative development – in the distance learning system of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, which allows you to create personalized educational trajectories based on materials posted on the Moodle platform by automating the selection of elements of disciplines according to a given professional profile.

MOCK CONFERENCE IN PRE-SERVICE TRANSLATORS TRAINING

The given research deals with one of the most important issues related to pre-service translators’ training such as both language and professional skills development in Kazakhstani settings. Thus, skills in oral translation from English into Kazakh and/or Russian and vice versa are in pretty high demand these days that is why one of the aims of Translation and interpreting internship course is to develop the consecutive translation skills of pre-service translators. So, to imitate the conditions of interpreters’ work we conducted the mock conference dedicated to the main problems of Translation studies and Linguistics in the frame of the above mentioned course. The main idea of this case study was to involve our students into both research and professional activity as well as to develop their language and consecutive translation skills. Our research population included 47 students who worked both as presenters and interpreters in the frame of the mock conference procedure. Then we conducted the opinion survey using the online tools provided by the Moodle platform (in our case, the option of Critical incident survey had been chosen as the most appropriate one).

Moodle platform and Zoom videoconference: learning skills in the virtual modality

In Peruvian Universities, most of the Moodle platforms and the Zoom videoconference were used in virtual teaching-learning. The teachers and students of the University of Sciences and Humanities, which is the object of study, used these tools in the class session. Moodle and Zoom complement each other for virtual classes during the pandemic time. The objective of the research is the influence of Zoom and Moodle on learning skills. The methodological design of the research has correlational scope, quantitative, non-experimental approach of cross-section. A survey was conducted of 95 students from the first cycles of the university. The instrument was validated by expert judgments with 86.3% approval. In addition, reliability was performed with Cronbach's Alpha, obtaining the value of 0.875. A p-value of 0000 was obtained as a result and the degree of correlation between Moodle and learning skills was 0.438** and Zoom with learning skills was 0.519**; determining in this way that there is a moderate positive significant correlation. It is concluded that the development of learning skills that correspond to digital skills, the communicative and cognitive part is due to the use of the Moodle platform and the Zoom videoconference in the learning sessions.

REPORTED SPEECH WITHIN MOODLE TESTS. ASSESSING GRAMMAR ASPECTS OF INDIRECT SPEECH

Reported Speech or Indirect Speech is widely used in the formal register of the language, as at the level of professional communication collocutors are more likely to be interested in sending or respectively receiving the message that a certain job or task has been done instead of emphasising who the author or the performer is. Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), as professional communication devices, witness multiple instances of Indirect speech communication, hence the need of having such structures much discussed and often practised with our students in economics and with the students in law, during their language classes. A facility thoroughly implemented and largely used with all categories of students in our higher education institution in the time of the recent pandemic, namely the Moodle platform, brings about the online testing tool. This provides the possibility of numerous, accurate, quick self-evaluation tests that can be performed not only at class during the practical courses but also, if such set, at any time the teachers consider proper and allow it, due to the availability of this e-learning platform to all our students, with private accounts, wherever they have internet and a valid device to access it properly. The language teachers can employ this facility creating short tests that would quickly assess knowledge of language, acquisition of grammar aspects and ability to make good use of the structures belonging to the reported speech. With the instant feedback provided by the application, self-evaluations and improvement of knowledge by repeated self-evaluations become available and much valuable tools for hundreds of students, with no more need of corrections from the teachers, a time-saving and very useful learning and testing facility. This paper puts forward some examples of such tests, created by the authors and used during their classes or set for their students’ individual practice. The examples given can be of help to other language instructors who have the possibility to use Moodle or a similar application and are willing to provide their learners with a modern tool of learning and testing, much appreciated by the students as well.

USE OF GEOINFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN DISTANCE LEARNING OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS IN GEOGRAPHY

Geoinformation technologies are an important element of professional education for future geographers and are widely used in their training program, at the same time geoinformation technologies depend on the participants` technical support in the educational process, both in full-time education and distance learning. The article examines the specifics of the application of geoinformation technologies in the organization of distance learning on the example of certain disciplines of the curriculum of future geography specialists. The article identifies the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning on the example of the disciplines “Fundamentals of Geoinformatics” and “Cartography and GIS” studied by the students of the Department of Physical Geography and Efficient Environmental Management of the Faculty of Geography at Uzhhorod National University. The absolute advantages of this studying format for teachers are the ability to freely choose the necessary materials, academic mobility and a fundamentally new educational space. Students have the opportunity to master new disciplines in more comfortable conditions for them and in compliance with the principles of equality. At the same time, distance learning involves a wide application of an individual approach to each student, taking into account, in particular, the hardware and software necessary to work with GIS technologies. The main disadvantages of distance learning of the academic disciplines “Fundamentals of Geoinformatics” and “Cartography and GIS” are considered. The most problematic issue for all participants of the educational process is the technical and software support at home. The process of providing students with a licensed software product taking into account different levels of hardware (personal computers, laptops, tablets) is also resource-intensive. The lack of a social environment for students is another disadvantage of distance education. Ways and means of overcoming the indicated shortcomings of distance learning of the disciplines “Fundamentals of Geoinformatics” and “Cartography and GIS” using the geographic information system ArcGIS are proposed. While forming the structure of the educational process it is necessary to solve the problem of hardware and software, form the information content of the courses and provide access to it. Google services and the Moodle platform can play an important role here.

Maximizing Students’ Learning in Maritime English Online Course

The current appeal within MET to design effective online courses has arisen from the necessity to develop flexible learning environment to reinforce student background knowledge and widen student access to information. The paper presents ways for maximizing students’ learning in Maritime English online course under conditions of permanent online learning and teaching. The participants in this study are students of the Navigation Faculty and teachers of the English Language Department for Deck Officers at Kherson State Maritime Academy, Ukraine. The study examines students’ engagement and teachers’ experiences while learning and teaching Maritime English via virtual platforms. Online surveys have been designed to investigate the effectiveness of tailor-made e-books and supplementary e-courses on the LMS Moodle platform to enable communicative interaction and provide communicative proficiency development at online lessons on Zoom. The survey has explored students’ advancements in the online course and the areas for further instruction upgrading to reinforce personalized and active learning.

Use of the Moodle Platform in Higher Education Institutions During Training Masters: Experience Under Martial Law

With the development of information technologies, elements of distance learning were gradually introduced into the educational process. Today in Ukraine, in the conditions of a full-scale war, distance learning is a means that helps preserve the functioning of Ukrainian universities. But at the same time, the emergency deployment of distance learning and the rapid filling of the resources of the Moodle distance platform highlighted many problems that students face during adaptation to online learning and, in particular, when using the Moodle platform. The purpose of the study was to establish the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning in universities of Ukraine. To conduct the research, a questionnaire was developed, which contained three main blocks of questions: experience with the Moodle platform, advantages of the platform, problems that arose during use. 237 full-time master's students at the economic, medical, economic and philological faculties took part in the survey. According to the results of the survey, 64.14% of girls took part in the survey. 30% are students of the Faculty of Economics and 17% are students of the Faculty of Philology. When asked about adaptation, 50% of students answered positively. 56% of respondents answered that Moodle is the main source of information for them when preparing for practical classes. 45% answered that their knowledge did not change, 25% indicated that their knowledge improved. Main advantages of distance learning as the ability to study from home, not to spend time getting to the university, but among the disadvantages, it was noted that many students feel lack social contacts. Distance learning, as a result of technical progress, has quite reliably entered education and has proven itself on the positive side, but it has created certain problems that will require solutions.

Development of Students’ Metacognitive Skills by Means of Educational Technologies in ESP Instruction at University

Metacognitive skills which provide regulation and management of students’ intellectual activity in the process of their self-education are of great importance, especially in the context of the learner-centered education paradigm in the global information space, with its focus on the self-study and self-development of an individual. In this regard, the article aimed to analyze the development of metacognitive skills in first year students by means of educational technologies in ESP classes at technical university in Ukraine. As shown by the results of the study, educational technologies can be successfully used for the development of such metacognitive skills as self-directed learning skills, collaboration skills, self-management skills, self-reflection skills in first year students studying ESP at university level. The educational technologies used in our study – the Moodle platform, WebQuest, blogs and wikis, Google Classroom, Quizlet – confirmed their efficiency as a useful tool for the development of metacognition since they provide the learning environment which makes it possible for students to organize and control their learning, make decisions, reflect on the results of their learning experience and make necessary changes and adjustments if necessary.

Developing a Virtual Engineering Lab Using ADDIE Model

In recent years, digital competence has become essential at the workplace. There is a growing demand for engineers with both employability and digital skills. As a result of the technological advancements, the Virtual Laboratory (VLab) concept was created to provide students with a safe environment to acquire the skills and enthusiasm to enhance the delivery of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. This study presents a VLab developed using ADDIE model design criteria that allows users to perform VLab in engineering education. Users were able to carry out experiments individually or collectively, creating an effective, flexible learning environment for students. This was integrated smoothly into the Campus Moodle platform learning environment. The VLab design and implementation details are explained and validated through Alpha and Beta acceptance testing. A mixed-methods research design was used to collect and analyse the data. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 144 students, and 17 of them were interviewed to collect qualitative data. The findings revealed that the VLab is a collaborative, effective, and interactive learning environment that develops graduates' knowledge, soft skills, and digital skills while also improving their competencies relevant to the enhancement of digital skills at their workplace. As a result, lecturers are recommended to use VLab to enhance the quality of teaching and advance the learning experiences of their students.

INDIVIDUALIZATION IN ENGINEERING DESIGN EDUCATION: IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ADAPTIVE E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (ADE-LE)

AbstractWell-educated engineers are key for successful engineering design in product development. Due to varying school education and technical backgrounds, the students have different prerequisites for the acquisition of competences. Subject of this paper is to show the methodical implementation of the prototype AdE-Le suited to the curriculum at Ruhr-University-Bochum and the open source learning platform Moodle. Aim is to evaluate the didactic potential to support engineering students with heterogeneous competence levels. The general needs and existing approaches for E-Learning environments as a means to individualize learning content in engineering design are discussed. Major aim is to reduce the linkage between the students' technical background and their exam success. AdE-Le as an exemplary application is developed based on the didactical concept of Constructive Alignment. Due to a harmonization of learning methods and contents in Engineering Design across the members of the Scientific Society for Product Development the results of this investigation can be transferred to other Universities.

СОХРАНЕНИЕ ИНТЕРЕСА ОБУЧАЮЩИХСЯ К ИЗУЧЕНИЮ ДИСЦИПЛИНЫ ПУТЕМ СОЗДАНИЯ ИНДИВИДУАЛЬНЫХ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНЫХ ТРАЕКТОРИЙ В ЭЛЕКТРОННОЙ СРЕДЕ ВУЗА

The paper presents a method of creating an individual educational trajectory within a specific discipline. The method is aimed at giving students an option to consider their personal characteristics and needs while studying the discipline in order to maintain interest in said discipline throughout the entire course - an issue that is highly relevant in higher education today. The LMS Moodle platform provides such an option in the form of additional sub-modules called Supporter and Forward that can be added to the basic e-course.

Training of future primary school teachers to preserve and strengthen the physical health of students with special educational needs in distance learning

The article is devoted to the problem of professional training of future primary school teachers using digital educational technologies on the example of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University. The purpose of the article is to highlight the peculiarities of distance training of future primary school teachers to preserve and strengthen the physical health of children with special educational needs in inclusive education in the course of studying the discipline "Physical Education with Teaching Methods". To achieve this goal, the conceptual ideas of inclusive education based on the principles of democratization, non-discrimination, consideration of human diversity, effective involvement and inclusion of all participants in the educational process, taking into account their individual needs, capabilities, abilities and interests, and the professional competencies of the future primary school teacher, in particular, inclusive, health-saving and designing needs, which allow to execute the task of preserving and strengthening of the physical health of the children with special educational needs. In order to highlight the peculiarities of professional training of future primary school teachers in a distance format, the experience of teaching the discipline "Physical Culture with Teaching Methods" for students of the first (bachelor's) level of higher education in the specialty 013 "Primary Education with Special Education Methods" was analyzed. The discipline was taught using the educational platform Moodle of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University and Google applications. It is determined that the execution of the tasks of training future primary school teachers should be carried out both through the analysis, transformation and optimization of the content of theoretical and practical professional training, as well as updating the content of educational programs and curricula, taking into account the realities of today.

ONLINE UNIVERSITY TEACHING OF LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE IN AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA

Considering the significant changes that have occurred throughout the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the duration of the online teaching modality, we will investigate how university teachers of Language, Literature and Culture in Autonomous Province of Vojvodina responded to the biggest challenge of today’s education. For the purposes of the research, a Google Forms survey was conducted in which foreign and native language teachers from universities in Vojvodina participated. The aim of this research was to examine the ways of teaching in pandemic conditions, the difficulties faced by teachers and the solutions they found to overcome them. The results should offer to an insight into the main problems in conducting online classes, conditions and working methods, the use of the university platform Moodle and other most used e-platforms and digital tools, as well as the main advantages and disadvantages, along with (dis)satisfaction of teachers with the achieved teaching.

Moodle-Based Development of Primary Education under Martial Law

A specific feature of the organization of education during wartime is the creation of a modern educational environment for the harmonious development of students in conditions of war. The substantiation of ways of developing qualities, values and competences of primary school students is important for solving a number of contradictions between the quality training of students to be competitive in the process of building labour relations at age stages, and the insufficient level of their real preparation for productive activities. There is also a contradiction between a significant volume of promising information in the conditions of rapidly changing technologies and unadjusted educational environment to innovative changes in terms of its analysis and use. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the Moodle platform on the academic performance of primary schoolers under martial law. The aim was achieved through the use of the following methods: questionnaire survey, testing, methods of statistical analysis. It was found that the introduction of the modernized curriculum in the Moodle platform had a positive effect on the academic performance of the students of the experimental group (EG) compared to the students who used the traditional platform. The crosswords, interactive assignments, as well as animated videos in case of correct completion of tests were also added to encourage students to complete additional assignments after the lesson. This also affected the positive result of the final stage of testing. A promising direction for further research may be the development of interactive tasks for primary schoolers to better assimilate the material they have learned.

Un nuovo modello per l’insegnamento della traduzione russo-italiano nei corsi universitari magistrali attraverso Moodle

The author describes a new didactic model developed on the Moodle platform for teaching Russian‑Italian translation in the university context. The model, aimed at developing the translation competence of learners, is based on the cooperative learning method and general foreign language teaching principles. Using a longitudinal study involving the collection of qualitative and quantitative data, the model was tested in a 42‑hour asynchronous MA course unit. The findings indicate that the proposed didactic model, which brings together translation theory and practice, can successfully promote the development of translation competence in students.