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Using Moodle with compatible technologies to create streamlined, media-rich courses
November 5, 2013
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

2 Presented by
Eiizabeth Blankenship,
Interim Director of
Instructional Technology
University of New Orleans
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans
Dr. Rob Stufflebeam, Chair,
Department of Philosophy,
University of New Orleans

3
Rich Course Design:
Multi-Modal
Learning
Conflicting
Goals
Streamlined
Course Files
Easier administration
Smoother User
Experience
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

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Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

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Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans
• Storage
• Server performance
• Backup and restore

6 So … how to balance?
Reduce image size in PowerPoint and
Word Files
Shrink pdfs: lower resolution
Use Moodle HTML instead of big Word files
Set videos for lower viewing quality
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

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 Shrink PPTs
 Shrink Word docs
 Shrink PDFs
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

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These are helpful measures,
BUT…
… the types of media that really blow up a course size require moving the media from the course, to be served from an external location
Ginormous video file you can’t live without
Moodle
Course
File
637 image
Photo Gallery
27 hours of audio lectures
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

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Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

10 My Private Files
• Streams quickly since courses and files are on the same server
• Keeps all your course material backed up in one place
• Does not reduce storage costs significantly
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

11 Google Drive, Dropbox
• New to Moodle 2.x
• Can be tricky to set up
• Streaming can be slow, depending on students’ internet access
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

12 Local Media Server
• Costly
• Requires setup and programming
• File type restrictions
• May not be user-friendly
• May not meet Fair Use copyright standards
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

13 Embedding videos in YouTube
• Free, offsite backup
• Embeddable
• ADA accessible; can create captions
• Instructors can control their content
• Depends on YouTube for access
• Still need to backup your product
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

14 YouTube at UNO
We have used YouTube to add closed-captioning to videos for hearing-impaired students; to reduce file sizes of courses with weekly and twice-weekly recorded lectures; to serve classroom lectures captured on video for flipped courses.
YouTube allows users to set access to Public,
Private or Unlisted, which allows our faculty to determine how to share their course materials outside of the classroom.
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

15 Linking to media through courses in iTunes U
• Free, offsite media platform
• Pairs media-rich lectures with Moodle graded activities
• Serves a mixture of media
• Instructor control of content
• Benefits of open-course PR
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

16 iTunes U at UNO
We were early adopters, with a series of New
Orleans Literature video lectures; current offerings include Chemistry courses with huge lecture and video files (in Moodle, they pushed 30 GB).
Our online BA in Philosophy core courses mesh enhanced podcasts in iTunes U with forums, assignments and quizzes in Moodle.
The iTunes U platform is open access, and provides a good exposure for appealing content.
Currently, UNO Philosophy courses hold six of the top ten slots at iTunes U, including Rob’s
Philosophy of Mind at #1.
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

17 Multi-Modal – UNO Philosophy Online Program
The online Philosophy program draws on multiple platforms and tools:
• YouTube – training videos
• iTunes U – enhanced podcasts and documents
• Moodle – entry point and graded activities
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

18 Faculty Training
We want faculty to buy in to making good choices as to how they manage their media content. This requires several approaches:
• Training in creating and optimizing image and video files
• Information on available tools
• A checklist for planning new content
• Assistance in updating (including assessing for ADA compliance) existing media content
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

19
Q&A
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans

20 Get in Touch …
• 504-280-7473
• rstuffle@uno.edu
Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans
• 504-280-5512
• eblanken@uno.edu

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Presentation to 2013 Moodle Moot New Orleans
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