For the webinar, we highlighted two unique Moodlerooms customers that recently made the transition to joule to implement a more comprehensive solution that connected seamlessly with their campus' existing Datatel administrative systems. While many of the questions submitted by the audience were directed at the webinar panelists, quite a few of the questions focused on Moodlerooms. Today, we're answering those questions.
If you didn't get a chance to see the webinar, check it out here. Also, to view the responses from our panelists, check out our two most recent blog posts, listed below.
Looking for more information? Have further questions? If so, check out the case studies of our webinar participants, or feel free to submit them in the comments below.
As always, thanks for reading
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is Datatel?
Moodlerooms: Datatel is an enterprise technology products and services provider for higher education. Also a trusted partner of Moodlerooms, Datatel was mentioned quite often by both panelists during the webinar discussion due to the solution that their respective schools (Southwest Community College and Clackamas Community College) are in the process of implementing. The solution, the Intelligent Learning Platform (ILP), provides a cohesive teaching and learning experience by enabling single sign-on and tight integration between Datatel’s Colleague SIS with Moodlerooms’ enterprise e-learning platform, joule. Included is the Datatel Portal, which combines Microsoft SharePoint for business intelligence and shared content management.
What are the significant differences between Moodle and Moodlerooms? Is Moodlerooms a hosted turnkey Moodle solution?
Moodlerooms: You're right on target. Moodlerooms makes open source Moodle available in a turnkey solution. The easiest way to describe this is with the following equation:
- Moodlerooms = Managed Open-Source Moodle + Services + Extended Features
- Moodlerooms harnesses the most up-to-date Moodle source code at the core of the joule platform and then "wraps" the code with in-house developed extended features, tie-ins and integrations with third-party products so the software operates in a seamless fashion.
- The Moodlerooms codebase is managed and maintained in-house by Moodlerooms developers.
- Moodlerooms users have extensible access to all of the updates and innovations from the Moodle community, as well as to Moodlerooms' own in-house developments.
- By providing a wide variety of services (hosting, support, course conversion, implementation, SIS/ERP integration, training, and customization) Moodlerooms can deliver a fully-supported Moodle solution to customers.
Moodlerooms: Moodlerooms' sales staff regularly delivers live demonstrations of the enterprise Moodle platform, joule, for those who are interested. We also provide access to a demo course, which can be accessed, here. We also accept webinar requests. Feel free to submit them via email to feedback@moodlerooms.com.
What type of Web 2.0 tools does Moodle offer?
Moodlerooms: Moodle was built on a social constructionist framework. As such, Moodle makes many Web 2.0 tools to facilitate social networking, collaboration and communication, such as:
- Wiki
- Glossary
- Blog
- Chat
- Forums
- Messaging
- User Profiles
- HTML block (embed tags from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube)
Does Moodlerooms integrate with other student information systems?
Moodlerooms: Moodlerooms' enterprise Moodle platform, joule, features a systems integration tool called Conduit, which enables integration with just about any external information system that has import/export capabilities. Conduit supports the mapping of data fields in an exported CSV file into the tables in Conduit, to be synchronized with Moodle based on the configuration's rules. For more information on Conduit, click here.
Have any of Moodlerooms clients converted from eCollege?
Moodlerooms: LA College International converted to Moodlerooms from eCollege. You can read their story in their case study posted here.
Is course provisioning automatic? Are class sections created in Moodle at the same time as they are created in Datatel - or is it a batch process?
Moodlerooms: With the ILP, class sections created in Moodle at the same time that they are created in Datatel Colleague. That's one of the main benefits of the ILP--it eliminates many time-consuming administrative tasks relating to course creation, grades, enrollments and password management.
So Datatel is required for the integration w/ Moodlerooms joule?
Moodlerooms: Actually, no. As stated above, Moodlerooms can integrate with just about any external information system that has import/export capabilities using Conduit, a systems integration tool available with the enterprise e-Learning platform, joule. With the Intelligent Learning Platform, Moodlerooms and Datatel have expanded what's possible with an ERP/SIS and LMS integration.
Does the integration with Datatel mean that; 1. student enrollments in Moodle classrooms are automatic? 2. gradebook results from Moodle can be ported to Datatel?
Moodlerooms: Yes and yes. When a student enrolls in a course through Datatel Colleague, they are automatically enrolled in the corresponding course in Moodle. Secondly, gradebook results are updated automatically in Datatel Colleague when they are entered in Moodle and vice versa.
Has anyone considered Moodle as a legitimate platform for faculty web sites where faculty would publish results of their research?
Moodlerooms: While none of our customers have used Moodle as a platform for publishing research results, it doesn't mean it can't be done. Perhaps it's a good question for the open-source Moodle community. We'll get back to you on that one.
Can you link assignments, forums, quizzes within a lesson?
Moodlerooms: Yes, with the Lesson module, instructors can deliver assignments, forums and quizzes within a particular lesson. Also, the Lesson module can deliver content in interesting and flexible ways with no direct or time-sensitive action required by the instructor once the lesson has been created.
Is the Messaging tool internal to Moodlerooms or can you forward messages to external email addresses?
Moodlerooms: Moodlerooms provides a standard SMTP server through which all e-mail from joule is sent. joule’s email List feature allows users to send e-mail from within joule to an external e-mail address. email List also supports file attachments. Because email List uses joule's standard WYSIWYG HTML editor, this feature also supports extended characters and mathematical formulas.
What about use of publishers' packages; is easy to include them in Moodle?
Moodlerooms: Moodle is content agnostic and allows instructors to easily import content to their courses from external sources, including standard test item formats and test generation applications. As long at the third-party content provider exports to a supported format (and many do export content in a Moodle-supported format), it can be used within joule. Because of core Moodle’s global reach, many publishers have pre-configured course content available for Moodle. joule supports most common multimedia and content standards, including:
- SCORM/AICC
- IMS Content Packaging
- IMS Common Cartridge
- IMS QTI - for exchanging questions and tests between systems
- SCORM/ IMS Common Cartridge
- Word Doc/RTF
- PowerPoint
- JPEG
- GIF
- Flash
- MPEG-4
- QuickTime
- RealVideo
- Windows Media Video
- High-definition CODEC
- H.264
- AAC audio (Advanced Audio Compression)
Moodlerooms: Moodlerooms provides free access to its database of FAQs and tutorials, which can be accessed for free by clicking here.
Moodlerooms also provide customers with the option of 24/7 end user support services as a part of their e-Learning platform. End-user support enables all Moodle users to access a Moodle expert by email, chat or phone.
The game format is increasingly becoming a teaching approach. Can Moodlerooms support a game format as a class framework?
Moodlerooms: As part of its prescriptive and deliverables-oriented implementation process, Moodlerooms has created twelve distinct course design pathways that can support particular instructional needs. One of those design pathways, entitled "New Teaching Methodologies," is based on the increasingly popular "game format."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment