EWaye_casestudy_1

Case Study 1: Moodle Meets Cinderella

 * Mentoree: Lidia Lipkiewicz**

media type="file" key="Moodle Meets Cinderella_0001.wmv" width="300" height="300"

__** Treading Water **__

This year, Lidia has been teaching 3 days a week at Tea Tree Gully campus in Education Skills Development 2 (ESD2) and one day a week in the ESL program at Salisbury campus. Although she had been using Moodle with her ESD2 students (adding resources and integrating them into her classroom sessions), she says, “I was treading water in Moodle”. The ESL Cert III/IV class she was teaching on Thursdays were using Moodle on other days of the week but not with Lidia; not until semester 2, when Lidia began a project requiring on-going collaboration between students. __** Moodle Meets Cinderella **__ Late in semester 1, Lidia approached the ESL work team about putting on a student drama production. After deciding on “Cinderella” as a theme, students were divided into groups: script-writing, props, costumes, sound/lighting, marketing and actors/dancers. Lidia who was co-ordinating the project was only on campus one day a week. However, the group research and planning activities leading up to the performance had to be on-going throughout the week involving students and lecturers across classes. Using forums was the ideal way for everyone to keep in touch. Over 7 weeks up to the performance on Nov 3, there were over 180 entries in the forum. It was critical in keeping the momentum going, sharing information and ideas, updating progress and meeting deadlines. Lidia says, “Without the forums provided on Moodle, I don’t believe that we could have pulled off the drama production.....(the forums) allowed for students to work collaboratively...and was undoubtedly a major factor in generating and maintaining excitement and momentum required to keep the focus and in getting the job done.” In Moodle, students were also able to practice their lines by listening to a recording of the script, learn dance steps by watching youtube and add their own photos. __** Next semester **__ According to Lidia, the key to her success in using Moodle this semester was driven by needs and goals. In her view, Moodle is ideal for “project-based and integrated methodologies”. Next semester, she plans to explore further the ways in which students can add their own resources and have a greater investment in their class website. And therefore, we have already started discussing the possibilities: Wikis, Chat Room, Messages, Data base, Surveys.....