DigitalTechNurse

For the past several months we have developed dummy test sites within Moodle to trial the functions and the appropriateness for our course context. We appreciate with any new platforms there will be teething problems however, we feel by taking the time to modify requirements to meet student engagement needs will be paramount. Having the dummy sites has proven to be invaluable and allowed us to implement several changes and inclusions into this learning platform such as: Course content broken down into Modules with all study guides, readings and assessments in the one location Discussion board/forums Ability for students to upload their assessment via turnitin and for educators to mark directly Upload pre-recorded webinars Quizzes to test current knowledge Discussions with our Instructional Designer on how we can make the landing page and banners more engaging by including course branding Ensuring that Moodle (Learning Management System) can talk directly with Wisenet (Studen...

Ultimately, I see Moodle as a constructivist style of learning. The work by Ernst Von Glaserfeld and Jean Piaget highlights that digital learning focussing on students actively being involved in their learning.  http://cmapspublic3.ihmc.us/rid=1LGVGJY66-CCD5CZ-12G3/Learning%20Theory.cmap The TPACK Framework (Technological, Pedagogical, Content, Knowledge) also highlights the importance of utilising current technologies to engage and continually adapt.  http://tpack.org As discussed in   https://www.fondation-mines-telecom.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2014-higher-education-digital-age.pdf  a digital leaning platform seems to change the transmission of knowledge and shift the teacher focus to a learning process. The students are learning to learn.

For positive student experiences and engagement we need to ensure we provide a quality and reliable one stop learning shop. We want a mixture of pedagogical and theoretical strategies to enhance our students learning experience. We want to bridge the tyranny of distance for our students by providing equitable and engaging learning environments no matter where they are sitting. We want their learning experience to be enhanced by engagement with not only the teacher but also their peers. We ultimately want a scaffolding approach to their learning. Meaning the students play a major role in their own learning process. Lev Vygotsky developed 'The Zone of Proximal Development' which explored the distances from the student undertaking a task with a teacher or peer guidance or independently. The outcome Vygotsky described was learning occurred in all the zones   https://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html  which only highlights the importance of using Moo...

Given Moodle is the new platform that we will be implementing in 2019, I thought what do I need to know? Well the first stop must be to visit the Moodle site and see exactly how they promote this online learning environment. This short youtube clip developed by Moodle provides an overview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ORsUGVNxGs#action=share

In 2019 future cohorts of my program are being transitioned from a USB where course material was provided to a Moodle platform. Hence, I feel by choosing Moodle as the selected technology for this blog will hopefully enhance my understanding and scope of exactly what it can do. So sit back, relax and lets enjoy this journey of finding out what exactly Moodle can offer for student engagement, teaching and learning.

Welcome to the first post of the DigitalTechNurse! The aim of this blog is to discuss a digital technology that will be useful in the learning and teaching context. Stay tuned for more information to come.