Tertiary teaching in New Zealand/Blended learning/Introduction to eLearning tools/Our Learning Management System – Moodle

An example of a Learning Management System - Moodle[[Image:Moodle1.jpg|right]]
A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application that enables teachers to be able to create learning content (readings, activities, internal and external links, media files, and assessments) as well as faciltating internet access to this content. It will also enable interaction between learners and teachers, and for learners to interact with each other. As well, an LMS should be able to provide automated administration in the form of security, tracking, and records of assessment and certification.

These applications are sometimes called Content Management Systems (CMS). The two most widely used are Blackboard and Moodle - here is a good comparison between the two. Moodle.is different in that it is a free, open-source application, and emphasises the interaction tools rather than the content-creation functions. Wikipedia has an excellent article on Moodle explaining its constructivist approach.

You can look at some Moodle sites created by students by clicking on the links below. These have been set to allow guest access. They are works in progress, not completely best practice yet, but you will see examples of the ways that the features of Moodle can be used.

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