Monash University in Melbourne has selected the open source Moodle e-learning platform for its next-generation virtual learning environment (VLE) which will integrate with third-party applications.
Monash’s decision to go with the Moodle 2.0 (released last November) learning management system (LMS) should provide greater autonomy to both educators and students, according to Moodle services provider NetSpot.
The new VLE is a five-year strategic initiative which will integrate online learning and teaching tools with the Moodle platform; including the Google Apps for Education suite (email, calendar, sites, groups and chat), MeTL (an inking software for tablet PCs developed by Monash’s eEducation Centre) and an ePortfolio tool.
Monash has more than five years of helpdesk data to help it with its VLE project, which falls under the management of the university’s CIO, Dr. Ian Tebbett.
Pro Vice-Chancellor for learning and teaching at Monash, Marnie Hughes-Warrington, said the move to Moodle 2.0 is part of the University’s wider vision of e-learning in which the dynamic connection of staff and students is paramount.
“For us, leadership in e-learning means usability and technology for creating learning relationships,” Hughes-Warrington said.
Last month, Monash was caught up in a security breach on it’s external website.
According to NetSpot, it is the first Moodle partner globally to support Moodle 2.0 enterprise-wide for institutions like Monash.
Moodle is seeing continued adoption in the local education sector, with Sydney grammar school Redlands integrating the application with Microsoft’s Live@Edu services.
Moodle founder and lead developer Martin Dougiamas, said: “It’s tremendously exciting to see Monash University joining the ranks of leading institutions that are choosing to base their core teaching and learning operations on a Moodle 2.0 platform.”
“[Monash has] chosen one of our leading Moodle Partners, NetSpot, to help with the configuration and transition, as well as ongoing support. I look forward to a long association with Monash as part of our world-wide community,” he said.
In other e-learning news, Austrade will move its next-generation LMS to a Cloud provider.
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