Moodle

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Moodle (hereinafter, the Software) is open-source modular e-learning software written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Developed on pedagogical principles, Moodle is used for blended learning, distance education, flipped classroom and other e-learning projects in schools, universities, workplaces and other sectors.

The name is an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. With customizable management features, it is used to create private websites with online courses for educators and trainers to achieve learning goals.


System-user roles

  1. Admins
  2. Course Creators
  3. Teachers
  4. Students
  5. Guests

Overview

Moodle was originally developed by Martin Dougiamas to help educators create online courses with a focus on interaction and collaborative construction of content, and it is in continual evolution. The first version of Moodle was released on 20 August 2002. Nowadays the Moodle Project is led and coordinated by Moodle HQ, an Australian company of 50 developers which is financially supported by a network of eighty four Moodle Partner service companies worldwide. Moodle's development has also been assisted by the work of open-source programmers.

Moodle as a learning platform can enhance existing learning environments. As an E-learning tool, Moodle has a wide range of standard and innovative features such as calendar and Gradebook. Moodle is a leading managed learning environment and can be used in many types of environments such as education, training and development and in business settings.

Plugins

Plugins are a flexible tool set, allowing Moodle users to extend the features of the site. There are hundreds of plugins for Moodle, extending the features of Moodle's core functionality. Each plugin is maintained in the Moodle plugins directory. As of June 2017, there are 1,342 plugins available for Moodle with over 405,200 recent downloads.

Themes

Graphical themes for Moodle can be installed to change the look and functionality of a Moodle site or of an individual course.

Translations

Moodle has been translated in over 100 languages, available for any site administrator to install. People in various countries maintain and contribute to the various language packs.

Mobile

Many Moodle themes, based on responsive web design, allow Moodle to be used on mobile devices. Also, a Moodle mobile app is available in Google Play, App Store (iOS), and the Windows Phone Store.

Origin of name

The acronym Moodle stands for modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment. (In the early years the "m" stood for "Martin's", named after Martin Dougiamas, the original developer). As well as being an acronym, the name was chosen because of the dictionary definition of Moodle and to correspond to an available domain name.

Moodle conferences

A MoodleMoot is a conference for Moodle community members, held to learn about Moodle, share experiences of the learning platform, discuss research in related educational technologies and contribute ideas to future Moodle development. Held around the world, MoodleMoots are organised by universities or other large organisations using Moodle, Moodle Partners, Moodle associations or Moodle HQ.

See also

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