Schedule: 2009-09-09 (18:00 - 18:30)
Educational Showcase (Sala de Conferencias 1)

Title: Using Moodle Quiz to Support Courseware Learning
Authors: Haruo Nishinoh, Yoichiro Hasebe
Abstract: Commercial on-line courseware is one of the most popular (for the school administrators) but unpopular (for the students) e-Learning materials. This presentation demonstrates how Moodle and its Quiz activity, which is based on “question bank”, can support and help students’ learning on on-line courseware.

In most Japanese tertiary educational institutions, “e-Learning system” has been implemented. Sometimes this system proves to be an LMS or CMS, but often it is commercial language (mostly English) learning courseware, which is accessible through the intranet or the Internet.

Unless the courseware is closely tied with the lesson plan of the class, students are hardly motivated to study courseware materials on a self-access and autonomous basis. There seem to be two factors at work; one is that the system does not give learning schedule and the other is that it lacks effective means to check students’ progress. Scheduling can be given on paper, but paper-based testing is not a relevant solution when the courseware-based learning is implemented for out-of-class activities.

Using Moodle seems to provide a reasonable solution. Moodle quiz, which randomly select quiz items from the question bank, seems to be ideal for extensive test coverage. However, creating question items, which reaches more than several thousand for vocabulary courseware, is not an easy task without a help of software tools. Presenters solved this problem, processing the quiz data extracted from the courseware through in-house-developed small software tools with Web interface. (This was done with the consent from the courseware developer, of course.) The tools convert text file data into GIFT formatted, matching, multiple-choice and true-false quiz items.

The GIFT file is then fed and imported into the Moodle question bank. Students read the quiz announcement, know the test coverage and timing, and learn when and what to study. Teachers are able to check students’ progress both on the courseware and on Moodle through “grades” function. The presenters will also demonstrate how the quiz-making tools work and how much the system contributed to promoting students’ learning activities.
Keywords: on-line courseware, CALL, Moodle, Quiz creating software

Main topic: Assessment, testing, feedback and guidance in CALL

Biodata: Haruo Nishinoh: Associate Professor in Humanities Computing and Medieval Studies, Instutute for Language and Culture, Doshisha University Yoichiro Hasebe: Associate Professor in Linguistics with special interest in cognitive linguistics and programming with Ruby and Perl, Doshisha University
Type of presentation Courseware Exhibition

Paper category (Other)

Target educational sector Secondary education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project Yes

Schedule:	2009-09-09 (18:00 - 18:30) Educational Showcase (Sala de Conferencias 1)
Title:	Using Moodle Quiz to Support Courseware Learning
Authors:	Haruo Nishinoh, Yoichiro Hasebe
Abstract:	Commercial on-line courseware is one of the most popular (for the school administrators) but unpopular (for the students) e-Learning materials. This presentation demonstrates how Moodle and its Quiz activity, which is based on “question bank”, can support and help students’ learning on on-line courseware. In most Japanese tertiary educational institutions, “e-Learning system” has been implemented. Sometimes this system proves to be an LMS or CMS, but often it is commercial language (mostly English) learning courseware, which is accessible through the intranet or the Internet. Unless the courseware is closely tied with the lesson plan of the class, students are hardly motivated to study courseware materials on a self-access and autonomous basis. There seem to be two factors at work; one is that the system does not give learning schedule and the other is that it lacks effective means to check students’ progress. Scheduling can be given on paper, but paper-based testing is not a relevant solution when the courseware-based learning is implemented for out-of-class activities. Using Moodle seems to provide a reasonable solution. Moodle quiz, which randomly select quiz items from the question bank, seems to be ideal for extensive test coverage. However, creating question items, which reaches more than several thousand for vocabulary courseware, is not an easy task without a help of software tools. Presenters solved this problem, processing the quiz data extracted from the courseware through in-house-developed small software tools with Web interface. (This was done with the consent from the courseware developer, of course.) The tools convert text file data into GIFT formatted, matching, multiple-choice and true-false quiz items. The GIFT file is then fed and imported into the Moodle question bank. Students read the quiz announcement, know the test coverage and timing, and learn when and what to study. Teachers are able to check students’ progress both on the courseware and on Moodle through “grades” function. The presenters will also demonstrate how the quiz-making tools work and how much the system contributed to promoting students’ learning activities.
Keywords:	on-line courseware, CALL, Moodle, Quiz creating software
Main topic:	Assessment, testing, feedback and guidance in CALL
Biodata:	Haruo Nishinoh: Associate Professor in Humanities Computing and Medieval Studies, Instutute for Language and Culture, Doshisha University Yoichiro Hasebe: Associate Professor in Linguistics with special interest in cognitive linguistics and programming with Ruby and Perl, Doshisha University
Type of presentation	Courseware Exhibition
Paper category	(Other)
Target educational sector	Secondary education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	Yes