Moodlea ND WebCT Comparison
Moodlea ND WebCT Comparison
Moodlea ND WebCT Comparison
WebCT and Moodle are two Learning Management Systems with lots in
common, but there are some key differences which make each one special in its
own way. We note these differences below. If you have used WebCT before, this
document will help you understand Moodle better.
Overview
WebCT (Blackboard)
The Blackboard Learning System allows instructors to post course information and
course materials, readings and assignments and provides functionality for basic
discussion and other collaborative tools (from Blackboard).
Moodle
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Similarities
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Course Format
Moodle WebCT
Selecting a course listed under My Courses Selecting a course listed under My Courses
results in a course home page with one of results in a course homepage with a single
three different formats: Topics, Weekly, or format of presentation and some fixed
Social. organizational categories and sub-categories.
Initial Interface
The initial interface can be customized differently in each system, but the above is
the standard type of layout.
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Moodle Interface Student View
Breadcrumb
Activities menu
side-block. This
menu provides
quick links to the
different tools
and resources
within the
students course The calendar
site. tool will allow
you to see at a
glance all
Allows you to
important
search all the
upcoming
forums for your
events.
course in one go.
Students can
Students can see who is
monitor their online
grade progress
(or block can be
hidden by Main Block where course content is
instructor) shown. Sections and/or particular tasks
can be hidden from students until they
are required.
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Blackboard Student View
Course Tools
allow you to
access course
material,
complete
quizzes and
assignments.
My Tools allow
students to
monitor their
own progress.
They can view
their marks and
track their
activities in a
course.
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Communication Tools
Email Using the instant messaging You send email to all your
tool, you can send messages students, or to those in
to offline users and they will a subset workgroup.
read them once they log in
to their Moodle account.
Discussion Forum There are three types of One type of Discussion Forum
Discussion Forums that you where a student can reply to
can choose depending on discussions without creating
your needs. topics.
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workgroup, then handle each
separately.
Tool Moodle WebCT
Adding Grades to a not You create an assignment of If you had an offline activity
graded Tool type Offline activity and grade that you wanted to
then supply grades and add to your student columns,
comments for that you must enter those grades
assignment. into a new column in the
student columns.
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Tracking Students
Moodle WebCT
You can get reports showing the number of You can get reports showing the number of
times, time, date, frequency and IP address of times, time and date, and frequency with
each student who accessed course content, which each student or all students in a course,
discussion forums, course assessments, and accessed course content, specific course units
assignments. and discussion forums.
You can get a report that shows number of You can also get a report showing the duration
attempts and time per attempt on each of time each student spent
assessment for individual students. Instructors on course content, specific course units and
can maintain private notes discussion forums.
about each student in a secure area.
You can share this tracking information with
You can get a report that summarizes students.
individual student performance on
assignments.
Announcements
Moodle WebCT
When you add any resource or activity with The quiz date does not appear automatically in
date like quiz or assignment, it will be the course Calendar
automatically added to the course Calendar,
and will also display in Upcoming Events and
the resource/activity creation will
show in Activities block.
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Assignments
Moodle WebCT
There are three types of Assignments that you Only one type of assignment, where a student
can choose depending on your needs. There submits files to this assignment.
is the Offline Activity, Online Text, and Upload
a single file assignment.
Wiki
Moodle WebCT
Lessons(Workbook)
Moodle WebCT
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Choice
Moodle WebCT
Hide/Reveal
Moodle WebCT
You can hide/reveal a specific and single file You can hide/reveal only tools like content
(Lecture or PowerPoint…) module. You cannot hide a specific file or
lecture inside a tool.
Blackboard vs. Moodle, Dr. Kathy Munoz and Joan Van Duzer
http://www.humboldt.edu/~jdv1/moodle/all.htm
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What are other institutions saying about using Moodle?
Athabasca University
"(Moodle's) appealing visual design, the ease and intuitive feel with which online
activities can be added, the online help and support provided by the documentation and
user groups make this a superior and user-friendly LMS."
Macalaster College
"I wish my other issues had such nice solutions."
Dordt College
"We have moved from Blackboard to Open Source Moodle, and it is going very well."
Luther College
"All and all we are finding Moodle a refreshing and remarkable change from our four
years with Blackboard."
Augsburg College
"Many of our faculty were just putting up with Blackboard. We had far far more people
excited about moodle after our may sessions."
University of Dubuque
“WebCT and moodle seem to match up pretty much across the board in terms of
features. Moodle is the big winner in the ease of use category, IMO and based on
feedback from faculty and students.”
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Lincoln University
“There is quite a growing interest in Moodle in NZ and we have trialed it this year. The
reaction from the staff and students who used it was very positive and there were no
technical problems during the trial - very stable. We plan to go over to it fully in 2006.”
Concordia University
“Moodle is a free, open-source alternative to commercial courseware that is widely used
in universities around the world. Its large client/developer base, as well as optional
commercial development and support, make it the optimal choice.”
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