Open Source Technology

Moodle
https://moodle.org/
Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that is a free web based tool that can be used by educators when creating an online learning site.  The educator creates a web sites(s) that are used by the students .  Moodle does require the internet to access, but is quite user friendly, for both the educator and the student alike.  Moodle has features that allow it to scale to very large deployments and hundreds of thousands of students, yet it can be used for a primary school or education hobbyist (moodle.org).  Moodle also incorporates forums, databases and wikis making it a one-stop-learn site. 

Moodle which is an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment.  When Moodle was developed it was designed to support a social constructionist framework of education where people can actively construct new knowledge as they interact with their environments. Everything you read, see, hear, feel, touch is tested against your prior knowledge and your knowledge is strengthened if you can successfully use it in your wider environment (GNU, 2012).
Moodle is used by a variety of institutions including:

• Universities
• High schools
• Government departments
• Military
• Homeschoolers
• Independent educators

If I were to incorporate Moodle as a VLE, I would be one of 1,259,537 registered users, that speak over 78 languages in 220 countries (moodle.org).  In seeking a position as a distance educator, Moodle provides an excellent learning platform to post course events and class discussions.  Students can collaborate via the wikis as well as demonstrate proficiency with online quiz/tests. One area in particular, Moodle for Language Teaching, is something that I could access and use for those students in need of language acquisition or the ESL learner.  The Moodle platform is really only limited by the creator’s imagination.

 

Distance Learning Technology
Technology plays a prominent and increasing role in everyday life and at work. Access to it and connectivity to the Internet are growing rapidly, even among low‐skilled adults. Despite the higher costs of broadband, 63 percent of all Americans have broadband connectivity at home, some 77 percent of adults have a computer, and 84 percent have a cell phone (McCain, 2009).  Although access is growing among all categories of users, the digital divide remains problematic for certain categories of potential learners, especially those at the lowest skills levels and most in need of services. Whether an adult has no experience using computers or the Internet or is well versed in computer skills technology offers an entirely new environment and learning experience that adds to or can go beyond the traditional classroom experience of instructor led text-based formats (McCain, 2009). Research shows that self study through distance learning – where materials are delivered through a variety of media – holds high promise in terms of learning gains, and persistence and motivation are markedly better than in traditional classroom only settings, even for low skilled learners (McCain, 2009).

TokBox

http://www.tokbox.com/

This free application is ideal for chatting with people over the internet.  It is used with your current online messenger system (AOL, Yahoo, MSN…) to hold a face-to-face conversation.  Users can send recorded messages to a participant’s email as well.  Another facet of this web-based browser VoIP (voice over IP) is its ability to hold a video conference session for up to 6 participants and it is still absolutely free. 

This service is managed in real time 24/7 availability making it an ideal application for adult learners working form different time zones or during off hours.  Users can engage in conferencing from computers, iPhones, or iPads, making this type of communication completely mobile, providing true anywhere/anytime contact.

This type of connection would be beneficial to the adult learner participating in a distance learning course as it offers flexibility and 24/7 opportunity to connect with group members.  This free service provides collaboration for up to 6 members of a team.  Lastly, one is not tethered to the desktop or laptop to contribute to conferences as this service is available on the iPhone or iPad.  Having used other forms of online collaboration tools, I can see the benefits of incorporating TokBox in the adult learning platform.

 References:

General Public License (2012). Moodle philosophy. Retrieved from:  http://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Philosophy.

McCain, M. (2009). The power of technology to transform adult learning:  Expanding access to adult education and workforce skills through distance learning.  Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy retrieved from https://www.vcn.org/careerladder/Resourcespdfs/POWER_OF_TECH.pdf.