Social Constructivism for Moodle (at last)

Moodle has been claimed to be based be a Social Constructivist pedagogy. It aint. Niall Sclater summed it up, when talking about the OU's adoption of the eLearning platform,  by pointing  out that "It can also be argued that LMSs are relatively pedagogy-neutral and and are merely shells in which to place content and activities".  I used to think that to argue whether one LMS or VLE is more learner-centric than another was a bit daft - no to mention that it feels suspiciously like using students as footballs in some elaborate game. But I change my mind. I'm very excited by the latest announcement from the OU that they have now baked in the very tools that Moodle should support if is to lay claim to a Social Constructivism that includes the studentStudents can build and develop their own communities using the power of Moodle outside of their prescribed virtual classrooms. . I'm really stoked by this idea. It also reminds me of Mahara and the social networking functions of that platform which I've recently seen hooked up to a DSpace repository. Social Constructivism is here, or to translate,  fun times ahead!

Victorian Learning Environment (VLE)

Today (while editing a student handbook) I am listening to Curtis Bonk author of the World is Open talking about the open movement and its potential impact on Education. He mentioned an alternative to Wikipedia (for wikipediaphobics) the Wikisource project. Actually it is a sister project (all part of the Wikimedia foundation). It aims to be a repository for primary sources, in contrast to Wikipedia which is a secondary source collection.

I took a quick look. Not knowing where to start I searched for Moodle (as I had just been writing a guide to Moodle for students). I found something unexpected. A reference to the word Moodle from the 19th century from one of my favourite (though neglected) authors, Charles Dickens. Wikisource does seem something pretty great. And so, without further ado, for your delectation, after extensive scholarly research, I give you the Victorian Learning Environment:

Then there is my Lord Boodle, of considerable reputation with his party, who has known what office is and who tells Sir Leicester Dedlock with much gravity, after dinner, that he really does not see to what the present age is tending. A debate is not what a debate used to be; the House is not what the House used to be; even a Cabinet is not what it formerly was. He perceives with astonishment that supposing the present government to be overthrown, the limited choice of the Crown, in the formation of a new ministry, would lie between Lord Coodle and Sir Thomas Doodle—supposing it to be impossible for the Duke of Foodle to act with Goodle, which may be assumed to be the case in consequence of the breach arising out of that affair with Hoodle. Then, giving the Home Department and the leadership of the House of Commons to Joodle, the Exchequer to Koodle, the Colonies to Loodle, and the Foreign Office to Moodle, what are you to do with Noodle? You can’t offer him the Presidency of the Council; that is reserved for Poodle. You can’t put him in the Woods and Forests; that is hardly good enough for Quoodle. What follows? That the country is shipwrecked, lost, and gone to pieces (as is made manifest to the patriotism of Sir Leicester Dedlock) because you can’t provide for Noodle!