Spring 2007: Student Response to Moodle

(33 of 64 students responding to survey -- these are comments only)

If you have used Blackboard or WebCT for previous online classes, please comment on what you thought about the ease of use of this sysem (Moodle) compared to what you've had before.

Equivalent, equivocal or no response (9 = 27%)

• ?????
• Actually this is more complicated than blackboard but I was still about to browse and view and proceed with class after I did the tutorial.
• equal
• I didn't really prefer one over the other. Blackboard has the ease of the buttons all on one side of the page, whereas with Moodle you have to "hunt" a bit more. Still, I liked the way Moodle used a calendar--it really made the due dates clear.
• I dislike WebCt but find Blackboard easier to use. I wish everybody would be on the same page and just use one system or program for online classes.
• I like both moodle and blackboard. They are both easy to use and great for online classes.
• I think this system works just as well as blackboard if not better.
• No comment. This is my first online class. However the experience was pleasant.
• There was no difference for me.

Liked Moodle better (17 = 52%)

• Everything is on one page and in a orginazed form
• I used WebCT. This was everybit as easy, and the home page much more interesting and useful.
• Moodle was easier in many ways than WebCT (the system I used for the last year and a half). I liked the fact that the quizzes did not open in a separate window, for example; however, I wished that it would have kept time somewhere so I could see how efficiently I was working.
• I believe this class was a lot easier to use other than [name deleted]'s Blackboard class. Moodle offers more interaction and it is a lot more "user friendly" to people who have no idea what to do for an online class.
• I enjoyed the usage and setup of Moodle.
• I found Moodle to be MUCH easier to use then both Blackboard and Web CT.
• I liked your wway a lot better then blackboard
• I love Moodle!
• I really liked Moodle because it was a lot easier to understand than Blackboard (I've never used WebCT). I like how personal it is and I feel more like part of a group which is nice because previous online classes I've taken, I've felt like I was very distant from other students. I wish all my online classes were on Moodle!
• Moodle is much more user-friendly and it is nicer looking :)
• Moodle rules! very straightforward and easy to follow.
• This was my first internet class, but I was very comfortable with the format.
• This was my first online class. I thought it would be really complicated, especially since I am technologically challenged. It was actually an easy system. I didn't take the prequizzes, and that's why I did not answer that question.
• I liked it because it is much better organized - it is easier to navigate and has some nifty features.
• In my opinion Moodle has a greater user friendly rating than Blackboard. Moreover, Etudes is the most user friendly system I have experienced.
• This class was by far the most fun I've had learning a subject in college. The lessons and quizzes were complex, yet understandable. The moodle system made the course more relaxing for me. In fact, this is the eighth class I've taken online and it is quite simply the most organized I have seen. There is strong emphasis on student discussion that is not prevalent other online classes. I truly felt that there was a real classroom feel -- and not just course on a web site. I would suggest to anyone who wants to see how excellent an online course can be, to take this class. Professor Lisa Lane, has constructed a scholastic masterpiece that really causes others online courses to average and mundane. If I could take this class again, I would do it in a heartbeat. It has been said that an online course is not as good as an on campus course. However, the brilliance of this class would suggest otherwise.
• This system was more organized because it was all focused on one course instead of many.

Liked Bb better or didn't like Moodle (7 = 21%)

• At first the program seemed cluttered, and I prefer the blackboard discussion board a little, but I never had any real problems with it.
• I didn't like Moodle. I noticed a few bugs in the program and I thought that they webpage was too clustered with information.
• I have used Blackboard before and it was a little easier just because the main page doesn't have as much on it, my eyes tend to go everywhere on the page- it's hard to find what section I'm looking for sometimes.
• Moodle was a little more difficult at first, to figure out.
• This is not my favorite online class board. I found blackboard, or even etudes easier to use. However, I did not think it was so bad. I thought it worked out just fine
• This site was a little difficult to navigate through. Having a side bar to the left of the page with tabs that say for example "quizzes" would have made it easier to get around.
• Its as easy as Blackboard, although I think I still prefer Blackboard. I HATE E-Tudes, that is the worst online learning tool ever created. I hope instructors boycott it in the future.