Note: This module is under construction until May 30, 2009.   WHAT TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INTEGRATING EMINIMA CLAROLINE VLE IN TEACHING   Laurita P. Arca   I.         INTRODUCTION             This module aims to equip teachers like you with knowledge and skills on making the design of your instruction relevant to the current phenomenon in education. It introduces an online teaching platform called eMinima Claroline VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and gives helpful suggestions on how to integrate this one in teaching. The module proper is composed of two parts. The first part provides lectures and exercises about the tools and pages of eMinima Claroline VLE. The second part on the other hand provides a lesson plan that will guide you in your first teaching experience via this platform.           EMINIMA CLAROLINE VLE: A SHORT BACKGROUND             Claroline is an open-source VLE that is used in eMinima because of being easy-to -use, affordable, portable, and fast.            “Easy to use because you can learn using it in no more than 30 minutes” - Prof. Benevieve Daamo Villanueva, eMinima pioneer;    Affordable because you can use it even in low-cost computers; Portable because you can use it in mini-PCs and can even be saved in a CD or in a USB Flash Disk; and, Quick to access because the teacher controls the server and thus would not require help from an administrator or external provider to be able to use network facilities   II.       OBJECTIVES             At the end of this module, the participants are expected to learn how to integrate eMinima Claroline VLE in teaching.           Specifically, the participants are expected to be able to: a.      Get familiar with the basics of eMinima Claroline VLE b.     Experience teaching via eMinima Claroline VLE   III.      MODULE PROPER   PART I   GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE BASICS OF EMINIMA CLAROLINE VLE   1.  Starting Web Services  (For LAN users only)             eMinima Puppy Linux VLE server is as critical in running a course via LAN (Local Area Network) as heart is to humans. Get it running in a LAN by doing the following steps: ·        Set up the computer's bios into CD booting. ·        Insert the eMinima CD to the CD drive. ·        Restart the computer. ·       Once eMinima/Puppy Linux operating system already shows, o       open home-root, o       click on the Server-Control shortcut key then on the START button. This starts the server. Illustration 1.   The eMinima Server-Control 2.     Knowing the Rights and Accountabilities of Minima Claroline VLE Administrators and Teachers                       eMinima Claroline VLE is a shared platform among teachers, preferably among peers, who aim to create and manage online courses. These teachers have equal rights and accountabilities in using this platform but there is one with the highest access right and accountability usually called the platform administrator.   The Rights and Accountabilities of Minima Claroline VLE Administrators and Teachers Rights and Accountabilities Types of Users   Administrator Teacher 1.  Upgrading a student account to teacher account yes no 2. Modifying the content and design of the front page yes Yes (if enabled by administrator) 3. Modifying the registered title and code of the course yes no 4.  Configuring the VLE (platform) as to how teachers and students can use it yes no 3. Creating a course yes yes 4. Managing a course yes yes 5.  Publishing and managing course content yes yes 6.  Making the computer and server available to everyone yes No  (But they can learn and assume the role) 2.  Deploying eMinima Claroline VLE             To deploy eMinima Claroline VLE, you are required to have its URL (Universal Resource Locator).           When using LAN (Local Area Network), the URL of eMinima-Claroline VLE is usually 192.168.1.100 but when using the Internet, it will be the registered domain of the institution. CoWeb can help the institution to register its preferred domain, rent hosting, and train the would-be administrator. The least package cost is 6,000 PhP per year and may increase depending on the number of users. The increase in plan can be determined during actual use, with a possible minimal increase of 3,000 PhP per year.           When you deploy a VLE in the Internet, you should anticipate the number of users and rent the appropriate server for that load. The more expected users, the higher hosting plan will be required.   3.  Creating a Teacher Account   Creating a teacher account is required so that you will have the rights to use eMinima Claroline VLE as a teacher. To do this task, follow the instructions below: ·         Using your net browser, visit the URL of your eMinima-Claroline VLE. Press the registration button once the window below appears: Illustration 2.   Sample homepage of eMinima Claroline VLE ·         The registration form for teacher or student account appears in the next page to open (See illustration 3.). Fill up this form with the required data. Illustration 3.   The “Registration Form” for creating a teacher or a student account If the administrator configured the VLE for direct registration of teachers, create course areas and follow courses buttons appear at the bottom of the screen.           Press create course areas button to directly register for a teacher account or press the follow courses button to register for a student account then press OK  button. If you registered for a student account, a notice regarding your registration's status shows on the next window screen to open. If it reports unsuccessful registration, this means an error occurred somewhere during your registration so you have to press back or try again button (depending on what comes out) and repeat the registration process. Once the notice says your account is already registered, this means you already have your student account. ·         Request the administrator to upgrade your student account to teacher account. If he grants your request, you already have the right to use eMinima-Claroline VLE along with your own requirements and purposes as a teacher.   4.                 Creating a Course               Now that you have your teacher account, you may already create a course. To do it, follow the instructions below: ·         Log in to eMinima Claroline VLE using the user name and password that you registered while creating your teacher account. ·         Upon logging in, you have to fill up the following course creation form that appears in your screen:

Illustration 4. The “Course Creation” form

The form requires you to define pertinent data about your desired course. These pertinent data refer to title, category, course code, teachers, and language.

To learn more effectively how to create a course in eMinima Claroline VLE, fill the form shown in illustration 4 with the sample data stated in the following box:

·         Once filling up the form is finished, press OK button. The page to open will show the following message:

Illustration 8.  The toolbar  for sorting courses

The course titles to appear depend on what courses you have already created and subscribed. In case there is only one course existing in your VLE, sorting does not apply.

Creating a Course Category

Illustration 10. The toolbar for subscribing or unsubscribing to courses

·         Press the pencil button opposite the term subscribe.

·         Press the course list button in the next page to open and you will see that the course you subscribed is added to the course list in your account.

          Take note that once you have subscribed to a course, this course shows in your course list every time you log in to the VLE. To remove it in your course list, you must unsubscribe to it.

6.        Developing and Managing Contents

          Each course you create in eMinima Claroline VLE has many pages where you may develop and manage contents. But, working on these pages will be impossible without knowing first the tools you need in doing so. Thus, presented in the first part of this portion are the tools of eMinima Claroline VLE, their descriptions and functions; and, in the second part are the basic pages of this platform, their descriptions and functions.

A.        Getting to Know the Tools of eMinima Claroline VLE,

Their Descriptions and Functions

Illustration 11. The content development tools of eMinima Claroline VLE

Get yourselves familiar with the following tools that you will use in developing and managing course contents for each page of eMinima Claroline VLE:

The deletion tool, represented by the X button, is being used to delete any unwanted document.

Displaying/Hiding Tools

The displaying/hiding tools, represented by the colored eye and gray eye buttons, are being used in making a document visible/accessible or invisible/inaccessible to the students. The colored eye button signifies that a document is visible/accessible while the gray one signifies that a document is invisible/inaccessible to them. To make a document invisible/inaccessible, click on the colored eye button and to make a document visible/accessible, click on the gray eye button.

Moving Tool

Editing Tool

The editing tool, represented by the pencil button, is being used to open a document to get this document ready for editing.

Press the pencil button opposite or near the desired document and the page editor of this document opens.

The Page Editor and Working with It

          The page editor refers to the page that contains the tools needed in

ø      inserting and in formatting text, image, audio, and video files to any document in a course;

ø      editing the contents of already existing documents in the VLE; and in,

ø      linking one document to another document.

See illustration 12 for reference.

Illustration 12. The Page Editor

Inserting and Formatting Texts

To insert text/s in any page of eMinima Claroline VLE,

·         open its page editor;

·         position the cursor to the desired location then start typing.

Using the page editor, the texts may be formatted in terms of type, size, effects, alignment, and color. Here are the instructions how:

·         Highlight the concerned texts.

·         Format their font type through pressing the arrow down button of the font type’s navigation box then the desired font type.

·         Format their font size through pressing the arrow down button of the font size’s navigation box then the desired font size.

·         Format their effects through pressing the bold icon B if you prefer them to be bold, the italic icon I if you want them italicized, the underline icon U if you want them underlined, and the strikethrough icon S if you want them be in strikethrough form.

·         Format their alignment through pressing the align left button if you prefer them to be aligned to the left, the center button if you prefer them to be centered; the align right button if you prefer them to be aligned to the right, and the justify button if you prefer them to be justified; and,

·         Format their color by pressing the font color menu button then the desired color.

Inserting and Formatting Tables

To insert table,

·         position the cursor to the desired location inside the page editor;

·         then press the table insertion button.

·         When the table insertion toolbar appears, use it in formatting the table in terms of size, number of columns, number of rows, width of borderline, and width of cell padding. Here are the instructions how:

o        Format the table’s size by clicking either on pixels or inches or percent then by typing the desired size. In case you choose to click on pixels, seven hundred fifty (750) is suggested but not required.

o        Format its number of columns by typing as desired.

o        Format its number of rows by typing as desired.

o        Format the width of its borderline by typing as desired. Four is suggested but not required. If you prefer borderless format, type zero.

o        Format the cell padding by typing the desired size. Twenty (20) is suggested but not required. And,

o        click Ok button.

To format the background color of your table,

·         highlight the concerned column/row;

·         press the color menu button; and,

·         click on the desired color.

Inserting and Formatting Image

Inserting and formatting an image in a document via page editor can be direct or indirect.

To perform the direct process, follow the instructions below:

·         Open a document.

·         Once the page editor shows, click on the desired area inside this page.

·         Position the cursor to the desired location.

·        Press the image insertion button and the following image formatting toolbar shows:

·         Press on browse button.

·         Go to the folder where the desired file is saved.

·         Click on the desired file.

·         Press open button.

·         Press upload button. And,

·         press Ok button.

          The image size requirement is two megabytes.

          To perform the indirect process, follow the instructions below:

·         Open the document page of any course.

Illustration 14. User interface of Documents

When the page below appears, do the following tasks:

Illustration 15. The page that shows upon pressing upload a document button

o        Press browse button.

o        Go the folder where the desired file is located.

o        Highlight the desired file.

o        Press open button.

o        Write any comment about the document.

o        Press any of the following icons as required:

- If file does not exist yet: Uncompress zip
- If file exists:
    Do nothing
    Overwrite
    Rename

o        Go back to documents page.

o        Open the folder where the document was uploaded.

o        Right click on it on this document.

o        Press copy link location.

o        Go back to the document you are editing.

o       Highlight the desired text/s.

o   Click hyperlink button.

o        Once the image insertion toolbox shown below appears,

·         position the cursor inside the URL box;

·         make a right click in your mouse;

·         press paste button;

·         write relevant image title on the Title (tooltip) box ;

·         choose none (use implicit) inside the target box; and,

·         press ok button.

Illustration 16. The image insertion toolbox

Inserting and Formatting Video Files

          Inserting and formatting a video file in a document, just like inserting an image on it, can also be direct or indirect.

          For the direct process, follow the instructions below:

·         Open a document.

·         When the page editor shows, position the cursor to the desired location.

·         Press the video insertion button and the following image formatting toolbar shows:

Illustration 17. The video formatting toolbar

·         Press on browse button.

·         Go to the folder where the desired file is saved.

·         Click on the desired file.

·         Press open button.

·         Press upload button. And,

·         press Ok button.

     The video file size requirement is two megabytes.

     To perform the indirect process, follow the instructions below:

·         Open the document page of any course.

·         Once the page editor opens, click on upload a document button.

·         In the next page to open, fill the boxes with the required data by following the instructions below: 

o        Press browse button.

o        Go the folder where the desired file is located.

o        Highlight the desired video file.

o        Press open button.

o        Write any comment about the video file.

o        Press any of the following icons as required:

- If file does not exist yet: Uncompress zip
- If file exists:
    Do nothing
    Overwrite
    Rename

o        Go back to documents page.

o        Open the folder where the document was uploaded.

o        Right click on the filename of this document.

o        Press copy link location.

o        Go back to the document you are editing.

o        Highlight the desired text/s.

o        Click hyperlink button

o        Once the image insertion toolbox shown below appears,

·         position the cursor inside the URL box then press paste button;

·         write anything on the Title (tooltip);

·         choose none (use implicit) in the target box; and,

·         press ok button.

The video file size requirement is two to eight megabytes. But, when using Internet, you may insert a video file with size higher than two megabytes by making a link to the URL of the desired video file located in your youtube account. In this case, video file can be accessed by the students only when connected to the Internet.

Linking a Document to Another Document

          To link a document to another document,

·         open the documents page;

·         right click on the title of the target document;

·         press copy link location;

·         go to the document where you want to link it then open its page editor by pressing the pencil button opposite or near it.

·         Once the page editor shows, highlight the word/s where you want to link the document.

·         Press link button (This leads to the opening of hyperlinking toolbar.).

·         In the hyperlinking toolbar, position the cursor to the uppermost box.

·         Make a right click in the mouse.

·         Press paste button.

·         Fill up the other boxes according to your own purposes and requirements. And,

·         press insert button.

B.        Getting to Know the Pages of eMinima Claroline VLE,

Their Descriptions and Functions

Shown in illustration 19 are the pages where you may develop and publish contents for a course in eMinima Claroline VLE. The colored eye buttons represent the pages that students can see and access upon logging in to the course. The gray eye buttons on the other hand represent the pages that are invisible and inaccessible for them. Other buttons besides the colored and the gray eye buttons represent the pages that are constantly invisible and inaccessible among the students.

          The pages to be used in developing and publishing contents for a course in eMinima Claroline VLE may be a combination of two or a mixture of three or more pages depending on how many of them may contribute in delivering the lessons effectively.

Illustration 19. Sample homepage of a course in eMinima Claroline VLE

Course Description

          This is the page where describing a course in terms of learning objectives, methods of instruction, and type of performance assessment can be done. To develop contents in this page,

·         log in to eMinima Claroline VLE.

·         In the course list located in the left panel of the screen, click on the desired course.

·         Once the homepage of the course opens, press the course description button.

·         When the next page opens, click on Add introduction text (See illustration 20 below.).

Illustration 20. The user interface of Course description

·         Once the editor page opens, position the cursor to the desired location then start typing the desired contents.

·         To create or edit a course description,

o        click on create and edit a course description.

o        Referring illustration 21, click on down arrow in order to show the shortcut keys for course description items.

o        Click on the items that you desire, one at a time, then on Add button.

Illustration 21.    The items under course description and the Add button

o        If you click on Objectives, you will be instructed to write answer to the questions “What will the users be able to do at the end of the course period and what are they invited to create during course process?” and the global and detailed objectives of the course.

o        If you click on Methodology, you will be instructed to write the answer/s to the question “What methods and what activities will help reach the objectives of the course? Along what schedule?” and the activities (conference, papers, group research, labs...) in the course.

o        If you click on Assessment, you will be instructed to write the answer/s to the questions “How will users be evaluated and are there strategies to develop in order to master the topic?”  and to give example exam questions, criteria of success, and tips and tricks.

o        If you click on Course Materials, you will be instructed to answer the question “Is there a coursebook, a collection of papers, a bibliography, a list of links on the internet?” and to shortly describe the course materials.

To further learn about the page, develop a sample course description by doing the following exercises:

Documents

This is the page where adding introduction texts, creating a new document, uploading a document, creating directory, saving ZIPs, and editing contents of already existing documents can be done.

See the illustration below as reference.

Illustration 22. User interface of “Documents” page

Clicking on Add introduction texts leads you to the opening of the page editor for the creation of introductory texts about the document; the create a document button to the creation of a new document; the upload a document button to uploading files from different storage devices; the add a directory button to the creation of new folder for organizing files; and, the pencil button opposite the desired document to the opening of the editor page. 

To develop sample contents using documents, follow the instructions below:

·         Open the course EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP.

·         Click on the documents button.

·         Press create a new document button.

·         Make the lecture material attractive according to your own requirements and standards. Add image, audio, and video files if you want.

Links

Links and Add links to this page, though they are represented by two independent buttons, have the same purposes. They are both dedicated to hyper linking relevant websites to any VLE course (See illustration 23 to view the user interface of Links page).

Illustration 23. User interface of “Links” page

          The linked sites may serve as additional sources of lecture materials for the students.

          To use Links/Add a link to this page in linking relevant websites into a course, do the following instructions:

·         Open a course.

·         Upon the opening of its homepage, press the links or Add a link to this page button.

·         Press the Add a link button then perform the needed operations/tasks in the following window to open:

Illustration 24. The window that opens upon pressing the add a link button

·         To develop introductory texts, press Add introduction text button. Once the page editor shows, type the desired contents, then press ok button.

·         To link a website in the course, press Add a link button. When the window shown in illustration 24 appears, fill the URL, Link Name, and Description with the required data.

·         Click on the box opposite yes if you want to show the link in the homepage and leave this box unclicked if your answer is no.

·         Press ok button.

          Take note that without Internet connection, the external sites become inaccessible.

·         To add a category, press add category button in the screen shown either in illustration 23 or 24.

·         Supply the required data in the following window to open:

Illustration 25. The window that opens upon pressing the Add a Category button

·         Click ok button after filling the category code and description boxes with answers.

          To practice using Links page, link the URL http://english.guevarian.net to the course EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP. Show this link in the homepage of the course.

Agenda

Agenda is primarily intended for posting updates related to a particular course in the VLE. However, it also has potentials for developing and publishing course contents.

The page contains facilities for adding introductory texts, checking dates, for sorting files according to chronological order, and for adding an agenda item.

Illustration 26. User Interface of Agenda

To create and publish course contents via agenda,

·         open a course in your VLE.

·         Once its homepage opens, press agenda button.

·         In the page to open, press add an agenda here button. This opens the page shown in illustration 27.

·         You may decide if you want the agenda seen by everybody or by specific group/s only. To do it, press select groups/users button then click on the desired groups/users.

·         Setting the date and time when to start and to end the display time of an agendum can also be done in this page. To do it, just fill the starting/ending date and starting/ending time along with your own requirements.

·         Fill the title box.

·         Write your contents in the page editor.

·         Press attachment button if you wish to attach anything then follow the preceding instructions.

Press ok button once finished.

Illustration 27. The page that shows upon pressing ”Add an agenda here” button

Announcements

Announcements, though like Agenda is primarily intended for posting updates about a course, may also be used in developing and publishing course contents.

To develop and publish course contents via this page,

·         open a course.

·         Click on the announcement button and the following window opens:

Illustration 28. User interface of Announcement

·         Click on Add announcement and once the page editor opens, start developing contents then press ok button when you finish.

·         If you want your announcement be viewed by all of your students, select everybody. If you don’t, select just the desired group/s.

·         If you wish to email your announcement unto your students, click on the small box before the statement Send this announcement by email to selected groups/users then write inside the next box the subject of the announcement to be emailed. If you don’t, just the leave the small box unclicked and the next box unfilled.

·         If you wish to attach a document to be uploaded from external devices, click on Attachment then follow the next instructions to appear.

Illustration 29. The page that shows upon clicking on Add announcement

To practice using Announcements page, make an announcement by copying the following contents:

Dropbox

Dropbox is the emailing facility of eMinima Claroline VLE. Using this facility, the teacher may send documents or messages to selected few or to all of his students and may also receive replies from them.

Illustration 30. User interface of Dropbox

To develop contents in this page,

·         open a course.

·         Once its homepage opens, click on Dropbox.

·         In the page editor, press browse button.

·         Once the chosen filename already appears in the box, press the small box located at the left of the statement Overwrite the sent file.

Users

            This is the page where teachers may unregister unwanted registrants in the course and may do tracking the records of students, too.

            Registering again the unregistered students can also be done in this page.

·         Track the record of one student by clicking the tracking button (refer to illustration 32) along the row of his name. The next page to appear shows the time, date, and number of his log-ins to the course; materials visited; list of the tests taken and scores.

Illustration 32. The tracking button

·         Modify a student's profile through pressing the pencil button aligned to his name then do modifications according to your purpose.

·         Unregister a student from the course by clicking on the OK button (Refer to illustration 31).

·         Register him again by pressing the arrow down button located between the word “Unregister” and OK button. Select register then press the OK button.

Chat

          This is one of the pages for dynamic discussions. To use it, type your message in the box located at the bottom of the page then press OK button to send it. Refer to the following illustration:

Illustration 33. User interface of Chat

Forums

          This page is suggested for asynchronous discussions. Here, the discussion is threaded which makes the depth of teacher-student or student-student interaction (something essential in evaluating the student's performance) viewable both to the teacher and students.         

The page is also suggested for submission of students’ outputs. Its facility for threaded discussion makes it convenient for the teacher to give feedbacks for a particular output and for the students to reply.

Illustration 34. User interface of Forum

To practice using the Forums page, make an announcement with the following as contents:

Conference

          This page is good for synchronous discussions.

Discussions via this page may be synchronized with live presentations similar when you conduct discussions via face-to-face mode. Refer to the following illustration for the user interface of this page.

Illustration 35. User interface of Conference

To use the page for synchronous discussions,

·         open a course.

·         Once the homepage opens, click on conference.

·         Enter your message in the box at the bottom of the page then press ok button.

·         To synchronize your discussion with live presentation,

o        click on White board then put there anything that you want to show your students during the discussion;

o        click on streaming then upload image, audio, and video files that you wish to use during the conference;

o        click on links then upload the sites you want to show during the discussion.

o        When the locations of the image, video, and audio files already show at the left panel of the screen, just click on them as needed.

Student Publications

This page is primarily intended for the submission of students’ outputs. To facilitate the students’ submission of outputs through this page, just do the following instructions:

·         open a course.

·         Display or undisplay the submitted outputs of the students by pressing the round button opposite the desired setting for the visibility of the newly posted files. See illustration 35 for reference.

Illustration 36. User interface of Student Publications

·         Instruct the students on what outputs to submit and how to submit these outputs via this page.

·         To check the submitted outputs of the students, click on Student publications (the text icon). The page that contains the submitted outputs of the students shows.

Groups

          This is the page where grouping the students along with your requirements and purposes as a teacher may be done.

          Top among the reasons for grouping the students are to make dynamic discussions convenient and manageable and submission of groups’ outputs possible.

Illustration 38. User interface of Test

Tests

As the name suggests, this is the page intended for test creation. The three types of test such as matching type, filling the blanks, and multiple choice are available in this page.

See illustration 38 to view the user interface of the page Tests.

To create a new test,

·         press the New test button (Refer to illustration 38).

·         When the page shown in illustration 39 appears, fill the boxes with the corresponding data.

Illustration 39. The page that shows upon clicking on new test

·         Choose the desired test type (On a unique page is suggested).

·         With reference to the page shown in illustration 39, click on Get a question from the questions pool (In case there are relevant questions in the questions pool) or Create a question (In case no relevant questions are existing in the questions pool).

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