Moodle® For Dummies®

Chapter 1

Discovering Moodle and What You Can Do

In This Chapter

• Getting to know Moodle
• Finding your way around the Moodle course front page
• Checking out Moodle basic structure and organization
• Understanding resources, activities, and blocks
• Mastering Moodle terms and conventions

Using new software applications isn't always easy and can even be overwhelming if you focus on the ever-changing Internet and all the new software and gadgets that keep appearing. When you want to use a new software, you must think about the time (and possibly money) you need to invest initially to set it up, and then there's the pressure of learning the new software. If the thought of using a new piece of software — such as Moodle — makes you reflexively reach for a bottle of something, take a deep breath and allow me to ease you into learning a few basics about Moodle. Before you know it, your worries will be left behind.

I begin the chapter with a brief definition of Moodle and show you some numbers of how many people and organizations use Moodle. Next I explain some useful terminology and conventions to get you started and help you navigate Moodle. Finally, I dive in to an explanation of software acronyms to alleviate any confusion about the space Moodle occupies in this eLearning (also referred to as distance learning) market.