A case for Moodle as a multiliteracy environment.

Multiliteracies are areas where we consume a collage of images, texts, sounds or videos, inseperable and existing in a place at the same time. While the textbook is so defined and confined by its tangable physicality and limited in its knowledge representations to the words on the page, a multileracy environment is often constructed of different representations of meaning and knowledge and yet built with the same digital constructs giving them an infinite possibility. (limited only of course to the space on which these digital representations exitsts, yet these limits nowdays are hard to reach). [1]

Moodle is a learning managment system (LMS) that is well known to educators and students alike. In its most basic format it can simply be described as an online webspace where educators can deliver content to students enrolled in a set course. Its popularity stems arguably from core features that can with the least amount of configuration be used to create a learning environment that could be didactic in nature or indeed reflexive. It is also free to use and operates as an open source project that welcomes developers to join and create features for the benefit of all users. There are over 74 thousand registered Moodle sites worldwide, with thousands more unregistered assumed. [2]

Examining a number of its collaborative and communicative features there is argument for Moodle as a multiliteracy enviroment. Most if not all of these features are not limited to a word processor style generated output. Indeed multiple meaningul representations of knowledge can be contributed to each.

Collaboration:

• Insert an language audio clip into glossary and let peers comment on it.
• Collaborate with classmates in a wiki

- the wiki could be any number of different knowledge representations towards ascribing meaning to something.

• Add an item to the class database of resources for others to use and comment on.

- this could be a video from an external source, a sound clip, an image or text

• Add an item to the class glossary to build common understanding.
• Submit an assignment as part of a group

- again an assignment could consist of any number of knowledge representation, an artefact towards a final assignment piece for example.

Typical Moodle editor below allows user to insert images, video and external links.

Communication:

• Subscribe and unsubscribe to individual forum discussions.
• Post and comment on a blog entry.
• Blog about a particular course activity.
• Comment on a course page
• Send a Message to a friend.
• Participate in a Chat.

The best place to explore these various features is through the demonstration site offered on the Moodle website https://moodle.org/demo/

[1]1] Cope, B., and Kalantzis, M. (2016). Conceptualizing e-learning. In B. Cope and M. Kalantzis (Eds), e-learning ecologies. New York: Routledge (fortcoming).Chapter 1.

[2]https://moodle.net/sites/