Sultan Qaboos University

Collage of Education
Instructional & learning Technology

Review of A Distance Education Technology……

Done By: Suleiman Sulaim Khlfan AL_Subeihi (68703)

: Mohammed Rabei Abdullah AL-Tobi (82915)

Course: Distance Learning & Use of Internet TECH4101

Semester: Fall 2010

Supervisor: Dr. Alaa Sadik

 Objectives:
 What is sloodle?
 Objectives of using sloodle in DE.
 Features of sloodle.
 Advantages and limitations.
 Delivery and support learning.
 Concerns raised about sloodle.
 Case studies & Examples.

 What is sloodle:

SLOODLE (Simulation Linked Object Oriented Dynamic Learning

Environment) is an Open Source project which integrates the
multi-user virtual environment of Second Life® with the Moodle®
learning-management system. Sloodle provides a range of tools
for supporting learning and teaching to the immersive virtual
world; tools which are fully integrated with a tried and tested web-
based learning management system used by hundreds of
thousands of educators and students worldwide.

Moodle: Learning system:

Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a
Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE). It is a free web application that educators can
use to create effective online learning sites. And some of its main
chractaristics are as the following:
 Structured lessons
 Threaded discussion
 assignment drop-box
 self scoring quiz
 restore grade book
 long form documents
 Second-life: Virtual Environment:
A virtual world developed by Linden Lab. A free client program
called the Second Life enables its users to interact with each
other through avatars. Users can explore, meet each other,
socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create
and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel
throughout the world.
 Virtual manipulative
 3D construction
 interactive scripts
 immersive settings
 avatars

 Objective of using sloodle:

Enhances the existing support for learning and teaching through
integration with the Open Source Moodle learning environment.
Which will provide a range of tools for supporting learning and
teaching to the immersive virtual world; tools which are fully
integrated with a tried and tested web-based learning
management system used by hundreds of thousands of
educators and students worldwide.

 Some features of SLOODLE :

• Web-intercom: A chat-room that brings Moodle chatroom and
Second Life chats together. Students can participate in chats in
Second Life using the accessible Moodle chatroom. Discussions
can be archived securely in a Moodle database.
• Registration booth: Identity management for Second Life and
Moodle. Link student’s avatars to their Moodle user accounts.
• Quiz tool and 3D Drop Box: Assess in Second Life – grade
in Moodle. Set quizzes or 3D modeling tasks in an engaging 3D
environment. Review grades quickly and easily in the standard
Moodle grade book.
 • Choice tool: Allow students to vote (and see results) in
Second Life as well as in Moodle.
• Multi-function SLOODLE Toolbar: Enhances the Second
Life user interface. Use a range of classroom gestures, quickly get
a list of the Moodle user names of the avatars around or write
notes directly into to your Moodle blog from Second Life.
• Presenter (in development): Quickly author Second Life
presentations of slides and/or web-pages on Moodle. Present in
Second Life without having go through lengthy processes to
convert or upload images.

 Advantages & limitations

 Time flexibility:
You could access to sloodle in your own pace of time to view
lessons and recorded meetings.
 Habits:
The habit you will experience is virtual environment but with
the integration of moodle features.
 Feedback:
You can either receive feedback from your instructor, friends,
support staff immedietly in the virtual world or receive help
through e-mail and other normal channels.
 Reinforcement:
The inforcement is, also, could be gained through virtual
environment or via e-mail and other usual channels.
 Interactivity:

Sloodle provides the highest level of interaction between

learners, instructors and other parts of the community in the
virtual environment.
  Complexity:
The comlexity fall in the area of installing and setting up the
software and its other components but after the program is
setted by time the job will be easy and very helpful and
effective for providing a profetional learning environment.
 Control:
The control over the content and the provided materials is
easy because it is similar to the video games environment.

 Delivery Requirements:
 Public web server because your own computer might not
work.
 Moodle installation with administrator otherities because you
need the permetion to upload or share files.
 Access to Moodle files.
 Second life software and its requirements.

 Support:

You could receive support or seek for it from the surrounding

community in sloodle Administration, Tutors and your Colleagues
and you might receive via Online environment either normally throug
e-mail or virtually via the virtual environment.

 Raised concerns of researchers:

o “One of the things that I’m most excited about is a mash up

between Second Life and the learning management system,
Moodle. Its called Sloodle." Joe Miller, VP Platform, Linden
Lab.
 o "Go to sloodle..., this chocolate and peanut butter
combination... compelling 3-D experiences, and then a
really solid, open, free system." Steve Wexler, eLearning
Guild.

 Example & case studies:

1- An international cultural-exchange between Korea and
Dubai has been detailed in a case study. it look at a class taught
across two institutions in Korea and Dubai illustrating how
Sloodle can be used to enhance learning and teaching activities
that are using Second Life®. Second Life (and Sloodle) formed
only one component of the class – and it gives alook about how
Second Life/Sloodle ma be used alongside a range of other
communications technologies designing and supporting
engaging learning experiences.

https://www.sloodle.org/blog/?p=13

2- Sloodle at the University of the West Scotland: outlines

some of the ways that SLOODLE was used by tutor and students
to support teaching, learning and collaboration in the classes.
(Collaborative Virtual Environments & Introduction to Virtual
Worlds).
 http://www.scribd.com/doc/22969853/SLOODLE-Case-Study-
University-of-the-West-of-Scotland

 Feature analysis:

Both Synchronous &asynchronous because you

Time of can get response and interact with others either in
the same time or iteract with their recorded or
interaction
posted meetings and files.

Student can ineract with all members of the sloodle

community so he can innteract with the students ,
Type of teacher and adminnisters and , also, innteract with
interaction the content itself and machine and technologies
used.

Learning style is Group-based but in the otherhand

Learning you could use it as individual environment if you
style think it is enough to view the content only.

You could enter sloodle Anytime

Flexibility
You could enter sloodle from Anyplace with web
 server and high speed net.

But you will face Some difficulty of access/use

You will face some complexity in the part of

Development, setting and innstallation of the
program and its sets.

You will receive immediete Feedback from requisted

Speed community either via mail or virtually.

Delivery of cntent and learning materials is very

week because of the speed net needed for virtual
environment.

In sloodle you will have a variety of Multimedia

Instruction materials integrated with the virtual environment to

support learning and innstruction process.

Cost There are some demo Free courses and lands for
the learners but instructors has to buy aland and
build their students learning environment.

Recourses:

1- http://www.sloodle.org
2- www.wikipidia.com