Moodle 1.9 Multimedia [Paperback]

I've used Moodle for about four years, and in that time I've found it to be an exceptionally useful, high-functioning and user-friendly learning management system (LMS). In my view, the one deficiency in its suite of resources is that is is less than intuitive in the way it enables administrators, teachers, and learners create, integrate, manage, and deliver images, audio, video, animations and more.

Enter Packt Publishing's Moodle 1.9 Multimedia by Joćo Pedro Soares Fernandes.

I opened my copy of the text with a high expectation that it would be an informative and practical reference text. Why? Packt Publishing have been providing Moodle reference books for some time now, and their texts are usually either very good or excellent.

Now read on...

Using open source software can be a daunting experience, regardless of your technical or business experience, and this text's purpose is to shorten Moodle users' path to competency in designing, developing and delivering multimedia on the platform. Broadly speaking, the text covers seven Moodle-related media-based activities:

* Evolution of Multimedia
* Using Images
* Sound and Music
* Video
* Web 2.0 and other multimedia forms
* Multimedia and Assessments
* Synchronous Communication and Interaction

The author assumes previous knowledge of Moodle, but not prior experience of multimedia development. Appropriately for a book about Moodle, Fernandes uses an Constructivist approach to instruction, and the content is structured so that the reader learns experientially - you learn by doing. This is a very good idea indeed: for newcomers this goes some way to providing an understanding of why multimedia in Moodle 1.9 looks and works the way it does, it acts as a pertinent reminder for experienced Moodlers, and sets the context for the content creation chapters in the book.

The book is designed in a logical and linear fashion: the author aims to guide you through the basics of content creation in each featured media type. For example, in Chapter 2: Picture This you find out about using the open source image editing called GIMP to capture and enhance images, integrate images into Moodle, create comic strips using the free-to-use Strip Generator, export PowerPoint create slideshows, and use online resources like SlideShare.

Given the assumption of little or no technical background in multimedia development, the author spends a goodly proportion of his time - in detail and very effectively - spelling out the advantages, and disadvantages of various media types, as well a processes, "how-to's" and "gotchas" of using digital media in Moodle. With nearly 12 years experience as an learning professional specializing in e-learning, I would consider that I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of digital media tools, technologies, and services. I'm delighted to say that Moodle 1.9 Multimedia introduced me to a range of resources that I had not encountered before. This is great: any resource that enables me to deliver content to learners in a more engaging and immersive fashion is a winner with me, and this book fits comfortably into that category.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I think that Moodle 1.9 Multimedia would be an invaluable companion for those new to using media on the Moodle platform. As an experienced Moodle user (and media expert), I will use the book very much as a "just enough, just in time" resource rather than as an end-to-end guide through image, sound, and video development, though I would suggest that the text would work very well if used in this fashion.

Some other positive aspects of my "user experience" of the text included the author's accessible and direct writing style, and the availability of a sample Moodle course for learners to access and "have a play with." In my view this text is a straightforward and reliable companion for those who seek to find out more about - and use - multimedia in Moodle 1.9.

Five Stars
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If you want to learn how to develop a course in Moodle, look to another book.

If you want to get your hands dirty with a variety of multimedia tools to enhance your course, read on.

The author is upfront with the fact that you will be using 20 different programs throughout the book to build a variety of multimedia activities (actually, it's more like 45 or so including links to additional software/services). While that may seem overwhelming, it's a good idea of what is available for free to the average instructor. Most, but not all, of the software is web-based so there is a minimum of downloading required.

Be aware that software is updated all the time so that the exact steps used in the book may be slightly different or non-existent by the time you try it for yourself. However, the general ideas of the activities are still valid.

Once past the first chapter, Joćo jumps right into the "how to" portion of the book with a simple tutorial that uses an image, a sound file and a video in a forum post (pp 17-20). These three short tasks introduce the reader to his easy-to- follow presentation style as well as some of the chapter topics.

The rest of the book is broken up into the main multimedia categories:

* Chapter 2: Picture This (images)
* Chapter 3: Sound and Music (audio)
* Chapter 4: Video (video)
* Chapter 5: Web 2.0 and other Multimedia Forms (interactives)
* Chapter 6: Multimedia and Assessments (interactive assessments plus a rubric)
* Chapter 7: Synchronous Communication and Interaction (communicating in real time)
* Chapter 8: Common Multimedia Issues in Moodle (copyright and child safety)

What I think is most effective about this book is that you don't have to go through it in a linear fashion. While Joćo guides you through each step (and how he built the activities in his own course), in reality you can pick and choose where you go in the book and what you want to use. Each chapter is self contained, although some later tasks require that you have a passing familiarity with multimedia software presented in previous chapters.

Each chapter also represents an activity that the students in Music For An Everyday Life must complete on their own. He shows the reader how to use the tools even as he discusses how his own students use the tools for the activities within his course. It's a clever way to show and not tell particularly on a topic as wide and differentiated as multimedia.

There were a lot of activity ideas presented throughout the book but they tend to be sprinkled in throughout the chapters. The how-to's are usable across LMS platforms so, even if you don't use Moodle, you can still use the book.

The section on rubrics, pp. 218-219, is not as detailed as the rest of the book although Joćo does offers minimal guidelines to assess multimedia projects with rubrics. While it may feel anemic after reading the previous how-to's, understand that 1) this book is about multimedia and not assessment specifically, and 2) his audience is international. Therefore, he cannot give advice across borders for rubrics that may not even apply to a particular country. My suggestion is to Google multimedia rubrics for something more specific to your course as supported by local education standards.

Chapter 8, about copyright and child safety, should be read first before starting in on Chapters 2-7. Even if you are already aware of these issues, you should remind yourself before diving into creating multimedia for your courses.

I recommend this book for any Instructional Designer, Corporate Trainer, or Teacher looking to increase engagement in their eLearning courses by taking advantage of multimedia tools. Not only does it teach you about many great tools freely available on the web but it also teaches you how to configure Moodle so that you can make the most out of those tools. Even a seasoned instructional design veteran can learn about a new multimedia tool or two from this book.

I wrote more about this book at the link below:
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