Just about any conversation about school, be it K-12 or at the higher education level, will, at some point, include the phrase “the new normal.” The world of education has changed. And for all the trials and challenges of managing education during a pandemic, we have also learned a few things that can make our teaching and learning experiences even better in the future.
For example, we’ve learned the importance of using technology to create more personal connection when teachers and students are engaged in remote learning. This has led to the increased use of platforms like Microsoft Teams, which integrates multiple forms of collaboration, including chat, online video meetings, documents and shared files that help people communicate and work together more productively wherever they are.
This need for connection and collaboration has also influenced other technologies that are used for distance learning. That’s why Skooler introduced the mConnect app, which gives the nearly 200 million Moodle users at more than 150,000 educational institutions worldwide the ability to use Moodle and Teams together in one seamless workspace with a single sign-on.
How mConnect is simplifying the Online Student Experience
Being able to take advantage of Moodle inside of Teams, brings collaboration features and deep Office 365 integration to enhance communication and a more personal and connected remote learning experience. Even outside the classroom, there are a number of ways running Moodle in Teams is enhancing the online student experience:
- Enroll into a university from far away. With universities all over the world bringing their courses online in Moodle, students can choose their areas of study and find the best school without worrying about how far they would have to travel away from their homes, families and friends. And Teams facilitates the entire process, from writing your application materials to doing online interviews.
- Remote learning means no moving and no added housing costs. The cost of college involves so much more than tuition. And depending on where your campus is located, the costs of moving and securing housing can add considerably to one’s costs (and student debt). With Moodle in Teams, your classrooms and study halls are wherever you want them to be, while still providing the collaborative experience of human connection – even when your classmates are hundreds or thousands of miles away.
- Control your own time. Sometimes it feels like we don’t have a lot of control over our lives – certainly the pandemic has reinforced that. So when we do have ways to wrangle control over some elements of our lives, it’s empowering. When you engage in distance learning, you decide where you study, what you study, when you study and how you study. Moodle brings the classes to you. Teams allows you to create connections and cultivate how you engage with your lecturers and fellow students – on your own terms.
- Enriched student life. Of course, studying remotely means you don’t get all of the same social activities of campus life, but the collaboration features in Teams provide a far more connected student experience than using Moodle alone. With chat and live video meetings you have the ability to stay connected with your friends whether it’s for study groups, clubs or virtual social gatherings.
The response to the mConnect app has been enthusiastic!
We’re pleased to continue to receive so many comments about the ease and usability of the app and Skooler’s high level of support. Here are just a couple:
“Just when we needed an answer to teaching and learning online most, Skooler provided the solution – an integration between Microsoft Teams and Moodle,” said Marcus Sugden of Leeds Trinity. “While Teams offers amazing opportunities for live teaching and Office 365 functionality, we did not want to lose the pedagogically focused Moodle platform and the control, reporting and customisation it brings. Why choose between them when you can have both? As an early adopter, we have had the privilege of working directly with Skooler. Their knowledge and understanding of the needs of educators has brought two immensely powerful platforms together. So easy and intuitive to use, the Skooler integration gives you the best of both worlds without having to compromise. As a result, our VLE and integrated software can function in harmony with Teams, rather than feel separate. With Skooler, you don’t have to choose between platforms. Instead, you can bring both together for a feature rich and seemless experience. With Skooler, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
“We’ll be using Teams in both online and offline environment to assist in our project-based, blended learning class,” said Keun-Hyuk Lim of the KDI School. “We believe the mConnect app will be very useful in organizing the class activities.”
Key features of the mConnect app:
- Moodle course content available through a tab inside the course’s team
- Approved and hosted in Microsoft Teams app store
- Moodle courses created as teams in batch or one by one
- Your topics and assignments available in Teams
- Create a Moodle topic as a channel in Teams
- Updating members of a course into the course’s team
- Save a ton of time with automated team and membership creation
- Link your existing teams to your Moodle courses
- All delivered by a Microsoft Gold Partner
mConnect also offers a number of benefits for schools, enabling administrators and lecturers to create Teams and Channels for every Moodle course. And, if needed, Skooler can manage the full installation and onboarding.
For more information, visit: https://skooler.com/mconnect/
