3.7 Moodle curriculum Signals
3.7.2 Ensuring justice in the use of Moodle
3.7.2.1 Aims (long-term goals for teachers)
Hunkins and Ornstein (1998, p. 273) refer to aims as “general statements that provides the shape and the direction to the more specific actions designed to achieve some future product or behaviour. Aims are starting points that suggests an ideal or inspirational vision of the good. Aims depict the general vision of the curriculum”. This studies (Fink, 2013; Kennedy et al., 2006;
Mpungose*, 2016; Ngubane-Mokiwa & Khoza, 2016; Scott, Yeld, & Hendry, 2007) further advocate for the idea that aims are informed by produced reflection which caters for the personal needs of lecturers, and aims are taken as a long term purpose based on lecturers’ needs. This concurs with what is outlined from Mpungose- (2016a, p. 42) study that aims are referred to as
“broad general statement of teaching intentions written from the teachers’ point of view ”.
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Moreover, aims come up with answers to address the question of “what destination do you have in mind for learners as far as a particular curriculum or subject is concerned” (Hunkins & Ornstein, 1998, p. 276). These assertions on definitions from the literature indicates that aims are concerned with ensuring justice by addressing the personal needs of lecturers (What do they want?) which is addressed by undergoing the process of produced reflections. This then gives a shape and a direction to lecturers during teaching and learning process. For instance, if a lecturer is teaching the Physical Science module using Moodle, then the lecturer might stipulate the aims of using Moodle in teaching the module so as to, ‘Introduce student to educational technology competences or To provide general understanding to social learning’.
Furthermore, Kennedy et al. (2006) outlines that aims indicate a general vantage point and direction on the matter being studied in order to ensure justice. For instance, when the module is studied, the question seeking the aim of teaching a module by lecturers might arise, and this question might be, ‘what are the aims that shape and give direction of the module’ and the answer might be ‘To introduce a wide repertoire of teaching methods’. Moving further, in the context of this study, this suggests that aims are trying to unpack the different kinds of questions seeking the general goals of using Moodle; for instance question such as ‘What is the purpose of using Moodle?; how to ensure justice when using Moodle and What is Moodle trying to achieve?’ might be imposed asking lecturers the aims of using Moodle on the basis of their produced reflection (personal need). In answering such questions, lecturers need to be aware of keywords used in the formulation of aims like, introduce, provide, allow and others, which plays a huge role in giving direction (Kennedy et al., 2006; Reddy & le Grange, 2017). Additionally, the aims of using Moodle to teach the Physical Science module (general statement) might be ‘allow the sharing of useful information, documentation and knowledge; to open an open dialogue between lecturer and students; to assist students to construct their own knowledge; to develop cooperative skills;
provide a flexible teaching and learning than a traditional’ (Berkvens et al., 2014; Govender &
Khoza, 2017; Martín-Blas & Serrano-Fernández, 2009).
Moreover, According to Khoza (2015), aims illustrate the key nature of using Moodle in relation to the module students are studying, and aims should be brief, with clear keywords, up to the point
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and be on the side of addressing the lecturers’ needs in using Moodle to teach a module. For this reason, Hunkins and Ornstein (1998, p. 278) assert that goals, like aims, are informed by produced reflections and should “address the particular times in which educators find themselves but should contain wording also appropriate for the future times ”. This then suggests that aims are informed by produced reflections which cater to a lecturer’s personal need in order to improve and empower their teaching practice for the future.
In addition to the above, a study by Tyler (2013b) of curriculum in American institutions highlights some important goals, namely: developing of self-needs, making the individual educated, encouraging social teaching and learning, providing the required skills and understanding, equipping the individuals with the tools for teaching and learning. Note that these stipulated keywords like develop, make, encourage, provide, and equip, in the of formulation of aims are taking the direction of produced reflection in order to address the personal needs of lecturers in any particular programme such as in Moodle LMP. That is why Biggs- (2014) and Pratt (1994b) outlined that aims addresses the intellectual domain, societal-personal domain, and productive domain. The intellectual domain focuses on thinking process towards having skills and knowledge of solving problems; the societal-personal domain has to do with personal emotions and psychology adapted from home, family and others; and productive domain places the productivity of curriculum at the centre. In other words, the produced reflection by lecturers on the use of Moodle may address these three domains in order to bring a clearer understanding of the broader purpose of using Moodle. In other words, in order to do justice on aims of using Moodle, lecturers’
aims should address the three world stated above (Bloom, 1956; Ion, Vespan, & Uţă, 2013).
Furthermore, the importance of having clear aims in using Moodle is highlighted from the study conducted by Martín-Blas and Serrano-Fernández (2009) at the University of Madrid, in Spain (Europe). The main aim of the study was to explore lecturers’ reflection on the role of new Moodle technology as a tool for teaching and learning physics. The study revealed that the aims of using Moodle is to make an online learning society to have a virtual space to share knowledge and to organize, manage and avail module resources for students. The study concluded that even though some of the lecturers were reluctant on the use of Moodle but after they were driven by aims on
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the use of Moodle, which were giving shape and direction of using Moodle in their teaching of physics, they became more interested and they were able to use Moodle according to their aims.
This then indicates that lecturers become more motivated after they have undergone the process of produced reflection in order to form aims which addresses their personal needs, and this suggests that aims are a nucleus, starting point, or the basic guiding principle of using any LMPs before learning outcomes and objective are declared, refer to Figure 3.6 (Govender & Khoza, 2017;
Maxwell, 2013). That is why Mpungose (2017) advocates that learners can never achieve the intended outcomes if the aim is not clearly specified. In other words, lecturers have a duty to understand the aims of using Moodle and state them clearly so that students may achieve their goals as well. Thus, if there are no aims, there will be no proper teaching and learning to ensure justice in using Moodle (Govender & Khoza, 2017; Schiro, 2013). As a result, objectives are some of the goals which are specific, and that must be considered on the use of Moodle when teaching the Physical Science module.