C. Assessment as learning
3.7.5 Moodle platform/environment and time
Platform is sometimes termed to be a location or environment which is defined space proved where teaching-learning can take place (Khoza, 2013b). Thus, studies outline that the teaching process should occur within a conducive platform that encourages and supports informal, formal, and personal activities. That is the reason why Berkvens et al. (2014, p. 18) advocates that teaching and learning process should be “carried out in inspiring environments that provide adequate teaching and learning materials”, and this requires lecturers reflections to be in place. See the studies conducted by Looney, Cumming, van Der Kleij, and Harris (2017) as well as Mockler (2011) on teacher identity. These studies reveal that teacher identify is mainly understood through main three platforms namely: personal platform, professional platform and public platform.
Studies further draw the line between the three platform such that the personal platform is influenced by personal experience which is based on the historical background, the professional platform by the policy systems in place, whereas the public platform in influenced by social opinions (politics). These assertions suggests that Moodle teaching and learning platforms can based on a personal platform (blended environment) and guided by personal reflection, formal platform (face-to-face environment) as guided by formal reflection, as well as the informal platform (online environment) as guided by informal reflection (Khoza-, 2016b; Mpungose*, 2016). Note that all these suggested platforms are used within a certain period of time (Berkvens et al., 2014).
168 3.7.5.1 Formal platform and time
Interestingly, the studies done by Ramsden (2003), Nkohla (2017), and Khoza (2013b), specifically reflected on the issues of teaching and learning platforms. These studies outline that the formal Moodle platform in driven by formal reflection where teaching and learning is believed to take place in a demarcated area of teaching and learning, as stipulated from the university policies. For instance Moodle can be used in the formal lecture hall, formal lecturers’ offices and libraries, research commons, and others. According to Sharma and Barrett (2011), Ngubane- Mokiwa and Khoza (2016), and Bates* (2016), formal platform are referred to a face-to-face platforms where teaching and learning takes place and it occurs where there is a physical presence of the lecturer in a specific venue. This suggests that the formal platform enhances face-to-face communication for teaching a module, real time contact to access resources from Moodle LMP, real time of teaching is within a specified period of time, and feedback is provided visually with immediate effect (Behari-Leak, 2017; Berkvens et al., 2014).
In addition to the above, the use of a demarcated and formal platform is also affirmed by Bernstein (1999) and Van den Akker- et al. (2012) in the performance curriculum, indicating that the formal platform must be motivating and user friendly in order to address the module need. For instance, the lecture hall must be in a good condition in such a way that users are able to access an internet connection; and it is well ventilated and has air condition systems in place. On the contrary, Rabbany et al. (2014) aver that the use of formal teaching and learning platforms for Moodle usage is always time bound. This suggests that the use of formal platforms is according to the university formal time table that lecturers do follow in order to use the particular platform. In other words, formal platforms are used within a specified time stipulated from the university police that is in line with DHE policies (Le Grange* & Reddy, 2017; Looney et al., 2017).
3.7.5.2 Informal platform and time
Furthermore, informal platforms address the needs of all stakeholders, including students, taking part in the use of Moodle when teaching the module. This platform is influenced by informal reflection where lecturers are expected to use Moodle platforms based on what the public or society (opinions) is saying (Czerniewicz & Brown, 2014; Khoza-, 2016b). Moreover, Amory-
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(2015), Khoza and Manik (2015), and Prensky (2001), refer to the informal platform as the online platform where teaching and learning take place through the use of internet using the LMP like Moodle. This suggests that a lecturer need not to be present in the lecturer hall for teaching and learning to take place, as long as both students are connected to the internet (online) teaching and learning may prevail (Nash, 2016; Quan-Baffour & Vambe, 2016). In other words, informal platforms accommodates all the community/society members taking part in the module because they can access the module at any time anywhere provided they are all connected. As a result lecturers’ informal reflection addresses the needs of the society during the teaching and learning process (Mpungose*, 2016).
Furthermore, according Salmon (2013), and Sharma and Barrett (2011), lecturers, university management, and Moodle administrators, including students, are influential in selecting the use of an informal platform (online) to be used for teaching and learning using Moodle in order to meet the needs of the students (society). According Bernstein (1999), and Hoadley and Jansen (2013), this assertion follows the model of the competence curriculum where teaching and learning platforms are not demarcated or time bound. This suggests that the use of Moodle for teaching and learning in the informal platform can take place anywhere and at any time provided it serves the purpose of using Moodle for teaching and learning process. According some studies, university premises, lecturers’ homes, restaurants and others, can be used as informal platforms for teaching and learning using Moodle, at any informal time (out of working ours) like after work, before work, or during lunch time (Jackson, 2017; le Roux & Breier, 2016; Mockler, 2011; Myers, 2016;
Singh' & Kaurt, 2016). For instance, a lecturer may use a messaging activity to send an announcement to students based on a module while sitting at home (informal time) provided there is an internet connection.
3.7.5.3 Personal platform and time
Moreover, personal platform is drawn from the two mentioned above platforms (formal and informal), and is influenced by personal reflection where the use of the platform is basically grounded on pervious personal experience or previous historical background (Govender & Khoza, 2017; Schoenfeld, 2016). Further to this, Mowlabocus (2016) views about the personal platform
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is in line with the those for Garud et al. (2016) when outlining that the personal platform is sometimes defined as a blended platform because it combines both the online platform and the face-to-face platform in order to serve the needs of the lecturer. In other words, teaching and learning requires a bit of physical interaction and a bit of virtual/online learning, and it is up to the lecturers to utilise any platform in order to meet their needs (Dreyer-, 2015; Salleh et al., 2015).
In addition to the above, the use of personal platform for teaching and learning when using Moodle address the personal needs (Khoza & Manik, 2015; Looney et al., 2017). This can also applicable when lecturers are opting to use informal platforms like restaurant which may be influenced by their personal historical background (Bates' & Poole, 2003; Biggs', 2011). This then suggests that lecturers are not forced to use any of this platform (informal or formal) but that lecturers choose the platform based on their needs in such a way that lecturers may opt to use Moodle while they are at home, in the conference, in the office and others provided it suits their needs. Note that;
time is always personally decided as to when to use the Moodle platform based on the personal needs (Apple, 2004; Bijker, 2010). In other words, lecturers can use Moodle at any time they wish to irrespective of whether they are at school or not.