Editing Moodle (section)

== Background ==

=== Origins ===
Martin Dougiamas, who has graduate degrees in [[computer science]] and [[education]], wrote the first version of Moodle. Dougiamas started a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] to examine "the use of [[open source software]] to support a [[social constructionist]] [[epistemology]] of teaching and learning within Internet-based communities of reflective inquiry." Although how exactly social constructivism makes Moodle different from other eLearning platforms is difficult to show, it has been cited as an important factor by Moodle adopters.<ref>{{Cite conference|last=Weller | first=M. | title=VLE 2.0 and future directions in learning environments | publisher=Proceedings of the first LAMS Conference, Sydney|year=2006 | url=https://www.lamsfoundation.org/lams2006/pdfs/Weller_Lams06.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McMulli & Munroe |title=VMoodle at DCU |url=http://odtl.dcu.ie/wp/2004/odtl-2004-01.html |year=2004 |access-date=18 September 2009 |archive-date=13 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513122617/http://odtl.dcu.ie/wp/2004/odtl-2004-01.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other Moodle adopters, such as the [[Open University]] in the UK, have pointed out that Learning Management Systems can equally be seen as "relatively pedagogy-neutral".<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sclater|first=Neil|title=A Large-scale Open Source eLearning Systems at the Open University|journal=[[Educause]]|url=http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/LargeScaleOpenSourceELear/46878|year=2008|access-date=2009-09-18|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120726133033/http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/LargeScaleOpenSourceELear/46878|archive-date=2012-07-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Pedagogical approach ===
The stated philosophy of Moodle includes a [[Constructivism (pedagogical)|constructivist]] and [[Social constructionism|social constructionist]] approach to education, emphasizing that learners (and not just teachers) can contribute to the educational experience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.moodle.org/311/en/Philosophy|title=Philosophy - MoodleDocs|website=docs.moodle.org}}</ref> Using these [[Pedagogy|pedagogical]] principles, Moodle provides an environment for learning communities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Open-Source Learning Management System|url=http://www.moodlerooms.com/resources/moodle-resources/|publisher=Moodlerooms|access-date=2012-05-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227034938/http://www.moodlerooms.com/resources/moodle-resources/|archive-date=2010-12-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Origin of name ===
The acronym ''Moodle'' officially stands for ''modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment''. When the project was first started, the "m" instead stood for "Martin's", after original developer Martin Dougiamas. Besides being an acronym, the name was also chosen because of the dictionary definition of Moodle, with connotations such as "tinkering", "insight", and "creativity",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allwords.com/word-moodle.html|title=Moodle definition|publisher=All Words}}</ref> as well as to correspond to an available domain name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=27533#129848|title=The chicken or the egg|date=16 July 2005 |publisher=Moodle.org Lounge}}</ref>