By: Kristin Eck
Copy Editor

I never had to turn in assignments or take tests over the weekend when I was in high school. That’s because most high schools weren’t using virtual learning platforms such as Moodle, Blackboard or Desire to Learn. These programs are intended to make the lives of professors and students easier, but in my opinion, they really just complicate our lives unnecessarily.

When I first came to Western, I remember being introduced to Moodle and not really comprehending what it was for. I soon realized that no professor uses Moodle in the same way and that, as a student, you simply have to catch on to their personal preferences. This inconsistency added anxiety and unnecessary stress to my life.

Some professors use Moodle in its entirety: posting homework, quizzes, tests and readings for you to peruse in your spare time. Some professors simply use it to post grades or readings, while others don’t use it at all.

I asked Dr. Keulks, an English literature professor at Western, how he feels about using Moodle.

“My emotions about using Moodle are mixed. Sometimes it doesn’t provide anything more than a web page would, but I’ll admit I don’t use it as dynamically as some profs do. I don’t think it’s necessary to create Moodle shells automatically for every class,” said Keulks.

Moodle shells are created for every class on campus, regardless of whether or not they’re used. He adds that, as a campus, “We’ve done good work … in making Moodle training available for faculty. The Center for Academic Innovation is always available to help, and they’ve rolled out many initiatives. With that said, I wouldn’t say that all faculty, myself included, always follow best practices. As a campus, we’re still adapting to digital environments. I’m sure it’s frustrating for students to confront this learning curve visually.”

Yes, it is frustrating. Not only is this very inconsistent but the very idea of virtual learning platforms, like Moodle, are intrusive to the student’s life. Dr. Keulks added, “I’ve now begun disabling discussion boards on my Moodle shells. I’ve heard too many students argue that being swamped by weekly posting requirements — for multiple classes — works in reverse: instead of more deeply engaging the material, they simply become task-driven.”

Dr. Keulks makes a very good point. I could be eating dinner with my family on Sunday night and have to excuse myself because my professor has a test opening at 6 p.m. When did this become okay? Suddenly professors have the right interrupt our out-of-class activities with annoying tests and deadlines. Not only do I think this is unhealthy, it’s also a violation of student’s privacy.

I personally don’t feel that it’s necessary for professors to know what time their students submit their work. If we have to use programs that require online submission, professors should only see if it is late or on-time. Frankly, if I want to procrastinate on an essay my professor doesn’t need to know that I turned it in at 11:59 p.m. This information is only useful when poking fun at a student and that is not okay.

Virtual learning platforms now provide professors the opportunity to demand twice as much from their students as before. Where are their guidelines? How do we measure this extra work in terms of student health and realistic expectations? Even if professors do have this training available to them, are they taking full advantage of it? I think it’s time that students demand the answers to these questions from their professors and universities.

Senior Ashley Letts, education major, thinks that the biggest problem with using Moodle is that, “Professors not putting grades on it, but not being available to talk about grades either. Other professors don’t use it at all, and just expect you to remember everything. Although one of my profs puts everything on Moodle, and it takes forever to find what I need. It’s confusing and irritating.”

If it’s not obvious by now, I personally dislike Moodle and all other virtual learning platforms. It doesn’t make sense to have these in place without applying some kind of control. We need guidelines. We need accountability. We need consistency.

And finally, If I’m accomplishing twice as much work for one class, then give me twice as many credits for it. If you have ever been discouraged or frustrated with using Moodle, please send me an email so we can do something about it.

Please contact the author at keck14@mail.wou.edu