Having your students introduce themselves can be a powerful and useful activities. Whether your class meets in person or just online, Moodle can help your students introduce themselves to you or to the entire class.

Teachers can use any to the modules below to find out more about their students. Which module you pick is dependent upon what you want and how you want to know that. Some questions to consider:

  1. Do you want all of the students to see the information?
  2. Do you want to guide students by having a form or do you want them to follow directions?
  3. Do you have a comfort level with using a specific module?

Glossary

This one is probably my favorite way for students to introduce themselves. Set up a Glossary, and then let the students add in information. Each student would enter their own name as the “term” and then whatever information that you want as the definition.

Important Notes:
  • Easy to set up
  • Easy for students to enter their information
  • Can be used with the Random Glossary Block to display a student name for other students in the “side bar”
  • No automatic grading (but can be graded)
  • All students can include pictures
  • Entries can be approved by the teacher before the other students can see them

Database

This allows the teacher to set up a “form” for the students to fill out. The database is viewable by all students.

Important Notes:
  • Allows for multiple types of information (such as checkboxes, pictures) to be collected.
  • Checkboxes means that specific information can be gathered. May be especially useful for lower grades.
  • Easy for students to enter their information
  • A bit more work for the teacher to set up
  • No automatic grading (but can be graded)
  • All students can include pictures
  • Entries can be approved by the teacher before the other students can see them

Forum

The Forum module allows the teacher to set up a forum in which each student would create a post. The post can have a variety of information in it. However, it is more limited than the Glossary or Database.

Important Notes:
  • Easy to set up
  • Each student can reply specifically to other students
  • Can be graded
  • Each student gets a separate line

Assignment

Many teachers are comfortable with the Assignment module. Unlike the Glossary and Database modules, the Assignment module will only be viewable by the teacher.

Important Notes:
  • Easy to set up
  • Limited to teacher viewing the information
  • Private between each student and the teacher

Quiz

Like the Assignment module above, the Quiz module would be limited to collection of information about students. Only the teacher will see all of the responses. The advantage of the Quiz module is that the teacher can create a template for the student to complete.

Important Notes:
  • Many teachers are comfortable with creating a Quiz
  • Limited to teacher viewing the information
  • Private between each student and the teacher