Ioana Chan Mow
Dr Ioana Chan Mow is Professor of Computing and Computer Education at the National University of Samoa (NUS). She is the country Focal Point for Samoa for the Commonwealth of Learning and been pivotal in the integration of technology-enabled learning through research and training at NUS. Her research interests are in TEL, e-government, IT security and ICT for development. Dr Chan Mow has led various projects for NUS including the ESD Edulink project, PACENET , Pacific attitudes Survey, SKSI, Skills for Work, Online proctoring (OPS). She currently teaches postgraduate courses in the areas of systems management, ICT policy and regulation, ICT in education, and risk management.
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continuity during disruptions due to pandemics or natural disasters. The paper describes how resilience is achieved
through the implementation of the National University of Samoa (NUS) Moodle workplan for transitioning to the
new normal of online learning when Samoa went into voluntary lockdown, in response to the threat of COVID
19. Previously, NUS conducted most of its courses in face-to-face (F2F) mode with some courses using blended
delivery or blended mode of learning. But in early 2020, with the emergence of COVID 19, and the sudden
lockdown of the whole country, it was crucial that NUS transition all its courses to online mode and hosted in
Moodle, the university’s Learner Management system. Key factors determining the scope of this implementation
were: i) access to devices, ii) access to the Internet, iii) sufficient bandwidth to ensure uninterrupted and reasonably
fast access to Moodle, iv) sufficient processor power of servers to handle the volume of processing iv) the number
of simultaneous users on Moodle, vi) skill level of staff and students to use Moodle. The paper discusses the
implementation details of this transitioning to online such as the conversion of courses to digital and uploading to
Moodle, training of staff on the use of Moodle, and upgrading infrastructure. Challenges and issues encountered
in this implementation which include access, bandwidth and congestion, and learner engagement, are also
discussed as well as a set of recommendations to build resilience and ensure teaching and learning continuity in
future lockdowns.
Keywords
Moodle, pandemic lockdown, online learning, COVID-19, resilience, National University of Samoa, teaching and
learning continuit
continuity during disruptions due to pandemics or natural disasters. The paper describes how resilience is achieved
through the implementation of the National University of Samoa (NUS) Moodle workplan for transitioning to the
new normal of online learning when Samoa went into voluntary lockdown, in response to the threat of COVID
19. Previously, NUS conducted most of its courses in face-to-face (F2F) mode with some courses using blended
delivery or blended mode of learning. But in early 2020, with the emergence of COVID 19, and the sudden
lockdown of the whole country, it was crucial that NUS transition all its courses to online mode and hosted in
Moodle, the university’s Learner Management system. Key factors determining the scope of this implementation
were: i) access to devices, ii) access to the Internet, iii) sufficient bandwidth to ensure uninterrupted and reasonably
fast access to Moodle, iv) sufficient processor power of servers to handle the volume of processing iv) the number
of simultaneous users on Moodle, vi) skill level of staff and students to use Moodle. The paper discusses the
implementation details of this transitioning to online such as the conversion of courses to digital and uploading to
Moodle, training of staff on the use of Moodle, and upgrading infrastructure. Challenges and issues encountered
in this implementation which include access, bandwidth and congestion, and learner engagement, are also
discussed as well as a set of recommendations to build resilience and ensure teaching and learning continuity in
future lockdowns.
Keywords
Moodle, pandemic lockdown, online learning, COVID-19, resilience, National University of Samoa, teaching and
learning continuit
experiences with the implementation of technology-enabled learning (TEL)
using Moodle in a relatively tech-poor environment at the National University of
Samoa (NUS; Chan Mow, 2017). To ensure a structured approach to TEL, the study
was preceded by a baseline study that gauged the skill level of staff and students
in TEL as well as an infrastructure audit of technology and ICT connectivity at
NUS. The findings of the baseline study were used to develop a TEL policy and
implementation plan, thus ensuring a structured and planned implementation
of TEL at NUS. After a one-year period of TEL implementation using Moodle, an
evaluation of Moodle was conducted, and that study is the subject of this chapter.
Broadly, the Moodle research aimed to answer the following question: What is the
impact of blended learning (BL) using Moodle on the lecturers’ teaching and the
students’ learning experiences at the National University of Samoa?