Here are some of the highlights of my experience using
MoodleCloud:
Latest version of Moodle:
I've worked with Moodle in a locally hosted setting, and also I've used
cloud-based hosting solutions available online.
MoodleCloud.com was far superior. MoodleCloud has the advantage of using
the latest version of Moodle, and all the updates are present. Not all the
third-party plugins are available for the free version, and since you're not
administering this installation of Moodle, you can't add them, but that is a
very minor detail when considering all the benefits of Moodle and the
solutions.
Generous Package for Free:
The free version of MoodleCloud allows you to have up to 50 users, and
to develop as many courses as you'd like. 50 users gives you enough flexibility
to really try out a course, and to see how things will work once you start
adding users. For example, using BigBlueButton for web-conferencing and
webcasting works seamlessly and smoothly within MoodleCloud. This is not always
the case using other hosting options.
Plenty of Bandwidth:
One problem with some hosting solutions is that they do not have enough
bandwidth, or there are other routing issues that cause annoying slowdowns and
time-outs.
Accommodates a Wide Range of Media: I wanted to include
videos, audio, and also photos I took for the course I developed on Trends in
Tourism. I wanted to focus especially on the Mexican Pueblos Mágicos (Magical
Villages), which are very successful endeavors by the Mexican government to
preserve historical, cultural, and natural landmarks while also stimulating
economic development by means of tourism. Here's an example of a unit focused
on saving endangered sea turtles.
Mobile-Friendly: The Moodlecloud hosting solution is
mobile-friendly, which is extremely helpful since so many people now access
courses using their mobile devices (phones, tablets, iPads, etc.).
Scalable: The free
solution is perfect for beta testing new courses, and also for trying out some
of the plugins and features of Moodle. If your course or your institution's e-learning
takes off, you don't have to change solutions. You can scale up quite easily by
subscribing to a larger plan, which are quite affordable.
The only downside that I can see to MoodleCloud is that it
is in a beta mode, and it's possible that they may discontinue it. I hope not!
But, that said, Moodle is very popular and I think that it's possible that it
will be the first-choice solution of many users.
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