Though Nicholls previously released that Moodle will not be fully implemented for this semester because students will be overwhelmed, we believed that it was the instructors themselves who were not ready.

Now that students have experienced using Moodle in some classes but not others, we have revised our opinion to include that no one is ready for this new system.

We are not ready, not because the system is complicated or overwhelming, but because no one knows how to work it.

Instructors have been given training, but if it was anything like what students received—which was sink or swim—then we completely understand why there is confusion.

Instructors did not grow up with technology like most college students have, so they are not as experienced in clicking around new systems to figure out how things work. However, though students are a little more used to navigating unknown technology, we should not be thrown into it with expectations that we can figure out the system before we miss something vital in class.

Instructors do not have time to teach students what little they know about Moodle when they are 1. still trying to figure it out themselves and 2. are supposed to be teaching students subjects relevant to their classes.

Freshmen receive training in Blackboard in University Prep. We understand that they will receive training in Moodle as well, this semester or next. What are the rest of the students supposed to do?

We need a student-training seminar. Even student employees new to using online time sheets will receive one. Is accessing our assignments, grades and syllabi on Moodle less important than imputting time to get paid?

Also, why are we increasing the confusion by making Moodle only applicable in a few classes? It is hard enough to remember to check Blackboard and Gmail before and after every class to make sure nothing was changed that will affect our deadlines, but now we have to remember to check Moodle, say, for that one class out of five that is actually using it.

Once we do check it, we are left clicking around, hoping to find something instructor swears he posted but cannot be found anywhere because he did not realize he had to click something extra to make it accessible to students.

Some instructors have even had to log in as a student to make sure students are seeing what they need to be seeing.

Other instructors refuse to use Moodle until they have to because they are aggravated by their unanswered questions, such as how to implement online quizzes with a textbook-provided test bank.

We have switched a few things around quite a bit in the last few years at Nicholls. E-mail, registration and now assignments are accessed in whole new ways.

But if the system is not self-explanatory, such as Banner’s many helpful, descriptive links or Gmail’s familiarity to most students, then how are we supposed to figure it out?

Moodle is bare. There are a list of classes, and then once you click on a subject– nothing. No helpful “syllabus,” “assignments” or “course documents” links, just a blank page that causes a blank stare into its unknown, unfamiliar, white space that goes on and on and on…

We understand that change is difficult, but we must find a way to make this change easier for the students and faculty as well.