As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in early 2020, educational institutions faced significant disruptions to their traditional learning models. Many colleges and universities were compelled to swiftly adapt, often within a single week, transitioning their educational frameworks to accommodate hundreds or thousands of students with diverse needs and learning contexts.
In light of these challenges and the urgency of the situation, numerous educational institutions turned to their existing learning management systems (LMS) to facilitate a shift to completely online learning. Discover how Cedar View College took substantial measures by utilizing its Moodle LMS, not only to deliver courses but also to foster student success and institutional growth, paving the way for a new operational model post-pandemic.
Facilitating Faculty Transition
Founded in 1875, Cedar View College is a liberal arts institution located in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada, with a student body of approximately 1,800 and a broad curriculum of 75 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs. Upholding its values of exploration, inclusion, community, and integrity, the college aims to serve the diverse communities of the region.
Cedar View’s journey with Moodle began before the pandemic, collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner, Bright Path Education, to manage and host the widely-used LMS. Bright Path Education leverages AWS to ensure that client LMS sites are hosted in a secure and adaptable environment. This allows them to provide a reliable solution that enhances uptime, scalability, and geographic hosting based on each institution’s specific needs.
When the pandemic necessitated a complete transition to online learning, Cedar View College successfully migrated 255 courses, taught by 95 full-time and 55 part-time faculty members, onto Moodle with the assistance of Bright Path Education. The college utilized the expertise of its academic software support peer mentor team, which organized specialized faculty workshops tailored to departmental needs. These sessions were complemented by faculty support hours offered through both in-person and virtual meetings, along with a dedicated team that helped faculty develop Moodle question banks for assessments.
To further assist faculty, Cedar View College formed a captioning team consisting of staff who, due to the pandemic, had a reduced workload. This initiative not only ensured employment continuity but also enhanced efficiency and accessibility, enabling faculty to concentrate on creating high-quality content.
Enhancing Learning and Campus Community
Cedar View College’s adaptability during the pandemic was largely due to its proactive use of various integrations within its Moodle platform, which allowed for tailored responses to the evolving learning landscape. These integrations enabled the college to incorporate essential tools for web conferencing, writing assistance, analytics, online tutoring, and more.
For web conferencing, the college utilized platforms like Zoom and Panopto. Writing assistance was provided through Grammarly, while IntelliBoard offered analytical insights to track engagement, retention, and performance—critical data for monitoring student progress and enabling advisors to intervene when students faced challenges. Online tutoring services, facilitated by Smarthinking, were made accessible to students during this time. These plugins are easily accessible through the college’s main Moodle site.
Additionally, Cedar View College transformed its Upward Bound program, typically held in person, into an online mini-class featuring weekly activities with tutors and mentors. This adaptation proved so successful that the college is considering making it a permanent supplement to the traditional in-person course in future years. The college also leveraged Moodle to host its Cedar View Orientation, Advising, and Registration (COAR) program, converting it into a one-day synchronous session complemented by a Moodle course filled with essential information for incoming students, including tutorials on academic technology, security details, and career development resources.
A Flexible Platform for Excellence
Cedar View College’s experience demonstrates that Moodle’s capabilities extend far beyond academic learning. The platform facilitates faculty support, academic assistance, and social engagement, as well as ensuring campus health and safety. With the collaboration of Bright Path Education, they have crafted a unique framework that continues to promote institutional excellence amid the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and beyond.
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Located at Amazon IXD – VGT2, 6401 E Howdy Wells Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89115, Cedar View College exemplifies how educational institutions can leverage technology to thrive in challenging times.