Japan will host the first Official MoodleMoot of 2019

December 7, 2018 By Júlia Verdaguer

MoodleMoots are conferences held around the world that bring the Moodle community together to collaborate and share best practices of our open source learning platform. In hands-on workshops, presentations and social activities for networking, Moodle users and edtech enthusiasts engage in conversations about improving education and open technologies.

In 2019 Moodle HQ will be hosting MoodleMoots globally as well as encouraging and supporting Official MoodleMoots, organised by Moodle Partners or Moodle Community members around the world. The first MoodleMoot of the year will be MoodleMoot Japan and it will be taking place from February 27 to March 1 in Shizuoka.

The conference is organised by the Moodle Association of Japan (MAJ), an organisation that promotes the use of Moodle in Japan and contributes actively to the Moodle project through research and development of Moodle and supporting Moodle HQ. We recently talked to Professor Takayuki Matsuki, President of the MAJ.

Moodle HQ: Professor Matsuki, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. MoodleMoot Japan 2019 is the eleventh MoodleMoot held in the country. What has changed in the Japanese Moodle Community since the first Moot in 2009?

Professor Matsuki: There have been a number of changes since our inaugural Moot in 2009. First, the number of participants has increased from 100 to about 300. Second, since 2013, we have published the proceedings of the talks given at each Moot, and these are reviewed by referees to ensure their quality. Third, the Moot submission and registration system has been built by our officers, mainly using the database module of Moodle. Fourth, the sponsorship system has been introduced since 2013, so that not only Moodle Partners but also other companies handling Moodle-related software and/or hardware can join the Moot and showcase their products and services to delegates. As a result of this sponsorship, funds are generated which allow us to maintain the Moodle Association of Japan and also donate to Moodle HQ.

Moodle HQ: What are the main topics for MoodleMoot Japan 2019 and what kind of sessions can delegates expect?

Professor Matsuki: Because the majority of the participants are teachers in universities, at each Moot we try to invite keynote/featured speakers who can talk about “Instructional Designs/Technologies”. Also, since almost half of the participants are non-technical teachers, predominantly “English teachers in Japan”, delegates can attend the trial lessons/workshops where several tools (plugins) of Moodle are explained and utilized.

Moodle HQ: Now that the submission period is over and the schedule for the Moot is being configured, what are some of the highlights that we can look forward to seeing at the event?

Professor Matsuki: The keynote/featured speakers in this year are Prof. Chiharu Kogo of Waseda University, who will give us a talk on “Instructional Platform in the 21st century”, and Mr. Marcus Green, from Moodle Partner Titus Learning in the UK, who will talk about the “Gapfill question type”. One or two personnel from Moodle HQ will also be invited to outline the present and future plans of Moodle and some other aspects of Moodle.

Moodle HQ: Finally, what is the best way to keep up to date with the latest news and information from MoodleMoot Japan 2019?

Professor Matsuki: Please take a look at our website https://moodlejapan.org/ and if you are interested, register for our next Moot 2019, to be held in Shizuoka – near Mount Fuji, from Wednesday Feb 27 to Friday March 1st. We look forward to seeing you there!

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MoodleMoot Japan 2019