Introduction to Moodle
Moodle is a software package that is a course management system. It is open-source and copyrighted but is freely provided for use under the GNU Public License agreement. It was originally an acronym, MOODLE, which stood for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Martin Dougiamas is its creator and keeps busy leading the Moodle development team (a constructivist process) from its headquarters in Perth, Australia. Moodle use has escalated sharply since its beginnings in 2003, with many thousands of Moodle servers being registered. Moodle, being free, compares well with much more expensive course management systems such as: Blackboard, Angel, WebCT, etc. The Moodle name and logo are trademarks of the Moodle Trust.