Transforming Teacher Education through Digital Innovation: A Moodle-Based Module for 21st-Century Literacies
Myra Luz M. Homillano *
Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, 4418, Philippines.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To highlight the practical significance of the study, consider a classroom scenario in which a pre-service teacher is required to integrate digital literacy skills to engage students in a lesson on global citizenship. Both current and future educators must navigate a rapidly evolving educational landscape that necessitates proficiency in 21st-century literacies. This study designed and evaluated a Moodle-based instructional module for Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum (BENLAC), a professional education course embedded in the revised higher education curricula. The purpose was to prepare pre-service teachers with essential skills required for effective future teaching, thereby addressing contemporary real-world classroom challenges.
Study Design: A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating qualitative document analysis for module development with a quantitative assessment through a descriptive survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional module.
Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) in the Philippines.
Methodology: The Moodle-based instructional module was developed through a structured three-phase process: planning, design, and evaluation. Five doctoral experts in fields such as curriculum development, educational leadership, professional education, instructional materials development, and ICT reviewed the developed module using a modified 36-item checklist. The assessment covered four key areas: content, design/format, technical features, and pedagogical aspects, all evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 21 to calculate the weighted mean and standard deviation.
Results: The expert evaluation revealed that the Moodle-based instructional module consistently received "very good" ratings across all assessment criteria. Content validation achieved a score of 4.6, design and format validation received a score of 4.63, technical and technological aspects were rated at 4.73, and pedagogical parameters obtained a score of 4.57 on a 5-point scale. The developed instructional module integrates key learning material, offers a user-friendly navigation, accommodates diverse learning styles, and demonstrates alignment with the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers and 21st-century literacy skills.
Conclusion: The Moodle-based instructional module, developed through a rigorous design and testing process, proved to be a valuable and pertinent resource for professional education courses. It is particularly suited to the shift in instructional delivery brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that well-constructed Moodle-based instructional modules can effectively support high-quality teaching and learning in higher education environments. Furthermore, such modules help prepare pre-service teachers with the vital 21st-century skills and literacies relevant to contemporary educational settings. These results provide practical guidance to institutions transitioning to blended and online learning, especially in contexts with limited resources. The paper presents evidence-based models to inform institutional LMS adoption policies and support the formulation of guidelines for integrating digital literacy into pre-service teacher education programs.
Keywords: Instructional module design and evaluation, Moodle-based instructional module, professional education course, virtual learning portal