Abstract

This paper will describe how Moodle was used to create an online version of a print textbook for a content-based course. After a brief overview of content-based instruction (CBI), it will introduce one way of designing a Moodle course homepage to make a reasonable rendition of a textbook while discussing the functionality of Moodle and how it enhances the effectiveness of CBI. The paper will also describe more advanced customizations of Moodle that were made to adapt the layout and functionality of the course to the needs of Japanese learners. Lastly, it will conclude by making a case for the use of a print textbook-website combo as an effective means of introducing CALL teaching technology gradually into a traditional institutional setting. An appendix is also provided with practical suggestions on how to render common CBI textbook activities into corresponding Moodle activities.

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