With the Virtual Programming Lab plugin, or VPL, Moodlers including students have access to a source code editor and console for a variety of software applications in many programming languages inside Moodle. This deeper level of interaction enhances practical experiences for skills that require coding, including scientific computations and simulations, or just plain old code learning.
VPL encompasses a vast array of languages, from Python, Java and PHP to Haskell, Fortran and C. See each in action at the VPL Moodle demo site. Log in, click a language and go to the “Edit” tab to access the editor and console.
More on VPL is available on its official site at University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. VPL is a joint collaboration between ULPGC and the Innovation Center for the Information Society (CICEI, in Spanish). You can also order the book Developing Programming Courses with Moodle and VPL, written by Professor Aldo von Wangenheim.
Download and install VPL from the Moodle Plugin Directory. VPL latest build is compatible with Moodle 2.7 and newer.
And if you are feeling meta, look and edit the code behind the code editor in GitHub.
How do you approach scientific topics interactively? Tell your story in the comments!
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