The Moodle Tokyo Cafe (MTC) is a voluntary gathering of Moodle users in Japan, first held on November 3, 2011, and held monthly until May 2023, when it will hold its 115th meeting. In recent years, it has been used as a place to share topics related to Moodle brought by participants for about 2 hours each time. MTC is sometimes held in the form of a one-day workshop to provide a hands-on opportunity based on topics discussed at the MTC.
The themes of the last five sessions are as follows;
- Knowledge Base Enabled by Moodle
- Privacy Protection and Data Deletion
- Something is wrong with my Moodle
- Moodle 4.1 Quick Review
- Is there a reminder function?
While MTC has an asynchronous Facebook group that serves as a platform for ongoing discussions, its primary focus remains on face-to-face interactions or synchronous online meetings. This allows participants to engage in lively exchanges and deepen their understanding of the topics in real-time. The asynchronous forum serves as a springboard for thought-provoking discussions, where participants can further explore and debate intriguing ideas that emerge from the online conversations.
What sets MTC apart from events like MoodleMoot is its emphasis on spontaneous and improvised discussions. Unlike MoodleMoot, where abstracts are collected and shared in advance, MTC encourages participants to freely explore topics that arise on the spot. This improvisational approach fosters an atmosphere of creativity and flexibility, allowing for the organic exchange of ideas and the emergence of novel insights.
In essence, MTC serves as a nexus for the Moodle community in Japan, offering a space for individuals to come together, share their experiences, and engage in collaborative learning. By embracing social constructivism, MTC creates an environment where participants can actively contribute to their own and others’ learning journeys.