Updated priority list

JULY PRIORITY LIST


1. Upgrade Mahara to version 1.4
2. Develop Course Overview/MyMoodle page to allow:
a. Viewing of Modules per year (a page for each academic year)
b. Filtering of modules in each year page by: year,semester1,semester 2
c. Future requirement for users to organise their own modules into folders and to hide modules they don’t want to see.

EXAMPLE
• https://studydirect.sussex.ac.uk/
• View all guest sites.













3. Fix Staff Only HTML Block. The block has no TinyMCE editor when configuring, so it’s not possible to add any content.
4. Develop link between Moodle’s Gradebook & SITS to allow grades to be copied across.
5. Display Gradebook page at 100% of browser width, to prevent scroll and missing of information









6. Implement single sign-on for on-campus users, so Moodle recognises them from the machine login.
7. Copy over MKM audio recording tool files and open up to all HTML editors.
8. Install Big Blue Button activity and the Moodle plugin for 2.0.
9. Investigate the files repositories and how these are linked in (API’s from Dropbox, Flickr, YouTube etc). Also, whether any linkage between Sharepoint and Moodle is available as a repository.
10. Develop video functionality off the back of the audio tool, for capturing video feedback.

New theme now ready to go!

Well, the new theme, by Lewis Carr, is now in place and generally looks pretty good. There will be a few tweaks to make here and there, but we're at a point where we are ready with it now. Jim has made progress on the copy over script, but there are one or two issues with that, which need ironing out. However, they are not deal breakers. Kate is now moving from a primarily testing role, to a resource development role. Only 13 days remaining until the launch! Yikes.

The updated priority list now is:

1. Data sync, for testing copy over procedure.
2. Rollover –
•Does MoodleModules work properly with M2?
•Need to use a blank course for creation of new courses (not the old template one).
3. Customisation jobs from 1.9 to 2
4. Revert Turnitin Catalyst plugin to Moodle Direct plugin version
5. Install new course topic formats i.e. collapsible topic
6. Inaccurate copying of courses, specifically:
• Content from topic summaries is not being copied over
• Images are not being copied over (usually from within topic summaries)
• 2 news forums appear when the copy has finished, one legacy and one new.
7. Develop link between Moodle’s Gradebook & SITS
8. Copy over audio recording tool files and open up to all HTML editors.
9. Investigate single sign on for on-campus users, so Moodle recognises them from the machine login.
10. Investigate the files repositories and how these are linked in (API’s from Dropbox, Flickr, YouTube etc). Also, whether any linkage between Sharepoint and Moodle is available as a repository.
11. Install Big Blue Button and the Moodle plugin for 2.0.
12. Develop video functionality off the back of the audio tool, for capturing video feedback.
13. Bug error
Site home | navigation block | site pages | reports | activity report

Expect to be able to view activity reports but following error occurs: Following error occurs: Fatal error: Call to undefined function blog_get_associated_count() in /www/moodle/course/report/outline/index.php on line 130. Tested again 02/06/11 and error disappeared. Now says Computed from logs since Wednesday 19 Jan 2011 05.48 pm FF.

Priorities as of May

Current Priorities

1. Test course creation process from moodlemodules in Moodle 2.0.3. Make sure courses are created and that users are assigned the correct roles.

2. Develop ‘copy over an existing course’ procedure.

3. Make code changes to Moodle2, based on the customisations that were implemented in 1.9.x. See Mark's customisation Word document (given to Jim on 11/05/2011).

4. Install TurnitinUK either the iParadigms plugin or the Dan Marsden version. The Dan Marsden version is the preference, since it has deeper integration and would allow us to put grades into SITS, therefore linking in with the next item.

5. Develop the link between Moodle Gradebook and SITS.

6. Copy over audio recording tool files and open up to all HTML editors.

7. Investigate single sign on for on-campus users, so Moodle recognises them from the machine login.

8. Investigate the files repositories and how these are linked in (API’s from Dropbox, Flickr, YouTube etc). Also, whether any linkage between Sharepoint and Moodle is available as a repository.

9. Install Big Blue Button and the Moodle plugin for 2.0.

10. Develop video functionality off the back of the audio tool, for capturing video feedback.

Things that have been done
1.Develop the /moodlemodules/ selection page, based on Mark’s blog post:
http://ysju-moodle.blogspot.com/2011/03/things-to-think-about-for-201112.html

2. Moodle FAQ tool installed

Feedback enhancement request

This post relates to an email I received a while ago, from someone in the Business School. I think it's a good idea any likely to become valuable to all users, as we move more towards online assessment and feedback.

Hello Mark!

CH has provided the MA TESOL students on MEL010 with feedback on an essay using the feedback boxes on Moodle. Is there a way of downloading this feedback, or is the only way to get it off Moodle to copy and paste it into Word??

Thanks!

R

So, what is required here is some sort of function which collates all feedback for each student, into a single file. I'm envisaging some functionality like the "Zip and Download submissions", which will gather all feedback for each user and save into a file.

How to use Moodle to engage students

How to use Moodle to engage students

Moodle 2.0 priorities for development

Current thinking around priorities for developing Moodle 2.0 over Summer 2011.

1.Develop the /moodlemodules/ selection page, based on Mark’s blog post:
http://ysju-moodle.blogspot.com/2011/03/things-to-think-about-for-201112.html
2.Develop ‘copy over an existing course’ procedure.
3.Copy over audio recording tool files and open up to all HTML editors.
4.Install TurnitinUK.
5.Develop the link between Moodle Gradebook and SITS.
6.Investigate single sign on for on-campus users, so Moodle recognises them from the machine login.
7.Investigate the files repositories and how these are linked in (API’s from Dropbox, Flickr, YouTube etc). Also, whether any linkage between Sharepoint and Moodle is available as a repository.
8.Install Big Blue Button and the Moodle plugin for this.
9.Develop video functionality off the back of the audio tool, for capturing video feedback.

SITS Assignments & Grades follow up post

The following document was sent to the BS QEC on 16/3/11 and the request was made for academic staff to email Mark D with a list of requirements in ourder to help develop a requirements document for the work. Blayn has also been asked to present the document at the next Arts and H&LS QECs...

Establishing a link between SITS and Moodle.
For some time, the issue of entering grades into two of the core student systems has caused concern for academic staff. This has again recently been highlighted through Business School QEC minutes and in conversations with Diana Wetherell-Terry (Deputy Dean). The issue has also been raised by Jill Armstrong at QSEC committee meetings.

The problem
Academic staff are currently required to enter grades into two systems; Moodle and SITS (e:Vision). The most common practice is that tutors provide feedback and grades for students using the functionality provided within Moodle. Once ratified, these grades need to be entered for a second time in the more official student record system, known as ‘SITS’ to staff and ‘e:Vision’, to students.

The requirement
Tutors would like to be able to enter grades in one location and have those grades displayed within both systems.

The proposed solution
Moodle should be used as the primary place where grade details are entered for students. It would be possible to develop a link between Moodle’s grading system and the SITS database, so that the information within Moodle could be reflected in SITS and e:Vision.

Moodle already has the functionality to be able to create ‘assignments’ of varying types. This functionality will cater for the core assessment types at YSJ; written work and non-written work, such as performances, presentations and practical pieces of art work. Faculties effectively communicating the proposed new practice and deciding on suitable policy, are seen as vitally important aspects towards achieving this change in practice.

Development
Development is required in order to adjust Moodle to suit the needs of our tutors. One issue we must consider is those assignments which are formative in nature. This means that there needs to be a control in place when assignments are created, so that tutors can control whether grades are fed into SITS. This could be an option as simple as checking a box to indicate if the assignment’s grade should be stored in SITS. The major piece of work is in developing the link between Moodle’s database system and the SITS database system, which run using different technologies.

Timescales
The project is estimated to be in the region of 6-8 weeks of development time. The lead time on this is to some degree dictated by the impending upgrade of Moodle 1.9 to the next version, Moodle 2.0 plus scheduling the development into the existing development projects programme. Should the upgrade to Moodle 2.0 proceed without too many technical problems, it may be possible to implement the link for September 2011. If this is not possible, due to other commitments at that time of year, the link would not be established until Semester 2 2012.

ACTION REQUIRED VIA QEC
Tutors to provide a list of functional requirements for things they would like to be able to do using the tool?

e.g. I would like to be able to select whether the assignment I have setup in moodle is formative or summative. If I select summative, the grade links through to SITS, otherwise it doesn’t.

Deadline for initial responses: May 31 2011

SITS and Assignment Grades

With the move towards online submission of assignments and the subsequent knock on effects in terms of feedback and grades, the Business School have contacted me to highlight their wish to discuss a commonality between Moodle and SITS for storing grades.

The problem in Moodle is that preliminary grades are entered for assignments. However, after exam board has ratified the grades, these grades have to be entered into SITS, which is the more formal place for recording student grades.

The requirement is that once grades have been approved by exam board, they should be able to be made more formal from within Moodle, saving duplication of any grade entering activity.

Gareth, Jim and our team need to explore this further in one of our regular meeting slots.

I know there have been issues with doing this in the past, but I am not aware of what they were, nor how they can be resolved.

Things to think about for 2011/12

A few things to think about for 2011/12 which will need dealing with over the summer period. We need to bear in mind it being implemented within the Moodle 2 framework.

1. The process of making module selections in Moodle. (/moodlemodules/)

This year, the moodlemodules data gathering exercise seemed to go reasonably well and I think most people were satisfied with the results. Having said this, Occupational Therapy and Modern Foreign Languages modules did have redundant duplications. Not everyone successfully understood their options for creating courses. Additionally, several people were able to edit the courses, meaning that the set of data used to generate the courses one day, could be different the next. At times, this resulted in a onfusing mess of courses, with the same code, but different instances (per semester/per year/per group and so on). This year, we need to ensure a more accurate collection of data by getting people to enter it more effectively.

One positive thing we implemented was a lock on being able to change a module selection, once someone had already been in and activated it. This means that we won't get a whole load of different courses, before someone eventually decides which one is correct.

Proposal for 2011/12
Reset the moodlemodules page so that all modules revert back to No Moodle Course. This will force people back into the system in order to activate their modules for 2011/12.

Ask for a record to be kept of which user made the change from No Moodle Course to the newly chosen course type. This will ensure that we can follow up and ask for justification as to why a course was set in a particular way.

If the 'per year' option is selected, see if there is any way of getting the system to automatically identify (or by asking the user) whether the course runs in SEM1 or SEM2. This will allow filtering on the homepage to work much more effectively.

Consider changing the descriptive data on the page to say something more obvious like:

Which of these options would you like:
Option 1: A single course for all my students to go to, e.g. My module has 1 cohort and only runs once over the academic year. [button: YES]

Option 2: A course for each semester, e.g My module teaching is split between two different teachers or cohorts, over the academic year.[button: YES]

Option 3: A course for each of the different student groups, e.g. I want my part-time students to have one course and my full-time students another.[button: YES]

Option 4: A course for each semester and for each of the different student groups, e.g. My module is split over 2 semesters, with different cohorts or teachers. I want my part-time students to have one course in SEM 1 and another in SEM2 and my full-time students to have a course in SEM1 and another in SEM2.[button: YES]

Option 5: None of the above. I need help deciding which course is the best for me. [button: Contact e-Learning]


We also need to figure out the automated process of copying course content from one module to another. Will save that for a new post.

Reflections to date on Moodle and plans for Moodle 2

So, we're half way through the academic year with Moodle 1.9+ and so far things have gone reasonably well (touch wood).

General Reflections
At the start of SEM1, we had a few initial hiccups with load balancing which resulted in the server falling over a few times in the first week. Gareth and Jim identified the problem as being a result of low memory on the server and once this was increased, the system has been much more stable.

Electronic assignment submission has also gone well towards the end of semester 1, with only one major problem so far. This involved the Business School and one of janet Astley's modules. The problem was caused by an update from Toodle to Moodle, which meant that any assignment submissions made during a specific window of time on the date of the update, were affected and could not re-submit. We were alerted to this quite quickly and Jim managed to implement a manual workaround for those students affected, whereby they had to visit him in the ICT rooms. For those students affected, this was a stressful and negative experience, which I hope doesn't affect the module evaluation, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

We're now switching our thoughts to Moodle 2.0, which was released a couple of months ago and which so far has had 1 major update, with 80+ bug fixes. This should give us more flexibility with using central repositories and added functionality, such as conditional release of content, which many have asked for. We're involving Lewis Carr, from Leeds City College in the redevelopment of a theme - http://moodle.leedscitycollege.ac.uk.

Capacity and testing
One of the main problems we have had so far is our capacity to test Toodle updates, before they are released to Moodle. Testing is a time-consuming task, which needs to be done comprehensively and thoroughly in order to ensure continuity of service and performance from the dev to the live environment. On a few occasions, some fixes we have asked for have been tested, but when released, have had impact on other areas within Moodle. More thorough testing would have identified these issues before release. If we expand as a team in the future, it might be an idea to incorporate 'testing' into the job role.

Evaluation
Towards the end of semester 2, I will be conducting an evaluation of Moodle from staff and student perspectives. Both staff and students will be given a questionnaire to complete to ascertain satisfaction levels and identify areas for future development. Students will also be asked their views in focus groups, with the help of Katie Knowles and Joe Piddington. This will help inform our developments over the summer period of Moodle 2.0 and will allow us to implement the feedback, where appropriate.