Hi,
Today I've commited the changes to adapt the journal to the moodle 2.0 module API, the new version is available in Moodle CVS (http://cvs.moodle.org/contrib/plugins//mod/journal/) and from tomorrow (today -> january 24th) will be also available through the modules and plugins "Dowload latest version" link (http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=325)
The actual (2010120300) journal version for moodle 2.0 doesn't have big and/or pretty new features, only the essential to respect the 2.0 module API:
* Support for moodle > 1.9 gradebook, there are an upgrade process to add all the journal instances previously created
* Added two new capabilities to substitute the moodle 1.6 static teacher/student capabilities: one to manage/grade entries (teacher role by default) and another to add entries (student role)
* Backup 2.0
Anthony has created a journal component on CONTRIB (http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10880) you can use it for bugs, new feature requests... the MDL journal component remains useful for the journal issues of standard moodle releases.
Thats great news, David, but I think it will help if we have some detailed explanations in the docs somewhere about usage.
Specifically, in light of the extraordinay confusion over upgrading Moodle 2 when Moodle 2 non-core modules are present, I think we would be well advised to provide specific step-by-step recommended procedures to upgrade to Moodle 2 if you have Moodle 1.9.x with journals in place. I think this information needs to be located in Moodle docs and I think there needs to be a specific link to these from the module db entry.
For example, should the user, turn off (shut the eye), delete using the Moodle admin gui, or delete manually the module components. Should the user with or without doing any of the foregoing install the updated module, and if so, how. Should the user in any way manually address either moodledata or Moodle db.
I take your notice to suggest that in fact a user could use the Moodle 1.9.x GUI to delete the module, then replace the existing core module with the new module, and then do the moodle 2 upgrade. If that is the case, I think it far less hazardous then other options...... but it does raise the potential specter that core journal code could over write the new module if the upgrade to 2.x is not done immediately.
Hi Marc,
I finally found a quite useful post I read last week about the 3th party plugins transition from 1.9 to 2.0. As we talked, the 3th option seems to be ok.
Since this is a common upgrade to 2.0 issue I've search in MDocs for something to link from the journal MDocs page and I've found this. I'll try to update the docs as soon as possible (I'm moving to another home) and, as you proposes, detail the steps.
I am very interested in this Journal mod, but after the student submitted their Journal, I login as an instructor, I got the following Oracle database message, obviously, if I remove the last line "ORDER BY j.modified DESC", it works, but I think the ORDER is important to put the latest updates at front:
SELECT DISTINCT u.id FROM m_journal_entries j
JOIN m_user u ON u.id = j.userid
WHERE j.journal = '1'
ORDER BY j.modified DESC
[array (
)]
- line 391 of /lib/dml/moodle_database.php: dml_read_exception thrown
- line 268 of /lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php: call to moodle_database->query_end()
- line 1042 of /lib/dml/oci_native_moodle_database.php: call to oci_native_moodle_database->query_end()
- line 628 of /mod/journal/lib.php: call to oci_native_moodle_database->get_records_sql()
- line 53 of /mod/journal/view.php: call to journal_count_entries()
Also, our instructors want each student's journal on one individual page, and Moodle should save their previous submit, not just update the previous work, so the instructor will be able to check students' previous work, to see their new submission is better or worse, or any improvment than before.
Sould like: when the instructor click the Journal, the list all of the name and their score, then click the student's name, then list all of their journal works.
See, if there are 300 students in one class, to list all of the student's work in a single page, it could be a disaster.
Thanks.
Longfei
Hi Longfei, to see all the previous submissions availables to teachers maybe some kind of wiki activity could be better, using a page for each user for exemple.
Actually, we are using Forum this semester to acheive this. But, it will be awesome for Journal to make this available, because it is really making sense that one class has more than 300 students, and imagine how long that page would be.
Hi Longfei, thanks for the bug report (CONTRIB-2792), postgres is also afected; I've commited the patch to CVS, you can download it on cvs.moodle.org or wait ~ until tomorrow to download the entire package through the M&P page
When can I download the new package? Still not available now?
Hi, you already can download the patched version from the "download latest version" link of the Modules and plugins journal page (link)
I just downloaded moment ago, and all of the files date are still in Jan. No updates at all? Weird.
Check lib.php, is the modified file, the modification time should be 3th march. Otherwise you can download it from CVS
We love it! If there is any way to automatically include a date (and maybe time) for each new entry it would be helpful for tracking student progress through projects.
Hi Kevin,
You mean adding a string with each entry creation date and time in addition to the last modification time?
Hi David,
I am not sure if you have developed the Journal module but we are currently using it in Moodle 2.0.3 and one thing I have noticed is that the journal gets populated in the course overview block when we see the my moodle page.
I would like to turn this off so that the journal links are not listed in the course over block, how do I do this?
Vijay
Hi Vijay,
I've created a new tracker issue (http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB-3047) and resolve it (it was a quick code modification) now there is a new journal setting to show/hide the journal overview info on my moodle. You can download the latest version through the modules and plugins 2.0 link (http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=325)
Install instructions: https://github.com/dmonllao/moodle-mod_journal/blob/MOODLE_20_STABLE/README
If you find something wrong please, tell me
Thanks David,
I will try it out.
Vijay