Jamie Pratt and Gordon Bateson, core developers of Moodle for Mobiles, are currently planning to join the JALTCALL conference in Sapporo, Japan. On the day before the conference, Friday, June 2nd, myself and Bob Gettings are making plans for a Developers Workshop, mostly focusing on MFM, especially the parallel interface and six mobile phone applications due for release this winter and spring. Hokusei Gakuen University and Sapporo Gakuin University will host the gathering. It is possible that we may want to expand the workshop to include all forms of module development in Japan, such as the new Project Module and the Lecture Feedback Module. We may even want to make this a Japan Moodle Moot if enough people are interested. Moodle Partners, Bill Burgos and Mits have shown encouraging support and we would love if they can join us.
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I am actually most interested in the implementation of LAMS within moodle (I will obviously be attending your JALT presentation) but it would be good to keep up with other developments, especially in the mobile field. I thought I had signed up as for user testing of MFM some time ago but I didn't here anything (maybe I am confusing this with me just volunteering on a forum). Either way, I should be able to do some user testing of MFM. I am also planning to try out LAMS 1.1 on my server once moodle 1.6 stablizes a bit (when I can free up a bit of time) so if anyone has any LAMS sequences they want me to try running I am also in for that. Did any of that make sense? A day-long developers meeting sounds perfect! It is very hard to keep up with all the developments so it would be a great way to hear who is up to what. A general moodlemoot sounds like a much bigger fish to fry. I am sure there would be a lot of interest in one though (although last years JALT meeting was almost a moodlemoot in itself!).
Cheers,
Jamie
Cheers,
Jamie
Wonderful, Jamie (sorry if we sometimes confuse you with the other Jamie, Jamie Pratt, who has programmed most of the MFM modules). 
It is great to hear you can come for the whole day, especially if you can test all six MFM modules in May. Is that OK? I will ask Sekiya san and Jamie Pratt to send you the modules early May with instructions for installation. At the same time, I will be testing in my classes--we need lots of user testing at this time from various installations. Actually, the MFM Developers Meeting is not a public meeting, but definitely for people like yourself who are deeply involved.
By the way, does this mean you will arrive Thursday night? If so, hotel/air package prices are usually cheaper when they start on a Thursday rather than a Friday night. Check the JALTCALL website for more hotel information and the complete list of presentations for Saturday and Sunday. http://jaltcall.org/
On LAMS, I am very excited to hear you are testing it. I was planning to discuss IMS-LD from a theoretical perspective, but if you are more interested in practical use, perhaps you could join me and demonstrate what you have done. How does that sound?
It is great to hear you can come for the whole day, especially if you can test all six MFM modules in May. Is that OK? I will ask Sekiya san and Jamie Pratt to send you the modules early May with instructions for installation. At the same time, I will be testing in my classes--we need lots of user testing at this time from various installations. Actually, the MFM Developers Meeting is not a public meeting, but definitely for people like yourself who are deeply involved.
By the way, does this mean you will arrive Thursday night? If so, hotel/air package prices are usually cheaper when they start on a Thursday rather than a Friday night. Check the JALTCALL website for more hotel information and the complete list of presentations for Saturday and Sunday. http://jaltcall.org/
On LAMS, I am very excited to hear you are testing it. I was planning to discuss IMS-LD from a theoretical perspective, but if you are more interested in practical use, perhaps you could join me and demonstrate what you have done. How does that sound?
Don! And to think we've actually met (Singapore)!
Testing the modules shouldn't be any problem (I hope!).
I am planning to go up on very early on the Friday morning and stay Friday/Saturday.
Regarding LAMS, I will aim to have "something" with LAMS 1.1 (although this could be a long shot) implemented within moodle 1.6 if the stability of the packages permits but if not I will try to get something together with LAMS 1.0 and Moodle 1.6. The unicode compatibility of the LAMS 1.1/moodle 1.6 package is very attractive to me though for the type of courses I have produced and am planning to produce. Should only take me about ten or fifteen minutes to run through it (unless it is a complete disaster, in which case it will take about one minute!).
Cheers,
Jamie
Testing the modules shouldn't be any problem (I hope!).
I am planning to go up on very early on the Friday morning and stay Friday/Saturday.
Regarding LAMS, I will aim to have "something" with LAMS 1.1 (although this could be a long shot) implemented within moodle 1.6 if the stability of the packages permits but if not I will try to get something together with LAMS 1.0 and Moodle 1.6. The unicode compatibility of the LAMS 1.1/moodle 1.6 package is very attractive to me though for the type of courses I have produced and am planning to produce. Should only take me about ten or fifteen minutes to run through it (unless it is a complete disaster, in which case it will take about one minute!).
Cheers,
Jamie
Don,
Unfortunately I have to be back in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon so I will not be able to make the Learning Design presentation (I am quite disappointed about that). I will try to get something together that you can hand out as a print-out or show as a live site if you wish to add a practical implementation to your presentation. I am not giving a presentation because I intended to be in the UK at this time. I will arrive in Sapporro at 8.15 on the Friday, so should comfortably be at the developers meeting by 10 (I hope!). I'll take in the saturday of the conference and the saturday night reception. For anybody that is thinking of going up, I managed to get a cheap flight on airdo21.com (19,000 yen return, which I thought was pretty reasonable (45-day-before special, although there may not be many left)) and intend to book a hotel on lastminute.co.jp (probably the Hilton). I can give a short impromptu talk on implementing LAMS with moodle on the Friday if there is any interest (although I am guessing the concentration will be on moodle for mobiles).
Cheers,
Jamie
Unfortunately I have to be back in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon so I will not be able to make the Learning Design presentation (I am quite disappointed about that). I will try to get something together that you can hand out as a print-out or show as a live site if you wish to add a practical implementation to your presentation. I am not giving a presentation because I intended to be in the UK at this time. I will arrive in Sapporro at 8.15 on the Friday, so should comfortably be at the developers meeting by 10 (I hope!). I'll take in the saturday of the conference and the saturday night reception. For anybody that is thinking of going up, I managed to get a cheap flight on airdo21.com (19,000 yen return, which I thought was pretty reasonable (45-day-before special, although there may not be many left)) and intend to book a hotel on lastminute.co.jp (probably the Hilton). I can give a short impromptu talk on implementing LAMS with moodle on the Friday if there is any interest (although I am guessing the concentration will be on moodle for mobiles).
Cheers,
Jamie
Yes, get off the train at Shin Sapporo and take a taxi from there to Sapporo Gakuin Daigaku. It will cost about 1300 yen and ten minutes. Or take a bus for 200+ yen but spend 40-60 minutes hunting for the bus station, waiting, and walking from the bus stop.
The Hilton is way out in Otaru--about 90 minutes away--definitely not a good choice. You want the Sheraton Hotel or Arc City Hotel which are in Shin Sapporo, or one of the JR Sapporo station area hotels. Friday/Saturday nights are the heaviest nights in Sapporo, so you may not get a good one if you wait.
Yes, an impromptu talk on LAMS sometime will be great.
The Hilton is way out in Otaru--about 90 minutes away--definitely not a good choice. You want the Sheraton Hotel or Arc City Hotel which are in Shin Sapporo, or one of the JR Sapporo station area hotels. Friday/Saturday nights are the heaviest nights in Sapporo, so you may not get a good one if you wait.
Yes, an impromptu talk on LAMS sometime will be great.
Don,
I'm not going to be able to make it to Sapporo due to work commitments. Sure enough, as soon as I arrange to go away somewhere, my work goes completely crazy. Can't complain too much though as it is better than not having any! I am quite gutted about it though as I was really looking forward to it. Say hello to everyone for me.
Have a good one.
Cheers,
Jamie
PS I have been doing a little bit of testing on MFM and also have a LAMS/moodle integration test site you are more than welcome to play with on Friday if anybody is interested. I'll be available on Skype (JamesPhillips1964) for most of Friday if anybody wants to talk to me about it.
I'm not going to be able to make it to Sapporo due to work commitments. Sure enough, as soon as I arrange to go away somewhere, my work goes completely crazy. Can't complain too much though as it is better than not having any! I am quite gutted about it though as I was really looking forward to it. Say hello to everyone for me.
Have a good one.
Cheers,
Jamie
PS I have been doing a little bit of testing on MFM and also have a LAMS/moodle integration test site you are more than welcome to play with on Friday if anybody is interested. I'll be available on Skype (JamesPhillips1964) for most of Friday if anybody wants to talk to me about it.