How can I get if a user has completed a course?
Cause I need to make a list of a user's finished courses.
I have seen discussion on course completion elsewhere (http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=69223 ) and am again raking it here because those discussion threads had become too long and this one here is too short and has exactly the subject I wanted - 'Course Completion'.
Till Moodle 1.8.3, we have been dealing with requests of clients for course completion using Chardelle's Certificate Module which has matured rather well with time.
However, this might change with Moodle 1.9 and the new gradebook soon and it appears from the discussions and the moodle docs that the various activity modules will be able to post in the gradebook data indicating passing marks. Also an activity will be able to post multiple grades into the gradebook ( http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=82348 ).
Martin D is of the view that Course Completion will only be available in Moodle 2.0 (http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=78074) which is a long time off. I think in the meantime, we can consolidate our view about what we mean and want from course completion. My own thoughts are as under:
1. The completion would make some of the activities compulsory, which might be individually checked for a minimum grade;
2. The course completion grade might not be a simple sum of the compulsory graded activities but any calculation of the grades, outcomes or in case of resources, views.
3. One Moodle course could offer multiple course completions, like short course, full course etc. (at least two come to the mind rapidly)
4. The certificate module can then become simpler and only present these completion(s) as a PDF document.
Thoughts?
Till Moodle 1.8.3, we have been dealing with requests of clients for course completion using Chardelle's Certificate Module which has matured rather well with time.
However, this might change with Moodle 1.9 and the new gradebook soon and it appears from the discussions and the moodle docs that the various activity modules will be able to post in the gradebook data indicating passing marks. Also an activity will be able to post multiple grades into the gradebook ( http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=82348 ).
Martin D is of the view that Course Completion will only be available in Moodle 2.0 (http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=78074) which is a long time off. I think in the meantime, we can consolidate our view about what we mean and want from course completion. My own thoughts are as under:
1. The completion would make some of the activities compulsory, which might be individually checked for a minimum grade;
2. The course completion grade might not be a simple sum of the compulsory graded activities but any calculation of the grades, outcomes or in case of resources, views.
3. One Moodle course could offer multiple course completions, like short course, full course etc. (at least two come to the mind rapidly)
4. The certificate module can then become simpler and only present these completion(s) as a PDF document.
Thoughts?
I agree with Vikram. We too have 'Course Comlpletion' type inquiries. Seems This would certainly be a very useful addition to the Certificate module. The 4 points are well thought out.
Actually, I have created a certificate reporting add-on for the certificate for Moodle 1.9. If you install this add-on, then, when you add a certificate to a course, you will have the option of sending that certificate's info to the site-wide certificate report. The add-on includes a block to be added to the front page or my moodle page that has a link to the student's certificates page (that includes a print button) where they will see all of their certificates by date received, course name, grade printed on the certificate and the certificate code.
Of course, optimally for course completion requirements, the course certificate will be locked based on conditions--that's why you won't see anything like this in the core until 2.0 (I will try to update the activity locking code for 1.9 too
)
Of course, optimally for course completion requirements, the course certificate will be locked based on conditions--that's why you won't see anything like this in the core until 2.0 (I will try to update the activity locking code for 1.9 too
)
Chardelle!
Look forward to your Certificate Module for 1.9 as well as Activity Locking. How far is it in development? Is it in the contrib yet? Would certainly like to contribute if possible. Have installed Tortoise CVS in anticipation just for that.
What is your view about multiple completions in the same course, e.g. short course completion with relaxed standards and full course completion with normal criteria? Will save the course creators some work and allow students to be in the same course without segregating them?
Somebody from the core team could throw light on it...or is it too far away on the roadmap
Look forward to your Certificate Module for 1.9 as well as Activity Locking. How far is it in development? Is it in the contrib yet? Would certainly like to contribute if possible. Have installed Tortoise CVS in anticipation just for that.
What is your view about multiple completions in the same course, e.g. short course completion with relaxed standards and full course completion with normal criteria? Will save the course creators some work and allow students to be in the same course without segregating them?
Somebody from the core team could throw light on it...or is it too far away on the roadmap
I can't branch the certificate to 1.9 until we get the new gradelib functions. As soon as those are added to cvs I will. And I'll put up a new AL hack.
And, until we get conditional activities-- with true conditions and the ability to drill down to individual items--you'll just have to make due with the AL. For example, having a pre-assessment that puts students into a learning path based on individual question answers would be great.
And, until we get conditional activities-- with true conditions and the ability to drill down to individual items--you'll just have to make due with the AL. For example, having a pre-assessment that puts students into a learning path based on individual question answers would be great.
Chardelle!
I notice that Certificate for Moodle 1.8 also includes activities other than graded activities like survey and choice with participation as criteria. These activities will not be represented in the gradebook forcing use of the the API / lib of these non-graded modules.
Wouldn't it be more uniform to use the activity modules' API in all cases instead of the gradebook API?
I notice that Certificate for Moodle 1.8 also includes activities other than graded activities like survey and choice with participation as criteria. These activities will not be represented in the gradebook forcing use of the the API / lib of these non-graded modules.
Wouldn't it be more uniform to use the activity modules' API in all cases instead of the gradebook API?
I don't think so. What you are seeing is just a locking hack to bridge things until conditional activities in 2.0--then it will be gone.
1. With all of the different options for activities using the gradebook, it would take quite a bit of code to get the grade info for each individual activity (there is now no one particular grade code or grading scheme that mods use).
2. Querying the gradebook instead of individual activities will also take into account any non-core activities (if they are written properly) that may have grades. It would be difficult to keep up the code for every add-on graded activity or any new activities.
1. With all of the different options for activities using the gradebook, it would take quite a bit of code to get the grade info for each individual activity (there is now no one particular grade code or grading scheme that mods use).
2. Querying the gradebook instead of individual activities will also take into account any non-core activities (if they are written properly) that may have grades. It would be difficult to keep up the code for every add-on graded activity or any new activities.
Just wanted to follow up on Vikram's reply regarding the course completion feature for 2.0. The spec was just published here:
http://docs.moodle.org/en/Development:Course_completion
It would be very useful to collect any feedback you have on the spec in this discussion:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=126016
http://docs.moodle.org/en/Development:Course_completion
It would be very useful to collect any feedback you have on the spec in this discussion:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=126016