I'm new to Moodle and I'm planning several courses that bridge over vacational periods, like Christmas, Easter, o some local festivities.
The weekly format doesn't allow to edit week dates to introduce the gap. (If edition were possible, I could also avoid fragmented natural weeks like those that appear for instant "from Thursday to next Wednesday")
I can use the topic format and write dates by hand, but then, I woold like to keep the control of the period during which the content of every topic is visible. Sometimes I don't want my students to watch or use materials prepared for following weeks. Such a control should be done automatically.
Also, I don't know whether I can limit the availability of resources, lessons, ... in time.
Just use the eye on the left of a week to "hide" the week. If you have a gray bar left over and don't want it, then change the relevant setting in Course Settings to competely hide the hidden sections.
Thanks Martin,
I've increased the number of weeks, moved two into the middle, hidden these two to the students (it becomes gray) and finally set to total invisibility (only to the students).
It's OK, but the numbered weeks jump from 6 to 9. The lack of # 7 & 8 will rise questions.
I've thought to leave them in gray and put something like St. Martin's holliday. But I don't like that the numbering of the activities have been shifted by two. Any way, it is in the way.
I've increased the number of weeks, moved two into the middle, hidden these two to the students (it becomes gray) and finally set to total invisibility (only to the students).
It's OK, but the numbered weeks jump from 6 to 9. The lack of # 7 & 8 will rise questions.
I've thought to leave them in gray and put something like St. Martin's holliday. But I don't like that the numbering of the activities have been shifted by two. Any way, it is in the way.
I'm also interested in this. I have a year long course that breaks for 1 and a half months over summer and that is a lot of clicking on eyes! At the moment I'm thinking of just making it into two courses and naming them first and second semester but in second semester we also have a four week winter vacation. Perhaps something for the wish list, but when setting up a course could you perhaps have the option of start date, vacation dates, and finish date?? Thank you again to everyone who has put into this software. I love it.
1 and a half months of vacation means six clicks on eyes, to be done only once when you set up your course. You call that a lot? 
I know that all the people involved here are doing it for love and I really appreciate everything that is being done. You have developed a wonderful tool - thank you. As to the vacation question, it is just an idea. One course, 6 weeks, 6 eyes after each eye click the page refreshes (again time) and if you have, like me, 9 of these courses, it does turn out to be quite a few clicking on eyes. I also feel that it would make the course look more streamlined and
easier to follow as was noted in the initial request by the other
gentleman. True, in the bigger scheme of things this is minor. However, as I noted, it is just a wish and if it is easy to set vacation in the set up, or do check boxes for weeks needed and those that are not, it would be very much appreciated. I don't know what is involved and suppose that if someone were quibbling about minor things to me after I'd just done something incredible I would also feel frustrated. Again, I really appreciate everything that is done - just thought I'd make another selfish "wish". All the best.
I also need this feature. Our program works on numbered weeks, so using the hiding feature for vacation breaks puts the weeks out of sequence.
We also have a large number of courses which means lots of clicks--too many to be practical.
Does anyone have any other solution?
Dear Les,
I don't know of any at the moment, but if there were a set of static rules that could be coded into a week based format, what would you want them to be?
I.e. every seventh week is a gap week?
If this was then coded, then all you would have to do is change the format of the course.
Cheers,
Gareth
Dear Gareth,
The most practical solution would be to get the code with labels in it that would allow me to adjust the vacation periods, i.e., code, on my end. For example, in the fall we have two break periods. In the spring—one.
Thanks.
Les
PS Is there a way to customize the default settings for the attendance module?
Dear Lez,
For the attendance module I'm not sure. But I consider that this is not the right path of investigation to take because it is the course format that renders the structure of the course and thus creates the date section headings.
Moodle 2.4 is planned to bring in the ability to easily add course settings for the format. So, conceivably it would be possible to adapt the weeks format to react to settings. Using a 'label' is not a good solution given the way that resources are rendered at the server end. It would be far simpler to program through data in the database maintained by a form. But before that for 2.3 and below, it is possible to create and maintain custom tables controlled via a form.
So... What form should that data take? What are the requirements?
I.e. need to state the gaps, like 'after week 7 have a 1 week break'.
How many 'gap' settings need to exist for all circumstances?
It is actually a more complex problem to solve than is first aparent.
Cheers,
Gareth
Will have to wait for 2.4 then.
At least there is an attendance feature. Sakai and Canvas don't even have that.
Dear Lez,
Thank you. I didn't say that it was not possible in 2.3, just slightly more tricky to implement. What would you expect of such an implementation?
Cheers,
Gareth