Hi Guys,
I absolutely love Moodle but I rarely use the forum feature that comes with it.
This is why:
1. I can't rate users posts.
2. I cant setup a point system for users.
3. I cant create user ranks.
4. There is no way to disable the forum and it insists on being created for each new course.
5. I can't create categories for the forum.
I havn't posted here to complain or anything, i'm just hoping a developer will see this and hopefully include this in the next release.
If anyone else see's this and agrees or has any ideas please post.
Thanks
Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Number of replies: 27
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by John White -
Martin,
What release of moodle are you on? Perhaps there is a need to explore available features a bit further...
In the forum's settings panel you can choose a grade or rating system
Also in that panel you can choose how the grades or ratings should be aggregated (such as allowing the maximum, or average, or total grades/rating to show through
If under the Admdinistration->Grades->Scales you create a rating scale that delivers whatever effect you wish (for example: star ratings, 'separately & connected' etc.), you can then apply these in the forum settings.
In turn that should take you towards a user raking system if you wish. (I think that's 1 to 3) But perhaps you want that to appear outside the gradebook reports?
But if these approaches don't yield what you want, can you say more of what you are trying to achieve?
You can simply Hide the inevitable 'New Forum' and then create one of you one with other settings. But if that is not enough, remove the Latest News block from the course, then delete the news forum, and it will not come back. I read that one from Michael Penney at...
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103741#p457960 (4)
For number 5 I would ask you to say more of what you are trying to achieve, do you mean groups?? I think Moodle groups have yet to really take off; I'm sure there's more to come in version 2.0 and onwards.
Regards,
John
What release of moodle are you on? Perhaps there is a need to explore available features a bit further...
In the forum's settings panel you can choose a grade or rating system
Also in that panel you can choose how the grades or ratings should be aggregated (such as allowing the maximum, or average, or total grades/rating to show through
If under the Admdinistration->Grades->Scales you create a rating scale that delivers whatever effect you wish (for example: star ratings, 'separately & connected' etc.), you can then apply these in the forum settings.
In turn that should take you towards a user raking system if you wish. (I think that's 1 to 3) But perhaps you want that to appear outside the gradebook reports?
But if these approaches don't yield what you want, can you say more of what you are trying to achieve?
You can simply Hide the inevitable 'New Forum' and then create one of you one with other settings. But if that is not enough, remove the Latest News block from the course, then delete the news forum, and it will not come back. I read that one from Michael Penney at...
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=103741#p457960 (4)
For number 5 I would ask you to say more of what you are trying to achieve, do you mean groups?? I think Moodle groups have yet to really take off; I'm sure there's more to come in version 2.0 and onwards.
Regards,
John
In reply to John White
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Hi John,
What I'm aiming at is a forum where there is a star or number of stars next to the user's name depending on the ammount of posts they have made or alternativly other users can rate their posts and give them more stars.
What I mean by having forum categories is that there's one category for a subject e.g. science history etc. So a user can pick a category and go to the right forum.
I would also like a forum where only admin's could get into.
And when I say ranks I mean can I assign a rank to a user e.g. their knowledge level, expert novice etc.
You have probably explained the above in your previous post but i'm relativly new to Moodle.
I'm hoping Moodle's forum is very similar to XMB
Moodle Version: 19.4 (Build 20090128)
Thanks,
Martin
What I'm aiming at is a forum where there is a star or number of stars next to the user's name depending on the ammount of posts they have made or alternativly other users can rate their posts and give them more stars.
What I mean by having forum categories is that there's one category for a subject e.g. science history etc. So a user can pick a category and go to the right forum.
I would also like a forum where only admin's could get into.
And when I say ranks I mean can I assign a rank to a user e.g. their knowledge level, expert novice etc.
You have probably explained the above in your previous post but i'm relativly new to Moodle.
I'm hoping Moodle's forum is very similar to XMB
Moodle Version: 19.4 (Build 20090128)
Thanks,
Martin
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by John White -
Martin,
To a significant extent THIS forum, or rather this COLLECTION OF FORUMS, which all run on Moodle 1.9.4 already illustrate most of the characteristics you are looking for!
Browse around...
This Forum Module forum is part of a group classified under Moodle Core Code - but it could just as easily be 'Geography'.
In turn this is a 'topic' in a topic-style 'course' called Using Moodle - but it could just as easily be 'Subject Resources', or similar.
Nor is there any limitation on what you do to direct users into a resource. Such as having links - better still picture links - inside courses, that jump the user to a common resource, such as a Forum or a Wiki, housed in this central resource...
To illustrate:
A student is working in course M101 - Elementary Mathematics, and wants to post in the Junior Mathematics Forum (which resides in the Subject Resources 'course') - perhaps there is no forum inside M101.
Well she clicks the link up in Topic 1 of this course, goes straight into the relevant forum (new window), pops her post, shuts window and is straight back to M101.
The Junior Mathematics Forum has permissions that let her see this, but she cannot see the Senior Mathematics forum as yet.
So, much of the classification is done by considering how YOU want to structure resources.
And what resources groups of users will see.
Similarly, any resource, not just a forum, can be restricted as to which group of users can see it (commonly this is used to provide a safe Teachers' forum - but it could be for administrators)!
And all of this can be done without having to actually edit or add new Roles - which is the one place I don't suggest you start!
I have already illustrated that a star system can be set up - as indeed all these forums at moodle.org used to run (this has now been massively simplified to just the 'Useful' rating), and the aggregation or such stars is in your hands!
But notice too that in this forum, some users appear to be wearing 'badges' below their mug-shot picture (avatar), well, you can create groups, give these a picture label - or just a short title - and then determine rules for adding users to such groups (this might require a bit of code tweaking if it is to be done automatically).
From my own perspective, I cannot see anything you are asking for that cannot already be done in moodle out-of-the-box (with the possible exception of that last automation comment). But, for the administrator, none of this comes without a good stiff walk up the learning curve!
Lastly, can I answer the one question you haven't asked: 'Why isn't Moodle set up this way when I unpack it?'
Aah, I answer, it is exactly Moodle's blank canvas that makes it SO useful in so many DIFFERENT scenarios!
You have a blank canvas - and a very large paint box!
Regards,
John
To a significant extent THIS forum, or rather this COLLECTION OF FORUMS, which all run on Moodle 1.9.4 already illustrate most of the characteristics you are looking for!
Browse around...
This Forum Module forum is part of a group classified under Moodle Core Code - but it could just as easily be 'Geography'.
In turn this is a 'topic' in a topic-style 'course' called Using Moodle - but it could just as easily be 'Subject Resources', or similar.
Nor is there any limitation on what you do to direct users into a resource. Such as having links - better still picture links - inside courses, that jump the user to a common resource, such as a Forum or a Wiki, housed in this central resource...
To illustrate:
A student is working in course M101 - Elementary Mathematics, and wants to post in the Junior Mathematics Forum (which resides in the Subject Resources 'course') - perhaps there is no forum inside M101.
Well she clicks the link up in Topic 1 of this course, goes straight into the relevant forum (new window), pops her post, shuts window and is straight back to M101.
The Junior Mathematics Forum has permissions that let her see this, but she cannot see the Senior Mathematics forum as yet.
So, much of the classification is done by considering how YOU want to structure resources.
And what resources groups of users will see.
Similarly, any resource, not just a forum, can be restricted as to which group of users can see it (commonly this is used to provide a safe Teachers' forum - but it could be for administrators)!
And all of this can be done without having to actually edit or add new Roles - which is the one place I don't suggest you start!
I have already illustrated that a star system can be set up - as indeed all these forums at moodle.org used to run (this has now been massively simplified to just the 'Useful' rating), and the aggregation or such stars is in your hands!
But notice too that in this forum, some users appear to be wearing 'badges' below their mug-shot picture (avatar), well, you can create groups, give these a picture label - or just a short title - and then determine rules for adding users to such groups (this might require a bit of code tweaking if it is to be done automatically).
From my own perspective, I cannot see anything you are asking for that cannot already be done in moodle out-of-the-box (with the possible exception of that last automation comment). But, for the administrator, none of this comes without a good stiff walk up the learning curve!
Lastly, can I answer the one question you haven't asked: 'Why isn't Moodle set up this way when I unpack it?'
Aah, I answer, it is exactly Moodle's blank canvas that makes it SO useful in so many DIFFERENT scenarios!
You have a blank canvas - and a very large paint box!
Regards,
John
In reply to John White
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Hi John,
Thanks for your reply, I will look into it.
I'm building a website at the moment which I hope will be of some use to everyone once it's up and running and looks relatively presentable I will post a link here (it's powered by Moodle).
I would be really interested in what you think about it, positive or negative.
You have given me a lot to think about.
Thanks for all your help.
Martin
Thanks for your reply, I will look into it.
I'm building a website at the moment which I hope will be of some use to everyone once it's up and running and looks relatively presentable I will post a link here (it's powered by Moodle).
I would be really interested in what you think about it, positive or negative.
You have given me a lot to think about.
Thanks for all your help.
Martin
In reply to John White
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Colin Matheson -
John. I agree that Moodle forums can do just about anything!
Is there a way to do a post count in a forum. I can set it up so students can rate, but I think a lot of students are used to a post count under their avatar.
Any ideas?
Is there a way to do a post count in a forum. I can set it up so students can rate, but I think a lot of students are used to a post count under their avatar.
Any ideas?
In reply to Colin Matheson
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by John White -
Colin,
Having had a browse around I don't see any likely way of doing this without subverting the 'ratings' system to do so, but this looks like a bad idea.
So instead I offer a bit of a code tweak to produce the effect...
Open you (moodle)/mod/forum/lib.php file in a proper html/text editor (not Word)...
Search for...
function forum_print_discussion_header(
then scroll down to find the block...
// User name
$fullname = fullname($post, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $modcontext));
echo '<td class="author">';
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.'</a>';
echo "</td>\n";
...change this block to read...
// User name
$fullname = fullname($post, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $modcontext));
echo '<td class="author">';
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.$postcount.'</a>';
echo "</td>\n";
...and immediately ABOVE this block paste in...
$sql = 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM '.$CFG->prefix.'forum_posts AS p, '.$CFG->prefix.'forum_discussions AS d
WHERE p.discussion=d.id AND d.course='.$forum->course.' AND p.userid='.$postuser->id;
$postcount = ($forum->assessed > 0) ? ' ('.count_records_sql($sql).')' : '';
Now search for...
function forum_print_post(
...and do the same sort of thing with the block...
echo '<div class="author">';
$fullname = fullname($postuser, $cm->cache->caps['moodle/site:viewfullnames']);
$by = new object();
$by->name = '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.
$post->userid.'&course='.$course->id.'">'.$fullname.$postcount.'</a>';
$by->date = userdate($post->modified);
print_string('bynameondate', 'forum', $by);
echo '</div></td></tr>';
...pasting the same sql block immediately ABOVE this one as well.
Save, and try the forum pages.
NOTE: If the pages go white, you've got an error in there!
In both View and Discussion pages, if the forum is set to be 'assessed' (that is: it uses ratings aggregation of any kind), then this result in something like...
Joe Bloggs (9)
so that their postings count (for everything forum in this course) shows after their name.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
John
PS: DOES ANYBODY THINK THIS SHOULD BE A STANDARD (BUT SWITCHABLE OPTION) IN THE FORUMS MODULE?
Having had a browse around I don't see any likely way of doing this without subverting the 'ratings' system to do so, but this looks like a bad idea.
So instead I offer a bit of a code tweak to produce the effect...
Open you (moodle)/mod/forum/lib.php file in a proper html/text editor (not Word)...
Search for...
function forum_print_discussion_header(
then scroll down to find the block...
// User name
$fullname = fullname($post, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $modcontext));
echo '<td class="author">';
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.'</a>';
echo "</td>\n";
...change this block to read...
// User name
$fullname = fullname($post, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $modcontext));
echo '<td class="author">';
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.$postcount.'</a>';
echo "</td>\n";
...and immediately ABOVE this block paste in...
$sql = 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM '.$CFG->prefix.'forum_posts AS p, '.$CFG->prefix.'forum_discussions AS d
WHERE p.discussion=d.id AND d.course='.$forum->course.' AND p.userid='.$postuser->id;
$postcount = ($forum->assessed > 0) ? ' ('.count_records_sql($sql).')' : '';
Now search for...
function forum_print_post(
...and do the same sort of thing with the block...
echo '<div class="author">';
$fullname = fullname($postuser, $cm->cache->caps['moodle/site:viewfullnames']);
$by = new object();
$by->name = '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.
$post->userid.'&course='.$course->id.'">'.$fullname.$postcount.'</a>';
$by->date = userdate($post->modified);
print_string('bynameondate', 'forum', $by);
echo '</div></td></tr>';
...pasting the same sql block immediately ABOVE this one as well.
Save, and try the forum pages.
NOTE: If the pages go white, you've got an error in there!
In both View and Discussion pages, if the forum is set to be 'assessed' (that is: it uses ratings aggregation of any kind), then this result in something like...
Joe Bloggs (9)
so that their postings count (for everything forum in this course) shows after their name.
Hope that helps.
Regards,
John
PS: DOES ANYBODY THINK THIS SHOULD BE A STANDARD (BUT SWITCHABLE OPTION) IN THE FORUMS MODULE?
In reply to John White
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Colin Matheson -
John,
Thanks for the suggested hack! I will try it out on a demo site and if that goes well, onto the school site.
You reveal Moodle's true strength, its open and supportive community.
Thanks for the suggested hack! I will try it out on a demo site and if that goes well, onto the school site.
You reveal Moodle's true strength, its open and supportive community.
In reply to John White
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Hmm, after much searching this is begining to give me a headache.
Could you explain or point me in the right direction for the features you mentioned that can be configured/enabled.
Cheers,
Martin
Could you explain or point me in the right direction for the features you mentioned that can be configured/enabled.
Cheers,
Martin
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by John White -
Martin,
I learn so much by example, so again I would say: browse around these moodle.org forums and see the way they are structured.
Next read http://docs.moodle.org/en/forum and try out the different styles of forum on a course in your own site. Learn the effect of the forum settings, by trail and improvement.
Then, as specific issues develop, you can ask specific questions in the appropriate forums.
But there's nothing like trying things out for yourself.
I regularly use a dummy teacher account or a dummy student account to log on as teacher or student and find out the effects of changes I have made.
Regards,
John
I learn so much by example, so again I would say: browse around these moodle.org forums and see the way they are structured.
Next read http://docs.moodle.org/en/forum and try out the different styles of forum on a course in your own site. Learn the effect of the forum settings, by trail and improvement.
Then, as specific issues develop, you can ask specific questions in the appropriate forums.
But there's nothing like trying things out for yourself.
I regularly use a dummy teacher account or a dummy student account to log on as teacher or student and find out the effects of changes I have made.
Regards,
John
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Chad Outten -
I personally think the forum module is solid: it has a good range of features to suit a variety of uses. Developers welcome constructive feedback. if you've got suggestions for improvement, they're always welcome over at Moodle Tracker 
Chad,
Here! Here! to that.
I think is fair to say that Martin is on a steep learning curve, trying to get to grips with how you invoke many of the features Moodle's forum module has to offer.
Regards,
John
Here! Here! to that.
I think is fair to say that Martin is on a steep learning curve, trying to get to grips with how you invoke many of the features Moodle's forum module has to offer.
Regards,
John
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Hi Again Everyone,
First of all thanks for the numerous replies, like I said I am new to Moodle and as John says I think I do have a very steep learning curve.
Like I said on the first post I wasn't complaining, I was just listing some difficulties.
Unfortunately I have read through the Using Moodle page which hasn't really answered any of my questions about the forum Module.
I have also been searching around for sometime now trying to find posts along the lines of the features I mentioned but I can't seem to find anything specifically, I have also looked in the Modules and plugins section with similar problems.
I also find that doing things on with a hands on approach teaches me a lot about everything, however I can't find out enough to use my hands.
I must of missed something and some Moodle terms may be lost on me, I have a Moodle Suggested book on Administration that I have also been reading to get me clued up.
Any Ideas?
Many Thanks,
Martin
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Colin Matheson -
Hi Martin,
Here is a screencast I made showing how to give students the ability to rate a particular forum.
http://www.screencast.com/t/Pfftuxbc0f7
There is also a way to set it so students are always given that ability (this is done at the admin level).
As for categories of forums you could make different forums for each category.
Hope this helps.
Here is a screencast I made showing how to give students the ability to rate a particular forum.
http://www.screencast.com/t/Pfftuxbc0f7
There is also a way to set it so students are always given that ability (this is done at the admin level).
As for categories of forums you could make different forums for each category.
Hope this helps.
In reply to Colin Matheson
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Martin Newton Hughes -
Hi Colin,
You have got me right on track! thanks for the screencast, I thought I was missing something simple.
I have a few follow up questions:
Is there any way to change the rating to a number of stars rather than 1/10?
e.g. so a new star is added each time they click, I dunno something give "star this"
Is there a way to gather points for an individual e.g. after so many points a student can view a secret forum.
Also if I have a teacher in a forum e.g. that teaches English, next to her name I want it to say English Teacher
In order to categorize a forum do I have to create a new course for each forum?
so if I want a forum to be in a category called Technical support I have to create that course?
Please let me know if any of the above is possible with Moodle's built in abilities if it's not I will attempt on coding it.
Cheers
You have got me right on track! thanks for the screencast, I thought I was missing something simple.
I have a few follow up questions:
Is there any way to change the rating to a number of stars rather than 1/10?
e.g. so a new star is added each time they click, I dunno something give "star this"
Is there a way to gather points for an individual e.g. after so many points a student can view a secret forum.
Also if I have a teacher in a forum e.g. that teaches English, next to her name I want it to say English Teacher
In order to categorize a forum do I have to create a new course for each forum?
so if I want a forum to be in a category called Technical support I have to create that course?
Please let me know if any of the above is possible with Moodle's built in abilities if it's not I will attempt on coding it.
Cheers
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by John White -
Martin,
You can certainly create a star rating system: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Scales explains.
How you 'aggregate' that these ratings is then up to you: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Adding/editing_a_forum#Aggregate_type for that.
You might create a special rating system, where the scale has just one star (* meaning a score of 1), and then aggregate this by Count or Sum. So if three users rate this post, you might get a result like:
* (3). You can use a proper star character, but you might even use a smilie:
(3)
Look to the gradebook to gather the points from the forum. But note that you may need to use the gradebook public API referred to there, to get results that MIGHT allow you to classify users in groups so as to assign rights to your 'secret' forum - I HAVE NEVER VENTURED INTO THAT (and I'm waiting to see how groups develop in Moodle 2.0) - but you could simply use the gradebook to tell you who to manually asign to that forum.
I have almost given you the code for putting the English Teacher 'role' after her name (see above), the only difference between that and inserting $postcount would be that
1) You must go and get the entire user record first (in the // User name section)...
$user = get_record('user', 'id', $post->userid);
and,
2) that you need to make sure that some aspect of the user records (say, Department) has been filled in for teachers and not for students. e.g. Department: 'English Dept.', so that you can create the edit...
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.' '.$user->department.'</a>';
(the number of dots is critical!!!)
But you will probably want to make sure you choose a field that students can't edit - for obvious reasons! If this means using a site-defined User Profile Field (so you have more control) then a heftier sql request will be needed in order to access the data in such fields!
Finally, in general what you say is true about categorizing forums by placing them in different courses - although you probably don't want to swamp the system with very many very thin courses either!
Hope this helps.
Regards,
John
You can certainly create a star rating system: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Scales explains.
How you 'aggregate' that these ratings is then up to you: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Adding/editing_a_forum#Aggregate_type for that.
You might create a special rating system, where the scale has just one star (* meaning a score of 1), and then aggregate this by Count or Sum. So if three users rate this post, you might get a result like:
* (3). You can use a proper star character, but you might even use a smilie:
(3)Look to the gradebook to gather the points from the forum. But note that you may need to use the gradebook public API referred to there, to get results that MIGHT allow you to classify users in groups so as to assign rights to your 'secret' forum - I HAVE NEVER VENTURED INTO THAT (and I'm waiting to see how groups develop in Moodle 2.0) - but you could simply use the gradebook to tell you who to manually asign to that forum.
I have almost given you the code for putting the English Teacher 'role' after her name (see above), the only difference between that and inserting $postcount would be that
1) You must go and get the entire user record first (in the // User name section)...
$user = get_record('user', 'id', $post->userid);
and,
2) that you need to make sure that some aspect of the user records (say, Department) has been filled in for teachers and not for students. e.g. Department: 'English Dept.', so that you can create the edit...
echo '<a href="'.$CFG->wwwroot.'/user/view.php?id='.$post->userid.'&course='.$forum->course.'">'.$fullname.' '.$user->department.'</a>';
(the number of dots is critical!!!)
But you will probably want to make sure you choose a field that students can't edit - for obvious reasons! If this means using a site-defined User Profile Field (so you have more control) then a heftier sql request will be needed in order to access the data in such fields!
Finally, in general what you say is true about categorizing forums by placing them in different courses - although you probably don't want to swamp the system with very many very thin courses either!
Hope this helps.
Regards,
John
I thought I posted this yesterday but apparently not. I would like to find out if there is a way, in Moodle 1.9, to restrict access to a Resource (i.e. text file, web page file or uploaded file for example) to a specific group within a class. I know that I found a post about someone who had developed a hack to go with 1.4 which would do that but hadn't been able to determine if the functionality had been built in. I discovered that I could change a resource's setting to visible group, separate group or no groups but I'm not sure what that setting actually does because I haven't been able to find a way to set which group it's for. In my situation, I've uploaded several pdf files...a different one for each group in the course...which I would like to restrict to only that group for which it is intended. The only workaround I've been able to find is that I hide the resource and the link to it from within forum posts where the forum is setup as separate groups. That works but I'd prefer to have it available on the main course page for the appropriate students. Any help would be much appreciated. I use Moodle quite a bit (two separate organizations...a school and a theatre company) but I've only been using it for about a year so I'm learning how to do things as they are needed...seems the best way to learn a program with so much potential. Thanks.
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Mr. Marc -
I dont still see a way to turn on word count in the thread so you can as an instructor get a count of the forum post?
Hi,
I don't think this has been been implemented.
Further up we were discussing counting user's posts, not words. If you search for "word count" you will find discussions about word counting the Assignment module.
John
I don't think this has been been implemented.
Further up we were discussing counting user's posts, not words. If you search for "word count" you will find discussions about word counting the Assignment module.
John
I like the idea of having an option to display the word count for forum posts although I am always skeptical about the mere multiplication of words as a criteria for completeness. In any case, you may be interested in MDL-5875 which is a feature request for the word count. If I get a chance, I'll see if I can write a quick patch. Peace - Anthony
p.s. - I've attached a quick and simple patch file that will display the word count for each forum post. I did not bother making this an option for the forum modules or individual forums so it would be a universal change to the code.
p.s. - I've attached a quick and simple patch file that will display the word count for each forum post. I did not bother making this an option for the forum modules or individual forums so it would be a universal change to the code.
In reply to Martin Newton Hughes
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Deb Burdick-Hinton -
I would love to see the "New Replies to My Forum Posts" block integrated into Moodle core. We just installed this on our test server and it is AWESOME! Anyone else using this on 1.9.4? Any issues? I am chomping at the bit to get it on our production server, staff and students are going to LOVE it and have been asking for this functionality for years. Here is a link to it if interested:
http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB-612
http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB-612
In reply to Deb Burdick-Hinton
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by ben reynolds -
This appears to be a done deal, since there's no voting for it.
Thanks, Anthony!
Thanks, Anthony!
In reply to ben reynolds
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Anthony Borrow -
Ben - Well it is a done deal in so far as it is in CONTRIB thanks really goes to Niall for sharing this functionality with the community. Peace - Anthony
In reply to Deb Burdick-Hinton
Re: Forum features in the next release, what do you want?
by Mary Parke -
Our instructors would love an easier way to "compile" student activity in the forums and grade it.
The way Moodle uses discussion forums is quite complex for grading both original "posts/replies" to instructor questions posed in the forums AND student replies to other student posts/replies.
If there were a course forum "compile" feature so that the instructor could see a quick table readout of the forum, student participation by post/reply that would be great. Currently the instructor has to go to individual student profiles and look at the forum activity reports to capture a sense of the student's activity. While is great to use this profile feature (you can also rate within it) it would still be better to capture an overview of the class as well.
A lot of this comes down to pedagogy of how forums are used by instructors, but an "old school" need is a simple way to score post and replies without getting carpal tunnel clicking through each thread/post/reply and using the drop-down rating box for each post/reply to capture this.
The greatest complaints are how to sort the posts/replies and how to rate them without too many clicks.
So far "tracking" of who has done what is complex no matter how the forum is setup.
IMO "each person posts once" works great if you have a small class and students are answering the question posted in the forum directions. The instructor can see at a glance participation on the page and sort by student, but then it is "clicks in" to rate their original post, and then the instructor has to somehow track (usually pen/paper method with a printed roster) replies by reading every forum. But then, the forum tracking option doesn't distinguish between instructor replies and student replies - so there is another level there to sort through [even if auto-mark as read is set at the site level].
Single simple discussion forum has problems because of nesting/threading and too much data on one page. Seriously, some of our courses have hundreds of students so trying to scroll a page of that many responses is crazy (no matter what discussion forum type). [Also, if a course is backedup and restored by the sys admin, then the sys admin appears as the poster of the initial thread, NOT the teacher! OYYYY!!! This is a BUG.]
General discussion type is great for generating discussion and student led questions, but sucks for grading (I'd never use it with ratings turned on unless I wanted STUDENTS to rate each other for peer review).
Q/A type winds up looking like single simple once you go into the question level and need to grade.
So, there are so many ways of using forums (awesome!) that I generally try to get instructors to limit how they use each type of forum and more often than not they don't use the ratings feature in the forum because it is too many clicks and not easy to sort the data - instead they use the pen/paper roster method to track and then enter the score for discussions representing original post score and reply score through an offline activity [just so they can post the score to the gradebook].
Some instructors have asked for the option to input by typing the rating rather than use a pull-down menu (just passing this one on).
So, help! Any way to improve sorting of data in the forums and grading in the forums would be welcome.
Oh - and it would seriously be cool [this is a real "wish"/future thinking] if the forums could be indexed by the subject line....but then again, the glossary would be the best place for that, no?! Just thinking outside the box here - with so many tools, that's the challenge of Moodle - finding the one that best fits the need!
Mary
The way Moodle uses discussion forums is quite complex for grading both original "posts/replies" to instructor questions posed in the forums AND student replies to other student posts/replies.
If there were a course forum "compile" feature so that the instructor could see a quick table readout of the forum, student participation by post/reply that would be great. Currently the instructor has to go to individual student profiles and look at the forum activity reports to capture a sense of the student's activity. While is great to use this profile feature (you can also rate within it) it would still be better to capture an overview of the class as well.
A lot of this comes down to pedagogy of how forums are used by instructors, but an "old school" need is a simple way to score post and replies without getting carpal tunnel clicking through each thread/post/reply and using the drop-down rating box for each post/reply to capture this.
The greatest complaints are how to sort the posts/replies and how to rate them without too many clicks.
So far "tracking" of who has done what is complex no matter how the forum is setup.
IMO "each person posts once" works great if you have a small class and students are answering the question posted in the forum directions. The instructor can see at a glance participation on the page and sort by student, but then it is "clicks in" to rate their original post, and then the instructor has to somehow track (usually pen/paper method with a printed roster) replies by reading every forum. But then, the forum tracking option doesn't distinguish between instructor replies and student replies - so there is another level there to sort through [even if auto-mark as read is set at the site level].
Single simple discussion forum has problems because of nesting/threading and too much data on one page. Seriously, some of our courses have hundreds of students so trying to scroll a page of that many responses is crazy (no matter what discussion forum type). [Also, if a course is backedup and restored by the sys admin, then the sys admin appears as the poster of the initial thread, NOT the teacher! OYYYY!!! This is a BUG.]
General discussion type is great for generating discussion and student led questions, but sucks for grading (I'd never use it with ratings turned on unless I wanted STUDENTS to rate each other for peer review).
Q/A type winds up looking like single simple once you go into the question level and need to grade.
So, there are so many ways of using forums (awesome!) that I generally try to get instructors to limit how they use each type of forum and more often than not they don't use the ratings feature in the forum because it is too many clicks and not easy to sort the data - instead they use the pen/paper roster method to track and then enter the score for discussions representing original post score and reply score through an offline activity [just so they can post the score to the gradebook].
Some instructors have asked for the option to input by typing the rating rather than use a pull-down menu (just passing this one on).
So, help! Any way to improve sorting of data in the forums and grading in the forums would be welcome.
Oh - and it would seriously be cool [this is a real "wish"/future thinking] if the forums could be indexed by the subject line....but then again, the glossary would be the best place for that, no?! Just thinking outside the box here - with so many tools, that's the challenge of Moodle - finding the one that best fits the need!
>[Also, if a course is backed up and restored by the sys admin, then the sys admin >appears as the poster of the initial thread, NOT the teacher! OYYYY!!! This is a BUG.]
Mary,
What version are you using? Our Sys Admin is the person/people who replicates our courses (using back up & restore) all the time. Multiple instances at a time, and we've never seen this behavior.
Mary,
What version are you using? Our Sys Admin is the person/people who replicates our courses (using back up & restore) all the time. Multiple instances at a time, and we've never seen this behavior.
Hi Ben,
This only occurs for those forums that are "single simple". We are on Moodle 1.9.4+ (Build: 20090320).
There is a tracker here on this issue: MDL-18599 (it refers to a forum where this was also posted).
This only occurs for those forums that are "single simple". We are on Moodle 1.9.4+ (Build: 20090320).
There is a tracker here on this issue: MDL-18599 (it refers to a forum where this was also posted).
Sorry, I didn't read carefully enough. We've never seen this because we never use "single simple."