Hello,
I've been inspired by the Moodle Lounge to experiment with the Social Format for a course but I can't find a way to write an introduction to the course that appears above the Add a new discussion topic button as there is in the Moodle Lounge.
Can anyone help?
Cheers,
Glenys
Greetings, Glenys!
In the old days we had a course format called "hybrid social", which allowed for a topic at the top of the course for just the purpose you describe.
Maybe something from this search will get you started?
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/search.php?search=hybrid+social+course+format&id=5
atw
In the old days we had a course format called "hybrid social", which allowed for a topic at the top of the course for just the purpose you describe.
Maybe something from this search will get you started?
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/search.php?search=hybrid+social+course+format&id=5
atw
Hi ATW,
Thanks for the suggestion but apparently the hybrid / social topics format does not exist for 1.9
But if it was done on Moodle Lounge it must be doable .... or only by Martin Dougiamas?
Cheers,
Glenys
Thanks for the suggestion but apparently the hybrid / social topics format does not exist for 1.9
But if it was done on Moodle Lounge it must be doable .... or only by Martin Dougiamas?
Cheers,
Glenys
Hi, yes, I did in fact hack moodle.org to do this. 
I was planning to add it to 1.9.x to make it show the forum description there all the time ... does anyone think that would be a bad idea?
Here is the patch, anyway: MDL-18483
I was planning to add it to 1.9.x to make it show the forum description there all the time ... does anyone think that would be a bad idea?
Here is the patch, anyway: MDL-18483
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Social format introduction displayed on course page in 1.9.5
by Helen Foster -
Just to let you all know, MDL-18483 had just been fixed (thanks Martin!), and so the social forum introduction will be displayed on the course page in Moodle 1.9.5 onwards. 
Hello Glenys,
I am relatively new to using Moodle, but this is something I ran across myself and it was driving me crazy.
I selected "add a resource" > "insert a label". This gives you a text field where you can add additional information. I found this useful in topic sections as well. I wanted users to see something descriptive about the resources and activities that were otherwise just hyperlinks.
I hope this helped!
:>)
I am relatively new to using Moodle, but this is something I ran across myself and it was driving me crazy.
I selected "add a resource" > "insert a label". This gives you a text field where you can add additional information. I found this useful in topic sections as well. I wanted users to see something descriptive about the resources and activities that were otherwise just hyperlinks.
I hope this helped!
:>)
Hello Liane,
Thanks for trying to help, but that only works in the Topics Format. In the Social Format there are no labels (or only in the Social Activites block on the side).
The best I've been able to do is to put the introduction in a HTML block and move it to the top, left-hand corner, like this.
Thanks for trying to help, but that only works in the Topics Format. In the Social Format there are no labels (or only in the Social Activites block on the side).
The best I've been able to do is to put the introduction in a HTML block and move it to the top, left-hand corner, like this.
If you're only planning on having the one social format course you could always edit the language settings and change social forum-latest topics to your introduction (as below) -but-er-that's a bit limiting
Brilliant, Mary!
That works a treat, and not really limiting either, look:
That works a treat, and not really limiting either, look:
Cool Limiting I meant in that you'd have to have the same wording if you had a different social format course elsewhere on your Moodle
Hi Mary,
Yes, I woke up in the middle of the night and realised what you meant. I'll probably just leave the picture and a "passe partout" title such as "Forum de discussion" and put a longer intro on the side.
I did have fun working out how to do it: I hadn't realised I could put a wodge of html in a title field like that.
I like the social format because it makes the two options clearer : start a new topic or reply to an existing one. This is not obvious to many newbies.
Thanks again.
Cheers,
Glenys
Yes, I woke up in the middle of the night and realised what you meant. I'll probably just leave the picture and a "passe partout" title such as "Forum de discussion" and put a longer intro on the side.
I did have fun working out how to do it: I hadn't realised I could put a wodge of html in a title field like that.
I like the social format because it makes the two options clearer : start a new topic or reply to an existing one. This is not obvious to many newbies.
Thanks again.
Cheers,
Glenys
We use a 'social format plus header' which is derived from the old hybrid format - works fine in 1.9.4.
Unzip the attached to course/format/ - hope it works for you!
Unzip the attached to course/format/ - hope it works for you!
Hello Jonathan,
That sounds exactly what I'm looking for but I'm afraid I'm not very techie. Can you give the full path so I can find course/format/?
Thanks,
Glenys
That sounds exactly what I'm looking for but I'm afraid I'm not very techie. Can you give the full path so I can find course/format/?
Thanks,
Glenys
Hello again,
I have managed to get my Social Format course (not in fact a course, but a discussion forum) more or less as I want it (even without Jonathan's header) but it was quite a struggle :
I'm not very techie, but I am an Administrator. If I had just had the rôle of teacher, I'd have had no way to get the result I wanted. It's not very way out to want somewhere at the top to say what the course/forum is about, is it?
Don't want to sound grumpy - I do appreciate the help I got with this.
Cheers,
Glenys
I have managed to get my Social Format course (not in fact a course, but a discussion forum) more or less as I want it (even without Jonathan's header) but it was quite a struggle :
- I couldn't use Ajax (took me ages to realise it wasn't me that had my settings wrong)
- I had to switch to another format to modify the settings of the forum (the default description, size of annexes, etc.), move the blocks around with Ajax and then switch back to Social.
I'm not very techie, but I am an Administrator. If I had just had the rôle of teacher, I'd have had no way to get the result I wanted. It's not very way out to want somewhere at the top to say what the course/forum is about, is it?
Don't want to sound grumpy - I do appreciate the help I got with this.
Cheers,
Glenys
Hi Glenys
I have uploaded the files to the database here. The paths are includd in the archive so if you unzip it in your moodle root they should all end up in the right places.
There is a problem with this format which I had forgotten about - blocks will not appear in the left hand column, but you *can* move blocks there. This means that your blocks may disappear... not good. I will try to fix this.
I must say that I agree with you about the social format, which can be very frustrating!
I have uploaded the files to the database here. The paths are includd in the archive so if you unzip it in your moodle root they should all end up in the right places.
There is a problem with this format which I had forgotten about - blocks will not appear in the left hand column, but you *can* move blocks there. This means that your blocks may disappear... not good. I will try to fix this.
I must say that I agree with you about the social format, which can be very frustrating!
Aforementioned bug fixed. I will investigate the AJAX problem, but I am at the extreme boundary of my expertise here!
Enabling AJAX seems to break the social format in all sorts of weird ways... odd! However, it seems to work okay with the hybrid format... ish! There are a few problems but they seem to resolve themselves when you refresh the page. No doubt AJAX was deliberately excluded from Social format for this reason
Hi Jonathan,
I couldn't find socialplus in the database. Maybe that's not the exact name? Could you give the exact name and the URL? It's not easy to search among 444 plugins.
Thanks,
Glenys
I couldn't find socialplus in the database. Maybe that's not the exact name? Could you give the exact name and the URL? It's not easy to search among 444 plugins.
Thanks,
Glenys
Hi Glenys
I did link to it above... but I know that the database is moderated so it's possible that it isn't visible to others yet. Here's the link again, fwiw.
In the spirit of belt and braces, hopefully the zip will also be attached to this post.
I did link to it above... but I know that the database is moderated so it's possible that it isn't visible to others yet. Here's the link again, fwiw.
In the spirit of belt and braces, hopefully the zip will also be attached to this post.
Jonathan, I'm afraid both your links go here: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=2142 which is the first page of the database and the only plugin visible is Activity Module: 123flashchat module which isn't the right one, is it?
I see this socialplus.zip isn't the same as the first. Where exactly should I put it? And what should I put, the socialplus folder itself or just the course and lang folders inside?
Sorry to be obtuse, but I'm just a language teacher and don't really understand what I see in the moodle19 folder.
You have to spell it all out for me.
Cheers,
Glenys
I see this socialplus.zip isn't the same as the first. Where exactly should I put it? And what should I put, the socialplus folder itself or just the course and lang folders inside?
Sorry to be obtuse, but I'm just a language teacher and don't really understand what I see in the moodle19 folder.
You have to spell it all out for me. Cheers,
Glenys
Okay -
It slightly depends on how your server is set up and how you upload files.
Upload the whole zipped folder (i.e. without unzipping it) into your main moodle directory. This should have a load of folders in it starting with admin, auth, backup, blog, calendar etc etc.
Then unzip the folder - the files should then go into the right place automatically.
If that doesn't work, then unzip the folder first, then upload the 'course' and 'lang' folders to your main directory.
Please message me if you have any more problems and I would be happy to help with anything else.
Jonathan
It slightly depends on how your server is set up and how you upload files.
Upload the whole zipped folder (i.e. without unzipping it) into your main moodle directory. This should have a load of folders in it starting with admin, auth, backup, blog, calendar etc etc.
Then unzip the folder - the files should then go into the right place automatically.
If that doesn't work, then unzip the folder first, then upload the 'course' and 'lang' folders to your main directory.
Please message me if you have any more problems and I would be happy to help with anything else.
Jonathan
Hi again Jonathan,
I should have explained, I'm doing this on my hard disk, not uploading to a server (I don't know how to do that).
What I see is not like what you describe :
I should have explained, I'm doing this on my hard disk, not uploading to a server (I don't know how to do that).
What I see is not like what you describe :
Aha! Thanks for the screenshot. You're looking in the wrong directory - that one is the moodle data directory, where all the unique stuff for your site is stored. Those folders with numbers each correspond to a different course.
Try looking at some of the other folders in your MAMP directory. You should find one which has the folders I mentioned above - admin, auth and so on. That is your moodle root directory where the software code is stored.
Try looking at some of the other folders in your MAMP directory. You should find one which has the folders I mentioned above - admin, auth and so on. That is your moodle root directory where the software code is stored.
Screenshots are handy, aren't they? I wish there were more in the Moodle docs.
It's confusing with several folders called moodle19, but I've found the right one now. I'll experiment tomorrow and let you know how I get on.
Thanks for all your help.
Glenys
It's confusing with several folders called moodle19, but I've found the right one now. I'll experiment tomorrow and let you know how I get on.
Thanks for all your help.
Glenys
Hi Glenys Hanso,
Even I too need the tree structure in the course format. kindly please help me how to implement this?
my mail id : lavanya.amiable@gmail.com
Even I too need the tree structure in the course format. kindly please help me how to implement this?
my mail id : lavanya.amiable@gmail.com
Hi,
I'd like to use this format to, but I'm not quite getting where to place the socialplus folder.
- From my hard drive main Moodle folder, I open the course folder and then open the format folder and copy the zip folder here.
- From inside the format folder, I unzip the socialplus and end up with a socialplus folder. Inside of this socialplus folder is a course and lang folder. I leave them alone.
- I open Dreamweaver and upload the socialplus folder to the server.
- I open Moodle and click on the Notification link to upload to Moodle.
- I then open a social forum course within Moodle, go to the Settings link and select the new socialplus format from the pull down menu. However, my menu looks pretty strange with brackets surrounding the socialplus selection. I've attached a screenshot below.
- When I go ahead and select socialplus, I get the heading just fine at the top of the screen, but my social forum has shrunk. It appears to be squeezed together. You can still read it, it's just smaller and looks all wrong.
What should I do now?
THanks,
Trix
hi,
for the correct name of the format, you must rename /lang/socialplus.php to /lang/format_socialplus.php.
Carlo
for the correct name of the format, you must rename /lang/socialplus.php to /lang/format_socialplus.php.
Carlo
Glenys and Mary, thanks for your interesting discussion. I've added a link to it in Course formats.