Links don't change when importing lessons

Links don't change when importing lessons

by Pete Jones -
Number of replies: 5

Hi

I often import a linked lesson and assignment from another course into a new course. This pair of activities contain links to each other within their pages.

When I import them...

  1. the links in the assignment update automatically and link to the imported lesson in the same course - which is good
  2. the links in the lesson don't update and link to the original assignment in the other course - which is bad (because the student is not enrolled on the other course)

What I have to do now is update the links manually, but I'm wondering if there is a way to make this happen automatically (like it does in the assignment activity).

Does anyone know anything about this?

Pete

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In reply to Pete Jones

Re: Links don't change when importing lessons

by ben reynolds -
Hi Pete,
This is a problem Anthony Borrow and I id'd a couple of months ago. With BIG help from Tim.

The issue is that a lesson page comes with a page id that Moodle doesn't know how to translate.

The cheap solution is to link back to page 1 of the lesson, provide navigation instruction, and let the lesson link the user back to the page they last used.

Below is what we do for navigation instruction, although the graphics won't work for you.


How to Navigate a Lesson

To move from one page in the lesson to another

  • Click the continue button at the bottom of the page. See the one at the bottom of this page.
  • Click a link in the lesson menu on the left. Each link is the title of a page in the lesson.

To work through a lesson

You will have the best success with the exercises if you read each page of each lesson and the assigned pages in your textbook. To work through a lesson, you will move from one page to another, as described above. Read through the lesson in the order in which it is presented. On any page where you are instructed to read from a textbook, complete textbook material, follow a link to an exercise, or any similar task, do so, and complete it to the best of your ability, using what you have learned up until that point in addition to the directions given on that page.


To resume a lesson

If you leave a lesson before you complete it -- for example to do an exercise, or to comment in a discussion, or just because it's time for bed -- when you return, the lesson will ask you
Do you want to start at the last page you saw?
Nearly always, you should click "Yes." You only want to click "No" if you are certain that you have already concluded the lesson.

To conclude a lesson

You conclude a lesson by viewing the very last page of the lesson. On that page, you will see

Congratulations - end of lesson reached


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In reply to ben reynolds

Re: Links don't change when importing lessons

by Pete Jones -

Thanks for telling me about your previous work on this, Ben. I've had a look at the tracker MDL-16973, but I'm having the reverse of the problem described there.

The links from the assignment to the lesson appear to be working after the pair of activities has been imported; it's the links from the lesson to the assignment (and only one of the two) that don't always work.

Is this something you've already looked into?

Pete 

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In reply to Pete Jones

Re: Links don't change when importing lessons

by ben reynolds -
Hi Pete,
I have that problem occasionally. I haven't found a consistent pattern. For some links out of lessons, everything is translated nicely. For others, not.

We duplicate (restore from backup) lots of instances of the same course (between 2 and 20), and the failure to translate a link is not often consistent between two classrooms restored within 20 minutes of each other from the same backup.

I just kind of live w/ the hiccup.

I am, however, getting pretty good at recognizing when the link is pointing back to my template course smile
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In reply to Pete Jones

Re: Links don't change when importing lessons

by Joseph Rézeau -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

Hi Pete,

I am really surprised that your linked assignement and lesson should work at all. The Moodle Lesson activitiy is meant to be used as a whole activity in itself, i.e. the student starts at page 1 and - hopefully - ends at the last page. Any linking from one of the Lesson pages to another activity or from another activity to one of the Lesson pages is hazardous (and to be done "at your own risk").

This pair of activities contain links to each other within their pages.

I'm curious to know how you manage to do this.

No wonder you have problems when restoring such links to another course.

ATB

Joseph

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In reply to Joseph Rézeau

Re: Links don't change when importing lessons

by Pete Jones -

Hi Joseph

I just copy and paste the url of an assignment page and add it as a weblink on a lesson page, and vice versa.

I don't have any problems with this until I import the pair of activities into a new course.

Our lessons are all practice lessons and ungraded, so we don't need to worry about students completing lessons.

Pete

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