Hello everyone!
I'm using moodle 1.9.12 and I'm trying to find how can students upload files which will be public to everyone... Ok, they can upload multiple files from the assignments or a single file, but these can be viewed only by the student himself and the teacher. Can everyone who attends the course see the files the others upload? If yes, how is this possible?
Thank you in advance!
Ilona
If you want your students to upload files that the other students can see in the course then the simplest way to do it (there are other ways too) is to use a forum and get them to add their files to the forum.
Mary thanks a lot! So, despite adding files to a forum, there isn't a choice to make files visible to everyone...? I took a look at the plugins and I found file sharing... Maybe this is an alternative option... I' ll try it to see if it works fine...
Maybe another way would be to add a folder resource type but override the permissions to allow students to edit this folter resource. You might have a problem with the organisation of the folders and files though.
Kenny
Ilona you say: "So, despite adding files to a forum, there isn't a choice to make files visible to everyone...?"
I'm not sure what you mean here.
In a normal forum in a course, if student A adds a file as an attachment, then every student can see the post (about the file) and download the attached file.
But: it can often be difficult to find the files, you need to go through the threads and the posts.
File sharing like this in Moodle is a weakness, there is no simple activity that allows it without a little complexity.
I've suggested that there be a link to list all files attached to a forum. The tracker item is here: http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-27062
Derek, I expressed my question like this, exactly because of the complexity of the files' organization you mention... (sorry for not being specific) I am looking for something more simple. Maybe a main directory in which everybody will be able to upload a public file and all the available files will be gathered there...
Why file sharing is a weakness? I haven't used it yet, but I would like to know the possible disadvantages.
Ilona: this is my personal perspective only. (Mary, Eleana, you may lke to comment?)
File sharing is a common need in an online course. For example, in a teachers course they may share classroom worksheets ovr the course of a semester. But in my opinion, with Vanilla Moodle, it is just too hard or to clunky. Here are a few of the options:
FILE SHARING IN A FORUM: You could setup a forum and users add a post and attach their files. Someone may download a file, use it and adapt it and upload a new version. So good so far.
The problem comes when you later have a lot of threads and a lot of posts. How to find the items again? I mean, it's not bad, but it is a litle wea compared to what it could be.
By the way, have you tested this: set up a forum and added a file?
Hence my tracker request to have a link to show all the files attached to a forum. http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-27062 (Currently there watchers and zero votes and no responses from Moodle developers - how about someone having a go at coding this? Check the Moodle coding guidelines first of course)
I guess this is my preferred option. It uses an existing paradigm, no new ways to do things. I've seen forums get to 100+ posts, and become quite complex. I've sometimes manually downloaded all the attached files and added a folder. (Online stuff is supposed to save time and be sensible!!)
DATABASE: there is the database, but there is only ONE preset for an image gallery:
In writing this post I thought that there must be a way to add to this list, but I cannot find one. So I have taken a little bit of a risk and added a tracker item: http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-27623
"Built in presets in database activity module: provide more than one, and allow admins to add others"
OK: you can create a database for file sharing. But creating a template is quite a difficult exercise. And the using of it is a little different. But there are teachers who like the database. Not really for new or average users however.
FOLDER AND MODIFYING PERMISSIONS.
Someone suggesed this. don't like doing this, but . . it's possible.
Again, new or average users will find this hard.
USE A WIKI. Users need to know the skill of adding a link. This is a higher level of skill than attatch files.
?? Other options? Maybe a contrib module I don't know about?
As I said, Ideally there should be an Activity module "File Sharing" where you can browse to upload, add a description, a few tags and click to add. (Anyone feel like coding?)
I emphasise: my perspective only, designed to cater for new or average users.
-Derek
