Is anyone interested on this one: ability create site content on your frontpage?
uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, let me think about it.............. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, well...................
Yes!!!
Sweet......
Jeff
Jeff
I think Jeff has summarized this topic well, I also add a resounding YES.
Thanks, Janne!
Thanks, Janne!
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes.
Oh, in case you didn't get the message, YES!!
Oh, in case you didn't get the message, YES!!
I would also like to add yes several times.
Hi Janne!
That is a good one, since now we can organize the tons of courses on several pages...
I hope you will elaborate on that feature.
BR
Jens
Absolutely --YES
Will be a wonderful feature!
not original : yes ! 
Just in case you need the extra encouragement: YES! Please! YES!
I almost had a impression that you guys want this feature 
We'll have to wait and see if Masters of Moodlers approve this and in either case it won't be ready for release 1.5.
We'll have to wait and see if Masters of Moodlers approve this and in either case it won't be ready for release 1.5.
I think the masters agree that it's a good feature. It's actually been available in Moodle since, like, 1.2...
In the Site Settings page, enablethe topic block, and you're sorted. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding the screenshot and this is somehing different?
In the Site Settings page, enablethe topic block, and you're sorted. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding the screenshot and this is somehing different?
This is already possible inside courses using the navigation block. The different page contents then just have to be put into different sections of the course and only one of them is made visible at a time.
It is annoying that the same thing is not currently possible on the site home page. For historical reason the site home page does not allow multiple sections. Especially now that we have metacourses I think there is less and less reason to make the layout of the site front page different, it should just be treated as the top metacourse. This should not be too difficult to implement.
But isn't the navigation block something different, in that it doesn't stay on the left side all the time, only when you are on the main course page?
I like the idea of this new system being a course format. I am not entirely happy with the current system, because of the breadcrumbs. The current navigation system displays breadcrumbs based on the type of activity or resource it is, rather than the particular unit the student is in. This is unsatisfactory for me, especially as I plan to use what are considered different types of activities in Moodle to create what are within my course considered to be the same type of activities. I'd prefer simply to have the navigation block visible at all times on the side, as it would allow navigation by course structure, not by activity type.
I like the idea of this new system being a course format. I am not entirely happy with the current system, because of the breadcrumbs. The current navigation system displays breadcrumbs based on the type of activity or resource it is, rather than the particular unit the student is in. This is unsatisfactory for me, especially as I plan to use what are considered different types of activities in Moodle to create what are within my course considered to be the same type of activities. I'd prefer simply to have the navigation block visible at all times on the side, as it would allow navigation by course structure, not by activity type.
Isn't Janne's proposal for a site front page format not a course page format?
I have to confess I don't really understand the remaider of your post.
This is unsatisfactory for me, especially as I plan to use what are considered different types of activities in Moodle to create what are within my course considered to be the same type of activities.
OK, but how could this possibly be factored into the development logic?
I'd prefer simply to have the navigation block visible at all times on the side, as it would allow navigation by course structure, not by activity type.
The navigation block isn't visible at all times, but when it's not there is the jump to drop down which lists activities / resources by name and section (unit?). Perhaps the recent work on block in activities by Jon will offer an opportunity for this.
I have to confess I don't really understand the remaider of your post.
This is unsatisfactory for me, especially as I plan to use what are considered different types of activities in Moodle to create what are within my course considered to be the same type of activities.
OK, but how could this possibly be factored into the development logic?
I'd prefer simply to have the navigation block visible at all times on the side, as it would allow navigation by course structure, not by activity type.
The navigation block isn't visible at all times, but when it's not there is the jump to drop down which lists activities / resources by name and section (unit?). Perhaps the recent work on block in activities by Jon will offer an opportunity for this.
The navigation block isn't visible at all times,
This is one of the design flaws of Moodle, IMO. In general web design to avoid confusing people, you don't just take away the navigation elements they're using when they click a link. I've had to direct many many people to the breadcrumbs, which they don't notice. It would be nice to have a course format where the course content replaced the Center block when clicked, with a nice link to get back, while leaving the left navigation in place.
The other thing teachers complain about is the persistence of the admin menu, esp. as it gets larger it takes up more and more of the teacher's screen with uninformative little icons.
My fantasy course format has persistent left blocks and a simple link to a full page for administration, where each component could have a few lines describing what it does.
Developers and tech-savvy instructors would probably be amazed by how un-likely non-technical faculty and students are to just 'poke around' --as advised in the Moodle teachers manual--at buttons they don't first understand the use for, perhaps because they are used to applications where pushing the wrong button can have disasterous effects.
This is one of the design flaws of Moodle, IMO. In general web design to avoid confusing people, you don't just take away the navigation elements they're using when they click a link. I've had to direct many many people to the breadcrumbs, which they don't notice. It would be nice to have a course format where the course content replaced the Center block when clicked, with a nice link to get back, while leaving the left navigation in place.
The other thing teachers complain about is the persistence of the admin menu, esp. as it gets larger it takes up more and more of the teacher's screen with uninformative little icons.
My fantasy course format has persistent left blocks and a simple link to a full page for administration, where each component could have a few lines describing what it does.
Developers and tech-savvy instructors would probably be amazed by how un-likely non-technical faculty and students are to just 'poke around' --as advised in the Moodle teachers manual--at buttons they don't first understand the use for, perhaps because they are used to applications where pushing the wrong button can have disasterous effects.
You know, I NEVER use the drop down list, just because it's location is very unobvious in the upper right corner (especially after you have finished a page and want to move on to another) and because it actually requires clicking on it to see it. Out of sight, out of mind. Right now, the only thing that is immediately apparent on the page without a mouse click is the breadcrumbs.
I really like the idea of a menu appearing on the left at all times. I'm for easily legible pages and therefore I don't want my main content taking up the whole of the screen anyway, so to keep a menu on the side at all times would be ok with me.
Michael, anyone there at Humboldt capable of creating your fantasy course format? You guys have come up with so many nice things already.
I really like the idea of a menu appearing on the left at all times. I'm for easily legible pages and therefore I don't want my main content taking up the whole of the screen anyway, so to keep a menu on the side at all times would be ok with me.
Michael, anyone there at Humboldt capable of creating your fantasy course format? You guys have come up with so many nice things already.
Michael, anyone there at Humboldt capable of creating your fantasy
course format? You guys have come up with so many nice things already.
Thanks! We're going to give it a shot, I think, our budget got hammered this year so it may be harder to get our ideas into code for non-funded projects
.
Thanks! We're going to give it a shot, I think, our budget got hammered this year so it may be harder to get our ideas into code for non-funded projects
Is it possible to have this available on category level, so an institute can organise course in academic years?
It sounds good...but I don't quite understand how it is different from the way it is now. A better explanation would be welcome.
The center of the page changes when you choose different page from "Site navigation" block.
This way you can show content on it that isn't part of any of your courses (although it can have links to course contents). At this moment you can have courselist, categories or discussion and one section on your frontpage.
I don't know did I make it any clearer
This way you can show content on it that isn't part of any of your courses (although it can have links to course contents). At this moment you can have courselist, categories or discussion and one section on your frontpage.
I don't know did I make it any clearer
That's what it seems to be, but the concept of opening what is in the '"site navigation" block in the center of the page seems to be a bit too technical to me. That might be the way the programmer thinks of it...but not a normal user...it seems more appropriate to me to simply allow whatever is in the "Main Menu" to be displayed in the center, and do away with a separate site navigation block. Or maybe I still am not getting the purpose of this block. But isn't stuff on the Main Menu already outside of any course?
Don't get caught the "site navigation" name? It's just a block that contains one menu that have pages linked to it. You can name that block whatever you want. And you can have these "navigation" blocks as many as you want, named whatever you want (and possibly define does the pages in one menu require login or not).
For example:
So it's just extends the usage of Moodle if you wish so
For example:
- You can have one menu that contains links to pages that have information about your company etc.
- You can have second menu that contains links to pages that requires users to login and so on...
So it's just extends the usage of Moodle if you wish so
Hi Janne, is this being done as a modified course format? You know what would also be really cool is if you could aslo define a custom style sheet for the different pages (maybe using something like romuald's modified header, but with information (style sheet location, or...) specified in an entry form.
And it would also be nice if the multipage format (if it is a format) could be applied to courses and metacourses as well. Then we could have a serious CMS/LMS with sub directories for departments and faculty (as metacourses and courses).
And it would also be nice if the multipage format (if it is a format) could be applied to courses and metacourses as well. Then we could have a serious CMS/LMS with sub directories for departments and faculty (as metacourses and courses).
No it's actually frontpage format but course format might be possible too. I'm just wishing to keep things simple as I can.
More screenshots at http://julmajanne.com/stuff/
More screenshots at http://julmajanne.com/stuff/
Really nice, Janne!
Nice and clear.
Ok, let's imagine that a teacher creates a block instance of a particular menu. (Let's call this one: class literary magazine). Now... perhaps... what if she could also indicate the editors for the pages on that block? (Her students Larry and Betty are editing this one).
If this were possible, your CMS blocks could be indexes for student publications.
Thanks!
-Tom
It would be neat if these CMS pages could be displayed either as the center column or a new page (in case folks want to add more css styling).
Nice and clear.
Ok, let's imagine that a teacher creates a block instance of a particular menu. (Let's call this one: class literary magazine). Now... perhaps... what if she could also indicate the editors for the pages on that block? (Her students Larry and Betty are editing this one).
If this were possible, your CMS blocks could be indexes for student publications.
Thanks!
-Tom
It would be neat if these CMS pages could be displayed either as the center column or a new page (in case folks want to add more css styling).
Simply yes! But only when "roles" are implemented...
"student publications" I'm also designing a module called "netpaper" for student publications (simply students create acticles and teacher publish them if their are ready to publish). But this stuff is inside the course...
"student publications" I'm also designing a module called "netpaper" for student publications (simply students create acticles and teacher publish them if their are ready to publish). But this stuff is inside the course...
We love you Janne, oh yes we do. We love you Janne.... 
From your newspaper project:
what about this functionality form the user point of view: http://moodle.org/file.php/5/moddata/forum/147/79864/asCMSwp.zip
(you could set a password on a page, until roles are there..)
And the wish to have papers that mimic the view of The Times etc..
There are "screenshots" available at http://julmajanne.com/stuff of this "netpaper" module.
Totally AWESOME dude!
Hi Bryan, Tom and Genner
I'm desperately trying to have demo version released at this week. There are many things that need to be sorted out before it is in beta state. Here some:
- Janne -
I'm desperately trying to have demo version released at this week. There are many things that need to be sorted out before it is in beta state. Here some:
- Images - image says more than thousand words, but how to implement this since originally students do not have access to file system.
- Do I make one image bank where students have access and can upload images. This would be the easiest way, but in this scenario we'll trust that students do not (delete or) replace each others images.
- Make every student his/her own folder where to store images??? It makes things more complicated (since I have been planning that there will be an interface outside world (when teacher decides to do so)).
- Grading - I'd love to add grading into it. But since one article can have several authors how these gradings should behave??? Or should it have comment field, which is visible only to authors and teachers.
- +++
- Janne -
Or should it have comment field, which is visible only to authors and teachers.
That would be great, something similar to forum (& optinal ratings, grading/comments). Probably grade as for a group (everyone in a group gets the same grade).
We're starting on a peer review assignment type, where students grade eacher for group work and teacher edits/comments/approves grades. Some of that code might be useful (as we write it.
That would be great, something similar to forum (& optinal ratings, grading/comments). Probably grade as for a group (everyone in a group gets the same grade).
We're starting on a peer review assignment type, where students grade eacher for group work and teacher edits/comments/approves grades. Some of that code might be useful (as we write it
Janne,
Wonderful possibilities!!; but don't ya feel bad
for Bill.
Maybe each instance of the activity should have its own image bank? Then if someone deletes a photo during the second semester, it might not wreck the pages in a first semester instance? Perhaps each image that is contributed can be "attributed" to the person who uploaded it.
I see the larger problem that you allude to of creating an instance of a graded activity... If only three guys were writing an article, it would look like the other students missed the assignment.
Maybe it is best to allow the teacher to create a hidden comment on the articles (available only to the authors/teachers). I'd tend to use that space to stick a link to an off-line assignment where I stored all of the "publication" grades for that particular grading term.
You ask tough questions, Janne!
p.s. I see that Michael had the same idea about the comments. I wouldn't worry too much about a solve-all for the grading: I'm sure someone will stumble across a way to use student/teacher rubrics across all actitivities some day.
I see the larger problem that you allude to of creating an instance of a graded activity... If only three guys were writing an article, it would look like the other students missed the assignment.
Maybe it is best to allow the teacher to create a hidden comment on the articles (available only to the authors/teachers). I'd tend to use that space to stick a link to an off-line assignment where I stored all of the "publication" grades for that particular grading term.
You ask tough questions, Janne!
p.s. I see that Michael had the same idea about the comments. I wouldn't worry too much about a solve-all for the grading: I'm sure someone will stumble across a way to use student/teacher rubrics across all actitivities some day.
Image bank is good but the drawback is that the graphics sizes/resolution is a factor (but then can be easily solve using image manipulation "Imagemagik or GDlib").
Shared library would be great also to minize the increasinglly usage of hardisk.
What do you think?
Shared library would be great also to minize the increasinglly usage of hardisk.
What do you think?
Does not the copyright of the images belong to the students? And therefore they should have the right to remove them if they so choose?
And also, the idea of an image bank for each instance of an activity also will create problems. Because the image is then not available for other instances. One collective bank is the way to go for images.
And also, the idea of an image bank for each instance of an activity also will create problems. Because the image is then not available for other instances. One collective bank is the way to go for images.
Well this is a very difficult issue to solve, but we'll have to draw the line somewhere. But where do we draw it doesn't necessarily satisfy everone...
Tom falls over on his back. This is a great module! How can we help?
COOL!
Hold your horses, because we have some fairly solid plans now for a MyMoodle on the front page (once you are logged in).
This might work for when you aren't logged in, but I need to think about the consistency when I haven't just got back from a night out with Moodle-folk in Rotorua. Note that blocks can now be added on non-course-pages.
This might work for when you aren't logged in, but I need to think about the consistency when I haven't just got back from a night out with Moodle-folk in Rotorua.
Hi Martin,
Have the MyMoodle planned features been published anywhere?
Enjoy your night out and the hot weather 
.
While this addition (Janne's) would be a welcome one, I think it creates confusion to have both "Site Navigation" (or similar) and "Main Menu" blocks. Instead, I'd like to see this as something that I can add to the "main menu". We are now using the book module to achieve this to a degree. The new multipage resource also overlaps with this feature somewhat.
That's why I mentioned it might be nice as a course format, since the front page serves as more of a 'my moodle' for our students, with their enrolled courses, calendar, main filesharing block, etc.
However, being able to have a college/department/faculty member set of pages in a college metacourse would be really nice, esp as we are seeking to replace our old static (and difficult to maintain) college/department/faculty pages with something more like a portal/cms system.
For instance, a student goes to the meain moodle site, logs in, and gets a mymoodle 'front page' with their courses, calendar, someday hopefully their own content area, but the student is also 'enrolled' in their major department's metacourse (eg biology or education) which then has sub pages for faculty and links back up to a college and/university page.
However, being able to have a college/department/faculty member set of pages in a college metacourse would be really nice, esp as we are seeking to replace our old static (and difficult to maintain) college/department/faculty pages with something more like a portal/cms system.
For instance, a student goes to the meain moodle site, logs in, and gets a mymoodle 'front page' with their courses, calendar, someday hopefully their own content area, but the student is also 'enrolled' in their major department's metacourse (eg biology or education) which then has sub pages for faculty and links back up to a college and/university page.
Like others have mentioned, it would be best to make this configurable as a new site format.
Currently the format options available under "Site Settings" are the first three of these:
to which we could add the last one .. We need to work out exactly what a "CMS format" really is, though, and why it's different from a set of resources in the Main Menu.
We can also include options for how MyMoodle relates to this front page, but I will start a new discussion about MyMoodle.
Currently the format options available under "Site Settings" are the first three of these:
- Show news items
- Show a list of courses
- Show a list of categories
- Show a list of HTML pages
to which we could add the last one .. We need to work out exactly what a "CMS format" really is, though, and why it's different from a set of resources in the Main Menu.
We can also include options for how MyMoodle relates to this front page, but I will start a new discussion about MyMoodle.
Actually, I would like to see the current system tweaked in another way. As Martin said, one of the first three things on his list MUST appear in the center of the page. I would prefer that none of them appear, and all of them be relegated to side blocks, as I use the opitional description box in the center of my page and would prefer that nothing more than that be there when people first come to the site.
Nice !
I am looking for a solution to give each student his own Dashboard:
- a white screen in the center,
- around it blocks. Students can choose which blocks: my files, my webbookmarks, a rrs block with more then one entry, wikipedia, calendar/agenda, my contacts, simplemail, search the web,
- we install on feb 18 also a "my progress in my current courses block", with the option to jump to every week in every current course with a mouse click.(see screendump)
- making the student teacher in this dashboardview, opens up the possibilty to allow them to paste books, wiki's, resources etc on the white center screen.
- It must be possible for a student to invite others to visit his self created dashboard activities (forums, wiki's, lessons, books..)
- Would be nice if the student could create more sections in the center screen and choose between the current topicview, weekview or a new TABS-view for weeks and topicsview...
Hi Ger!
Is the "Totalview" block on the image what you are referring to here:
QUOTE: Ger Tielemans
WP1
Is the "Totalview" block on the image what you are referring to here:
QUOTE: Ger Tielemans
- "we install on feb 18 also a "my progress in my current courses block", with the option to jump to every week in every current course with a mouse click.(see screendump)"
WP1
Yes, I will setup a public demo course (for a presentation on March 30)
I think I was too vague when I describe it (not been sleeping too much lately, wonder why ) but that's exactly what I had in my mind: new site format, so you could choose any of those four wich you'd like better or serves your purposes (educational, business, pleasure etc).
Actually it's been done by adding new constant FRONTPAGECMS, new case clause to index.php and bringing content from pages table. And it's a really raw idea that need to be enhanced (a lot).
I've been exploring Jon's pagedemo (great one) and I'd really like to go at that direction where this HTML -format could use that kind of layout.
Actually it's been done by adding new constant FRONTPAGECMS, new case clause to index.php and bringing content from pages table. And it's a really raw idea that need to be enhanced (a lot).
I've been exploring Jon's pagedemo (great one) and I'd really like to go at that direction where this HTML -format could use that kind of layout.
We can also include options for how MyMoodle relates to this front page, but I will start a new discussion about MyMoodle.
IMO, this is why it should be a course format rather than a site format (though a course format also available in the main site course). For simplicity's sake, MyMoodle with a list of courses is a good thing for students to be able to see immediatly when they log-in. However, some sites might want a list of pages rather than a MyMoodle.
Others might want MyMoodle yet still have other 'courses' in the system being list of pages. For instance the Biology Dept. might want a front page and a list of personal pages of the faculty, perhaps as a metacourse with all biology majors enrolled.
The huge magnificant benefit of this for schools would be the ability to provide easily edited departmental and personal information pages while using the same system for their courses. Rigth now for instance we have hundreds of variously designed static web pages for departments and faculty, which are a nightmare to maintain (a few hundred new syllabi and photos each semester uploaded to a few hundred separate ftp accounts. I
If we could replace the static pages with a CMS like system(--we can't say "portal" here anymore, Peoplesoft has corrupted the term), it would be much easier to maintain, and if Moodle had CMS features, it would be even better as we wouldn't have to maintain and link two separate database driven systems. IMO this would drive Moodle acceptance further, as folks who's first need is a CMS could use it for that, then start using the LMS features, and vice versa.
IMO, this is why it should be a course format rather than a site format (though a course format also available in the main site course). For simplicity's sake, MyMoodle with a list of courses is a good thing for students to be able to see immediatly when they log-in. However, some sites might want a list of pages rather than a MyMoodle.
Others might want MyMoodle yet still have other 'courses' in the system being list of pages. For instance the Biology Dept. might want a front page and a list of personal pages of the faculty, perhaps as a metacourse with all biology majors enrolled.
The huge magnificant benefit of this for schools would be the ability to provide easily edited departmental and personal information pages while using the same system for their courses. Rigth now for instance we have hundreds of variously designed static web pages for departments and faculty, which are a nightmare to maintain (a few hundred new syllabi and photos each semester uploaded to a few hundred separate ftp accounts
If we could replace the static pages with a CMS like system(--we can't say "portal" here anymore, Peoplesoft has corrupted the term
I hate blogs: they are mostly used by people who are not waiting for an answer.. (otherwise they would choose for a Soc. Constr. alternativ: the Wiki)
Hi Ger!
I appreciate your feelings about Blogs, but, what about those of us who like Blogs and would like to see this option on the site page and the course page? Should not the option be available. If one does not want to use it one does not have to. Just another choice.
WP1
I appreciate your feelings about Blogs, but, what about those of us who like Blogs and would like to see this option on the site page and the course page? Should not the option be available. If one does not want to use it one does not have to. Just another choice.
WP1
Hey guys,
Speaking of frontpage and CMS, I have had several professors who expressed interest in a personal page at moodle.
This is how it would work:
- As we all know, Professors are a sort of persistent entity in moodle and should be treated like such, IMHO. Students always come and go, but if you look at the site throughout the semesters, you are going to have a group of Professors that is virtually the same.
- Since they all share space on a centrally managed Moodle, they don't have a Front Page to present themselves. It's always the course presenting the professor and not the other way around.
- The same way you could search courses in Moodle, you should be able to search professors, and each one should have a personal page (Blog?), where he/she could post the latest news, research, interests, CV, etc. This page would also have links to all current courses taught by this professor in Moodle.
The reason I say this is because one of the greatest challenges in getting people to migrate to moodle is letting go of that "old" website, where they have all their story and publications, etc.
If there was any way of moving that content to Moodle, we would have a greater acceptance from professors.
It would be like: "Don't move your courses to Moodle, move YOURSELF to Moodle."
That's my 2 cents...
The Book Module does a pretty nice job of importing web pages.
I suppose you could re-direct from their old url to a moodle book about them, with guest login in the url.
Then put the book in a course named for them, their own 'course' to put all their info.
One thing they might like about this is that most of them won't have to call the webmaster to get their page updated
.
One CMS like feature (postnuke) that would be really cool is to be able to designate a module the 'front page' for a course. Thus one could select a Book or multiplage resource as the first thing someone sees when they come to a particular course, and this then courd provide a website withing Moodle for the instructors.
I suppose you could re-direct from their old url to a moodle book about them, with guest login in the url.
Then put the book in a course named for them, their own 'course' to put all their info.
One thing they might like about this is that most of them won't have to call the webmaster to get their page updated
One CMS like feature (postnuke) that would be really cool is to be able to designate a module the 'front page' for a course. Thus one could select a Book or multiplage resource as the first thing someone sees when they come to a particular course, and this then courd provide a website withing Moodle for the instructors.
Good idea Michael!
In phpNuke there is also an option for individual members to make a particular page on a site their "homepage" after signing in. (If I remember correctly).
WP1
In phpNuke there is also an option for individual members to make a particular page on a site their "homepage" after signing in. (If I remember correctly).
WP1
Does anybody out there have a working phpNuke/Moodle installation so we can take a look at?
I would really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Eduardo
I would really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Eduardo
Michael-This sounds like a new course format idea I proposed several months ago. See this thread.
Eduardo- that's a GREAT idea. I'm putting together a mental model of what a school would need:
i see it as 5 pts on a star
- LMS (Moodle!)
- CMS (Plone or Typo3)
- Faculty pages (Your idea!)
- Syllabi (required for our accreditation to be public for every section)
- the rest of the WWW
I suppose a portal could be in there, but perhaps MyMoodle is going to take care of that - but since the moodle faculty page begins to approach what we have already: http://secure.cpcc.edu/webpages/view.asp?edirID=2621
it would be GREAT if it just went all the way (actually, maybe it does.... let me try... OK pasted my faculty page into my moodle profile, and is merged its tables with those of the rest of the page... erg. Try again..
OK, so it cut off the full page, but a partial: http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=11852&course=5
So, I think this would be a good and EASY enhancement to the platform - and would eliminate the need for so many smallter institutions to provide special webpage apps for faculty.
d.i.
ps- is there a "feature request location" other than the bug tracker?
WP, you are right, so let it be an admin choice. (I am the admin )
Ger-I hate most blogs too, but for a different reason. To me, they are like written karaoke. Just as karaoke is for people to fantasize they are singers no matter how little talent they have, blogs are for people to fantasize they are writers or journalists no matter how little talent (or interesting content) they have.
Andy Warhol would only disagree a little with us: 15 minuts each..
Does this mean Madonna is using my time? 
As another alternative, I've just developed a block that allows you to display your categories and courses in a sideblock menu system. You can configure this block to use the first course in a category (defined by the order you place the courses in the category) as the category page. So, when you click on the category link, you go directly to that course - which can display content like the site front page.
This allows you to have a front page for any category - and it doesn't require and database changes or code code hacks.
mike
This allows you to have a front page for any category - and it doesn't require and database changes or code code hacks.
mike