"Description of page" block for courses?

"Description of page" block for courses?

by Anke Tröder -
Number of replies: 8

I am only three weeks into Moodle, so I am sorry if this has been answered before or is something I have overlooked in the manuals.

Is there a way to have a block similar to the "Description of Front Page" for *courses* ? I would like to be able to add a brief description at the top of the side panels in order to keep the container in the middle as free as possible of site info or instructions. The blocks should be able to display different content for different courses.

Any ideas?

Thx,

Anke

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In reply to Anke Tröder

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Jan Dierckx -
What your looking for is called the 'generic html' block. Unfortunately this block is only compatible with Moodle 1.5, the development (and thus unstable) version of Moodle.
There is a workaround.
  • Install the glossary_random block. Normally it is used to display random entries from the glossary. If you only add one entry, it always displays this one. That's why it could be used to just display a course description.
  • Add a glossary to your course and (optional) hide it from students
  • Add just one entry to the glossary. Write the text you want to display. If you are using the HTML editor, you can also include pictures.
  • After adding the block to a course, a link shows up: change settings for this block.
  • Clicking on the link takes you to a page where you can change the title to something like 'Course description'
  • Make sure you select the glossary you created in step 2.
Or (a lot easier)... wait for Moodle 1.5 to be released.



Attachment gloss.JPG
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In reply to Jan Dierckx

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Claudia Scholz -
I hadn't heard of this block.  Is there a repository of these custom blocks somewhere?
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In reply to Jan Dierckx

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Anke Tröder -

Thx... I will wait, I guess. It shouldn't be that long now, hopefully smile

Your other suggestion sounds pretty neat though. Nice, how one can twist and turn modules to do all kinds of things ...

@ Claudia: yes, the idea was to have as much space as possible in the top  of the course section itself.

Anke

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In reply to Anke Tröder

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Przemyslaw Stencel -
On of the standard blocks in Moodle 1.4.x is "Course Summary" - it will display the course description inside the course.
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In reply to Przemyslaw Stencel

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Jan Dierckx -
blush NO ????
Did I really write this convoluted explanation to work around something that is part of a standard Moodle installation? I really have to stop this programming stuff and just start using Moodle as it is supposed to be used!
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In reply to Jan Dierckx

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Claudia Scholz -
I think what Anke is asking is for module instructions to be displayed in a block rather than in the main part of the display.  This, to my mind, is something that would have to be taken up with the programmers of each of the modules (quiz, lesson, etc.) and couldn't be solved with only a block anyway.

This is my first semester using Moodle, so I might be wrong...
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In reply to Claudia Scholz

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by John Papaioannou -
A not-yet-widely-known fact is that Moodle 1.5 with the "generic HTML" block and the ability to put blocks in the introductory page of many activities will probably cover such a case very easily.

Jon
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In reply to John Papaioannou

Re: "Description of page" block for courses?

by Samuli Karevaara -
Is there/might there be a duplicate of the Main Menu block in 1.5?

What about blocks on resources (Moodle-made web pages mainly)?
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