Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Number of replies: 17
Picture of Plugin developers
Hi Moodlers,
 
What do you think of my modified Online Users block?
 
 
My latest innovation to be revealed very soon. 
A first in the Moodle world.
 
Username: alex
Password: alex

How to use
After logging in, check out the Online Users block on the right. See the animated gifs? 
Those can be set by the user!
 
After that, try Edit Profile, and choose any of the animated gifs in the drop down list of the
Choice Icon Moods User Profile field.
 
To see all the icons, click on the Question Mark '?' found at the Online Users block.
 
Purpose?
1. To engage the student in some playful distraction. Why can't Moodle be made fun for students?
2. To allow the student to express himself/herself by all the student to choose an animated icon that
    best represents him or her.
 
THE QUESTION IS: DO THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS? 
 
This will be the subject of my next post on Moodlenews.com and onhttp://moodurian.blogspot.com.
Coming soon.
Average of ratings: Very cool (1)
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Ashutosh Taunk -

Dear Alex,

I have logged in and seen the difference. This is realy Kool, very nice actually; your purpose suggest the view completely. I think on similar scale. Great work smile

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Ashutosh Taunk

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi Ashutosh

Now I've enabled it so that the user can specify the URL of a gif file (under Edit Profile). That will be taken as image. No need to choose from a drop down list. You can specify your own animated gif  via a URL.

Frankie Kam

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Ashutosh Taunk -

Dear Frankie,

This is really great, I always wanted to make learning a interactive process and I am sure this may bring a feel good factor to students. Works like and looks really good.

I would like to introduce it to my site in smetime; hope it is not much difficult to introduce.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Ashutosh Taunk

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi Ashutos

Here's the whole online_users block(Moodle 19.15) in a zipped format.
Instructions to setup the block is found here (Word2007 file) or here (PDF format). Read it carefully and follow all instructions. You should be able to set it up within 30 minutes or less.

Make sure you backup or rename your original online_users folder. Or at the  very least, save/rename your block_online_users.php file to block_online_users.ori or something like that. I'll be posting a clearer or detailed article about this modification at my blog later.
A few salient points to note:

1. To control the display of icons, the icon sizes are displayed at 25 pixels x 25 pixels. If not, a user could link to an icon image that is > 25x24 pixels and that would create formating havoc with the online_users block.

2. To control the custom text mood, where the user can type in their worn text, I filter the input through a bad (swear, slang) word list.

3. To control the custom icon imagaes, I also filter the URL through a bad (swear, slang) word list! So if the user for some reasons, tries to be cheeky, and links to a naughty image URL that looks like this: http://www.animatedgifs.com/adultsex or something like that, the URL will be converted into an angel image. Hahaha!!! Anyway, that's to prevent all sorts of unsavoury images from appearing on the online_users block. But I'm sure your students wouldn't do that. Haha. 

4. All icons in the dropdown list (i.e., the smilies folder) do not have colour backgrounds. This makes the icons look nicer when the user chooses them.

Hope this helps.

Please let me know if your students like it, or if (when?) it gets out of control or if the feel good factor materialises.... wink

Regards
Frankie Kam 

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

I did an update on the online_users zip file.

Here's the latest zip file:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17797520/online_users_interactive_Jan2012.zip 

The previous link is no longer valid.

Frankie Kam

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

More detail and latest instructions here:
http://moodurian.blogspot.com/2012/01/giving-students-feel-good-factor-with.html 

Average of ratings: Coolest thing ever! (1)
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by April Hannaford -

I wish this worked on Moodle 2... Do you know if this could be modifed to work on Moodle 2 sometime in the future?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to April Hannaford

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi April!

I'm sure it could be made to work for Moodle 2.x. This post on my blog was the one that started the who process. The post contains Moodle 2.x code to make the user invisible on the Online Users block. After that, I kept adding features but only had time for Moodle 1.9.x. To adapt it for Moodle 2.x is not going to be difficult. But it'll take some time since I'm busy with the new January semester, and I've spent way too much time on the moods and animated gifs. So you'll have to wait.

IN the meantime, to whet your appetite, enjoy this vid (Moodle 1.9.x):


You can also drop by my blog, http://moodurian.blogspot.com for the latest updates on my Moodle 1.9/2.x innovations (but mostly on Moodle 1.9.x). Cheers.

Frankie Kam

Average of ratings: Very cool (1)
In reply to April Hannaford

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi April!

I've got it working for Moodle 2.2 !!!

For a Demo surf to:
http://moodurian.com/m2
Username: me
Password: me

How to use
After logging in, check out the Online Users block on the right. See the animated gifs? 
Those can be set by the user!
 
After that, try Edit Profile, and choose any of the animated gifs in the drop down list of the
Choice Icon Moods User Profile field.
 
To see all the icons, click on the Question Mark '?' found at the Online Users block.
 
For the download zip file that contains the Moodle 2.2 code, go here.
Average of ratings: Very cool (2)
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Richard Oelmann -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi Frankie,

Can confirm this works fine on 2.2 - now have it on my development server to play with smile

Richard

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi Richard

Great! Thanks for the confirmation. Yes, you're right, "play" is the word!

Frankie Kam

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by April Hannaford -

Im having a bit of a problem setting the stealth mode profile field. How to make it to where it has a radio button select and not a text field??? lol

Average of ratings: -
In reply to April Hannaford

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by April Hannaford -

I figured this out...Thanks

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Ryan Lynch -

Thanks for uploading this.. I'm trying it out now.

-Ryan

 

http://budgetable.com

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Ryan Lynch

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by April Hannaford -

Why do people have to add a website/links that have nothing to do with moodle. Is this considered spam?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by John Doubleday -

This looks interesting but I would like to place a small animated gif (preferable a full little figure) in the answer block in the Lesson and other quiz modules. To give a little humour to the answers.

Do you think it is possible and what program would be suitable to build 3D gif's??

cheers

johnD

 

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Frankie Kam

Re: Why can't Moodle users have a bit of fun with their login Avatars?

by Frankie Kam -
Picture of Plugin developers

Hi.

If you're a trainer or teacher who has to introduce Moodle to a whole new batch of students/users on a regular basis or every semester, then read on!

I think the animated gif moods and custom moods can be used, during initial training sessions of new users to Moodle, to soften up and humanise the Moodle experience.

Not everyone is comfortable with computers and software. New users, especially those with techno-phobia generally have some resistance to new technology. So what I'm saying is that the animated gifs on the Online Users lock can make the introduction to Moodle a more enjoyable process. Users get to 'own' or 'possess' their own animated gif that is displayed next to their avatar.

Just my two cents. Frankie Kam.

Average of ratings: -