Topic

Topic

by Richard Palmer -
Number of replies: 19

Hello

Moodle 2.3

I'm trying to develop a cleaner look to the content I have in a course topic. Please refer to illustration below which shows typical content of a topic in edit mode:

What I am wanting to do is hyperlink the tabs .... outcomes, PPT etc with the link address of the respective activities/resources listed and then hide the activities/resources to display just the table format when in student mode. ie students access a resource/activity by clicking on the respective tab. I've managed to get as far as the hyperlinking bit but when I hide an activity/resource in the listing the student is unable to access it. Solutions please.

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Mary Cooch -
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Hi there. Don't hide it because as you found out the students won't be able to see it. Put them in a topic lower down (say topic 2) and get the URLs and then change the topic number of your course to topic 1. Here is some documentation - look at questiion 7 here Course_FAQ

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Mary

Many thanks for your reply. 

My "course" will have as many as 32 weeks equating to 32 topics each comprising a combination of 6 x activities/resources. Are you/FAQ7* suggesting that I place 32 x 6 = 192 activities/resources lower down say at week/topic # 40?

*FAQ question 7 ...........One method which might be useful is to put the activities into sections which are then made 'unseen' to the student.

I presume 'unseen' is not the same thing as hide?

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Mary Cooch -
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If you have 32 topics then put them in topic 33 - as long as you then go into your course settings and set it to 32 weeks once you have added the activities. No - "unseen" means that the resources are in a section which is not displayed on the course page as the course page displays a number lower than the one the resources are in. "Hidden" means that you have closed the eye so to speak of the resource so no student can see it. Unseen is not hidden - they are just not displayed on the page! (and yes, I know, it seems odd. I learned it in 2007 from the person who invented it and I thought it was odd too!) I made a video years ago - it is with the old version of Moodle but the principle is the same - 

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Mary

Thanks for the information. 

Is there a quick way to transfer 192 activities/resources which currently reside in the 32 weeks/topics to topic 33. I have 10 other courses which are formatted similarlysad

Not wishing to poo poo your solution I was hoping there might be a quicker and less unweildy way of solving my problem.

Rick 

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

As you say you are using 2.3, have you looked at the "show only one section"   layout for your course? It's not the same as what you are planning but it certainly helps with the "scroll of death" See http://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Course_formats - 1.2.1 

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Gary Sutcliff -

Would it not be better if the "Show only one section" were to be changed to "Do not show this section". This way one can choose the number of weeks to show.

 

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Gary Sutcliff -

Help me understand this:

Hidden: hides both the assignment and the grade.
Unseen: Hides only the assignment?

To make it Hidden, close the eye.
How do I make it Unseen?

 

 

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In reply to Gary Sutcliff

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Steve 

What we are referring to with regard to my particular problem is not necessarily an assignment but activities and resources. In editing mode closing the eye will hide both assignments and resources. What I think Mary is suggesting is 33 topics with only 32 displayed. The 33rd topic, containing all the course resources/activities, is unseen.

Rick

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Gary Sutcliff -

Semantics or not, the question remains though..

Is there a difference between making an assignment hidden and making it Unseen?
So far, Hidden also means to prevent the student from seeing the grade for that assignment. How strange is that?

Does Unseen not apply?
If it does, how to?

 

 

 

 

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In reply to Gary Sutcliff

Re: Topic

by Rob Johnson -

After placing activities/resources in the last topic in the course (the item you want to be "unseen), change the number of topics in the course settings to one less.

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In reply to Rob Johnson

Re: Topic

by Gary Sutcliff -

Forgive me for pressing a point but I have not seen this answered specifically:  If I move graded tiems into this unseen topic then will the grades still be visible?  Will this movement change the order of entries in grades or categories?

I have not thought this through nor have I tested it, but how about simply moving the topic to the bottom as the weeks pass.  If I have 8 entries in a topic, then I have only one item to move. At the end of the course, all I have to do is move the last one to the bottom and, with the exception of updates and adjustments,  all will be ready for the next semester.

A matter of definition.

I may be at a loss here as to the definition of a "Topic".  I presume that when I click on an entry in "Add a Resource" or "Add an Activity, that the resulting creation of an object is in a topic.

Just grab that four arrow symbol to the left and drag it to the bottom.

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In reply to Gary Sutcliff

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Steve

I think your issue/problem is different and somsewhat unrelated to this topic. May I suggest you raise your particular problem under a new posting.


Many thanks Rick

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In reply to Gary Sutcliff

Re: Topic

by Rob Johnson -

Steve,

The items in the hidden section will still show in the gradebook if the eye is open.

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In reply to Rob Johnson

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Rob

I understand the placing of resources/activities in the last topic etc...etc. The problem I now have  is, how do I move some 200 activities/resources to the final unseen topic/week? Using the cross haired move function is going to take ages.

I don't wish to appear ungrateful for the advice offered thus far but  there just has to be a much quicker, cleaner and possibly more techi solution.

Many thanks Rick

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Mary Cooch -
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Richard - you don't have to move them. Make your table in topic 0 and then set your course settings topic number to 0 - unless you have put all the atctivities into topic 0, you won't need to move anything.

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hell Mary

Forgive me but I'm a bit slow and I'll have to think  that through.

Please take a look at the following mouthwatering link which is where I got the idea of creating an albeit pseudo style web page for my topics to dispense with the 'scroll of death'

http://rouxbe.com/cooking-school/lessons/170-pan-frying

From both a personal and teacher perspective I think the website and the way it has been designed and presented is superb.

Rick

 

 

 

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In reply to Richard Palmer

Re: Topic

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

Richard -there is a tabbed course format that will do similar for you if you are able to add extra modules -see https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_tabtopics

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Topic

by Richard Palmer -

Hello Mary

Thanks for the reference. It involves a plugin which my administrator would not allow. The facility appears to tab the topics contained in a course. What I am doing is tabbing activities/resources contained within each of the 'n' topics that make up the course.

Thanks Rick 

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