We have just released the first version of a windows 8 app for moodle. Very keen for others to try this and to share our plans with anyone interested in the topic. It is on the windows 8 store, search for moodle. Branded for our institution CPIT but requires the moodle address to be confirmed to make it more flexible.
Many thanks to Microsoft who have helped make this happen.
Mark Marshall
ICT Director
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
Hi Mark,
I don't know if I'm interested, you've really told me nothing about the app.
Details, links?
Cheers, Sam.
I thought I was very clear. I said ""It is on the windows 8 store, search for moodle" It is the only result of the search.
Hi Mark. Sorry if I am being a bit dim but I went to what I assume is the Windows 8 store and searched for Moodle and it didn't come up with anything http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/search#q=Moodle&s=Store Maybe it hasn't appeared in the search yet?
AHA! (Edit) Had an idea and changed to nz where I assume you are Mark -and then it comes up http://windows.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows/search#q=moodle&s=Store
... apologies, I hadn't even though of the regionalization!!
Hi Mark,
I found it here: http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-nz/app/54dcf27c-6353-46b6-b183-d3e5e64a29bf
I'm assuming that this app is for Windows 8 desktop only and not for Windows Phone 8, is that true? I have a Windows Phone 8 but run Windows 7 desktop. I'm also guessing it'll run on Windows RT tablets, is that true? It lists x86, x64, and ARM architecture OS'.
More info:
At this stage it has been written predominantly for Windows 8 tablet and has been tested on Microsoft Surface RT and Intel platforms, plus the HP Elitebook atom unit -. We are looking at windows phone but our analysis was that we needed to concentrate on larger format devices as that is where the need was. We have standardized internally on windows tablet which is a major driver.
I think devices with small screens and no keyboard or mouse (you can't right-click, copy'n'paste, hit Ctrl, Shift, etc. on a mobile phone touch screen) are pretty limiting when it comes to using Moodle. I don't think it'd be any great loss not to have an app for small-screened devices.
does it work well with file uploads?- a major pitfall with the ipads and thier... um awkward file systems.
I cant download it as I only have a Windows 8 Phone, trying to justify a purchase of a Surface Pro2 lol
I'm not a Windows user, so it's of no interest to me but - especially with recent Moodle theme improvements - why spend time and effort on these sort of things. Most tablets have a new-fangled invention called a "web browser". All Moodle apps I have so far seen accomplish is to take functionality away.
Hi Howard,
The problem with mobile OS' is that the web browsers that come with them are a kind of "lite" version of their PC counterparts, e.g. earlier versions of iOS' web browser prohibited file uploads so if you wanted to post anything other than text on a forum, blog, etc., you needed an app.
Additionally, iOS prevents automatic playback of media (users have to click on a play button), making sequenced/synchronised multimedia presentations (a mainstay of elearning) impossible. We're constantly promised HTML5 replacements for sequenced multimedia but the truth is they just don't work on iOS browsers. Is this a deliberate policy and attempt to push more agencies and developers into distribute apps on iTunes? That's anyone's guess.
Another thing is that most of the multimedia Javascript libraries are ported from old Actionscript ones. Actionscript has memory management and garbage collection whereas Javascript doesn't. What works efficiently and effectively (good user experience), when translated into Javascript can turn into stack overflows, hanging browsers, and slow or unresponsive user interfaces (lousy user experience). Running these in PCs is usually OK because they have 3GB+ memory and "beefy" x86 Intel or AMD CPUs. Mobile devices have to make do with 2GB but usually 1GB or less and cheap, "wimpy" ARM CPUs.
I reckon mobile devices will get much better given enough time (a few years?). Perhaps Intel will eventually come out with some reasonably priced mobile "beefy" CPUs? Until then, mobile devices will be too limited for many of the demands that elearning makes of them and developers will be pushed to find workarounds such as replacing browser activities with apps and reducing the functionality of activities made for mobile browsers.
I waited until 2005 to get a laptop; the year in which entry level laptops became "useful." Let's see how long it takes for them to make "useful" mobile devices, e.g. have decent file management, can access everything on the web without the need for apps/conversion, etc.
Team, i have tried installing moodle in one of our server http://mydisha.org/expts/moodle
Web version works fine without any issues, but unable to login from windows mobile app. Kindly help me on this. Am not getting any error message either in the windows app
I have enabled all the necessary services in the backend.
Hi,
windows 8 and 11 buggy. The bit in the middle, inbetween:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inbetweeners
Windows 7-OK-ish...better.
Amen.
D
