Google's Summer of Code

Google's Summer of Code

by Martin Dougiamas -
Number of replies: 10
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
See Google's Summer of Code - Mentoring FAQ  :

The mentoring organization must do the following:

  • Create a pool of ideas for students to choose from.
  • Have a person available to take in student ideas should they not find something that appeals to them.
  • Have a person available to review the incoming applications marked for that organization and decide who should go forward with the effort.
  • Have a person to monitor the progress of the students and mentor them as the project goes forward.
  • Have a person ready to take over for that person in the event they go on vacation, are hit by a bus, etc...
  • Be able to tell us about the developer, how they worked with the group, if they should be invited back should we do another summer of code, etc..

My time is not going to be very good this "summer", so I can't do all this myself, but I would like to sign us up if I thought that the developer community in general was able to handle all the mentoring and reporting side of things via these forums.  I can correspond with Google and handle the incoming applications.

If this is possible, what kinds of small projects do you think we could create for the pool?  I would like to restrict us to nicely-contained and well-defined projects like blocks or modules, projects that once written could be easily included in Moodle and maintained by all of us.  I do not want to let students work on core stuff or projects that involve changes all over Moodle (like conditional activities, or roles, say).

Here's a starting idea (these are 2-month projects, remember):
  1. Develop PHP code to convert all current language packs and existing Moodle content into Unicode

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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by Michael Penney -
There are some good suggestions for new assignment types in Darren's assignment plug-in ideas. Assignment types and quiz question types seem perfect for a two month cycle.

A couple things we've been requested of for quiz is an option to let students add comments to multiple choice questions, and of course manual grading of questions.

For more ambitious projects, a start of an online theme editor (something like autotheme for Postnuke) would be nice, even just something that let you edit style colors and maybe logo images from a form.

Updating the WebCT importer would be a nice thing, also.

I could certainly mentor a few students this summer (and perhaps some of my students who are working on Moodle projects would be eligible?).





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In reply to Michael Penney

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by koen roggemans -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Translators
converting the exercise to an assignement plugin
converting the book to a resource
create a script that parses an uploaded textfile to enter items in the calender
create report plugins so the quiz can be used for questionnaires (" if you want to ask your students a question, use a quiz"- logic)
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In reply to koen roggemans

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by W Page -

QUOTE
"converting the exercise to an assignement plugin" by Ken Roggemans
Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

What about just making activities optionally "plugable" into an assignment and/or lesson?? ==> As well as stand alone??

WP1

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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by Grigory Rubtsov -
An idea is to implement syntax highlighting filter, useful for computer language teaching. It can be based on geshi, for example.
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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by Eloy Lafuente (stronk7) -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Some quick ideas rounding my head:

  1. Add metadata support (LOM could be fine and it's standard) to backup files. This include:
  • Frontend to enter metadata in the course config page.
  • Database objects to store it.
  • Insert such metadata (XML) in the backup file.
  • View metadata option (from DB and from backup files).
  • Load metadata from backup file to DB in the restore process.


This could be expanded in the future to create a metadata repository, course repository, integration with other DMS/repositories or whatever we'll be able to imagine. cool

  1. Add support for a preliminary RPC interface. A good application could be to implement, for example, IMS-Enterprise services within Moodle.

  2. One simple poll block to be used against/with the choice module. It shouldn't be complex but it will allow to do 1-click™ polls. The possibility to pick randomly a poll from a list of hidden choices (every day one different poll) could be interesting too, I think.

  3. Adapt current forum module to become a bugs system. It has been discussed tons of times in these forums and, perhaps, it could be a good project to do under Summer of Code.

  4. Create and document a final, updated, MODULETEMPLATE for Moodle 1.5. It should include all the requirements and standard functions available, explaining their objectives and characteristics.

  5. Course formats. Uhm, it could be a great experience to build a Flash based course format where everything in the course main page happens in a fluid, animated way. Amazing and a different type of development! Other formats will be welcome, sure! Just dreaming a bit.

  6. Build a text filter able to autolink phases to external links. It could be used to build a lot of custom filters that are required in a a lot of different teaching strategies. This should include:

  • A DB structure (basically: courseid, sourceid, phrase to link, link to build).
  • The frontend to import and modify such info.
  • The possibility of specify different link styles per courseid and/or sourceid
  • The filter itself.

And that's all (for now tongueout). Now my head is absolutely empty so, it's a good time to go to sleep. big grin

Ciao smile

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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code - too late

by Martin Dougiamas -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
Unfortunately we were too late to get accepted as a project - we'll have to be quicker next year!
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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code - too late

by N Hansen -
I think this was rather underhanded of Google. They handpicked the projects that are participating before the public announcement. There's no way one could reasonably expect to announce something on May 31 and expect sponsoring organizations to apply by the next day. It's like they felt compelled to make it look like it was open to any project but made it almost impossible for it to be open to any project. Why not try asking the Open Source Fund for some funding? It seems to be a little more "open."
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In reply to N Hansen

Re: Google's Summer of Code - too late

by Martin Dougiamas -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
To be fair, it's their money and they can do what they want with it.  It's still a terrific project and I applaud them.

For Moodle there are many other things on the burner anyway.
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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by Joan Queralt -
I have 2 desires( =modules) for enforce Moodle:
  1. blogs for students. A system of course blogs where teachers can monitorize the advance of students. In addition, could they be publics (for other courses) or no, depending on teacher?
  2. portfolio: I know it can be done with "files", but I'm thinking in something more complex, with a way that teachers and students can manage easily their works and assesments.
Sorry for my English blush
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In reply to Joan Queralt

Re: Google's Summer of Code

by Ravi Aranke -
We might be a little late for Summer of Code. But I will have 3 students who want to work as interns for a period of 6 months starting July. This is nothing to do with Google project - the interns need to do a project for their degree requirement.

I am ready to sign up as their mentor and I have chosen 'moodle' as a project on which we want to work. Though I don't know much of moodle yet, I plan to fix that in June smile

We know the LAMP stack and are looking for 'bite sized projects' which we can do in next 6 months. Ideally, it should involve some part designing and building a functionality from scratch.

Looking through this thread has already given me some ideas on where we could work. Then there is also the idea of 'moodle health center'. If there is an updated list of stuff that we could take a crack at, that would be great.

Any help/pointers you have are much appreciated.

Regards,
Ravi Aranke
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