Hi, this is a bit of a noob question, I am using Moodle 1.9.10 (ipage sets the limit)
I want to create and manage a series of simple quizzes for my team and need a simple, easy to navigate front end to allow them to log-in and start a quiz with as few clicks as possible.
Can anyone point me to the setup I need to put in place?
(Apologies for the new thread, searching for the solution in the forum felt like a meedle in the haystack)
Thanks in advance,
Simon.
The Moodle quiz engine is designed to be powerful and flexible and so presents many options and so it is not trivial to learn. It is not hugely complex either, but you won't learn it in half an hour, but you can learn the essentials in a few hours.
The other problem is that Moodle 1.9.10 is 5 years old, and so is out of support. This means that security issues are no longer being fixed by HQ and new developments are not being added. With reference to your question this means you will not be getting the improvements to the Quiz interface that have been added to the 2.X series. A nice example of what you will miss is the ability to re-order questions using Ajax Drag and Drop technology. I don't know what iPage is by the way.
You might look at some of the SCORM editing packages if your quiz requirements are modest and brute simplicity is the number 1 priority. However over many years of playing with SCORM tools I have have found them all lovely to start with followed by a world of pain and disappointment.
Hi Marcus,
thanks for taking the time to reply to my question. I am using a hosting platform (ipage) which restricts me to this version. (I am already using them for my website) . the Moodle system is adequate for my needs, but is a bit convoluted when it comes to presentation, hence my question....
Simon.
I am wondering if your situation (simple and easy, small team, and you know moodle a little) might be a situation where buying a hosted server and using a one-click moodle install might be best for you, at this point in time.
For around $5US/month, there are many companies that provide the ability to run the latest version of Moodle. For example, I have an experimental version of Moodle running on a GoDaddy hosted server for under $5/month.
Depending upon your knowledge, on many of these hosted servers you can choose to install Moodle with a "one-click" easy install, or install Moodle manually from scratch. I prefer from scratch, but the one-click method is quick, yet often less flexible.
These hosted server systems are known to be somewhat variable in how fast Moodle works, but for a small moodle, they should be fine.
Hi Rick,
i really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my question. I am already using iPage to host my website, so it seemed sensible to use the same supplier to host my moodle instance, only later did i realise the restriction on the version.
I have created three quizzes, but getting them presented in an easy to access method is proving difficult.
Might you be able to provide us a screen shot of what you have so that we can see what you call "difficult?" Or have you not created anything yet and are searching here for simple approaches?
In Moodle, one simple approach, for example, is to have three links (one for each quiz) at the very top of your moodle course.
Some hosting companies (I don't know about iPage) will provide a rebate for unused months. Or some folks might consider their previous costs as "sunk costs." So at some point in time, if having the latest version of moodle becomes a factor, consider changing companies. One thing that I really like about the current Moodle is that it is designed as "responsive," meaning that it adapts to people who might want to view your course on their tablet or cell phone.
Thanks. I would make one course, and upon entering this course, the student would see it as the graphic shows below. This was done in Moodle 1.9. I including some block that I think you might want in your courses, for illustration purposes.
For True/False, Multiple Choice questions, Moodle can't be beat!
After a student logs into your moodle, in two clicks they are doing a quiz (on click on the course, the second one on the quiz.)
Hi Robert,
thanks for taking the time to reply to my question. Can you give me some clues around the 'MyMoodle' option?
I'm not quite sure I'm understanding what the question is. If the users all need to take several quizzes, I would:
Create a course in Moodle.
Set it to allow self-registration and / or guest access.
Add the quizzes.
If each user will only do one or two quizzes, I might make separate courses and set each as a "single activity" format course, so each course consists of nothing but one quiz.
As was mentioned, there have been tens of thousands of improvements since Moodle 1.9. I can't imagine launching anything new and choosing to use a version that old. I understand that your ipage's $2 hosting account doesn't have a newer version installed. It might be that your needs would be better met by spending $10 for "real" hosting from a business web host like Amerinoc or whoever.
Some of our discussion with Simon raises the issue of whether or not Simon has not found the quiz question types, or the style of a moodle quiz, not meeting his needs. I always tend to think about true/false, multiple choice, etc. types of questions. But maybe Simon's needs are different. Simon, your thoughts?
Wow, i am struggling to keep up with the amazing number of suggestions! Much appreciated....
The 'My Moodle' option gets me closer to the look of the interface i want for my team. (Thanks Robert)
Now I think I need to create a course to home my quizzes. However, can anyone tell me how I managed to create three quizzes in the 'Main Menu' area?
Is there some trick I need to know to get them into a course?
To answer your question Rick, i am mostly using True/False & Multiple choice questions.
I just want to thank those good enough to provide help & suggestions with my problem.
The result of all you advice is a solution which very much gives me what I wanted - thanks...
Simon
