Users have been reporting problems (Error message: problem when writing to data base) when using emojis in texts in Moodle forums, and using iPads.
Is this a known problem? I cannot reproduce the problem myself, and those are distance students so I cannot get hold of their equipment.
We are using Moodle 3.0.5
Hi Peter,
This is a known problem: https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-48228Thank you Dave!
I am going to be really cruel here and ask if the problem is with the emojis or the iPads? Crapple technologies seem to have their own ways of wanting to do things....
I am asking because I am suggesting that a school stays away from iPads, I feel they would be better off with 'droid technologies, so I am not being facetious, it is a genuine question. I don't want to be selling my prejudice, I want to be offering sound advice for the right reasons....
Following will be un-popular with Moodle faithful ... and along the lines of 'Trolling', but ....
"don't want to be selling my prejudice"
but ... "Crapple" .... "feel"?
"offering sound advice for the right reasons"
Moodle/Moodle App not the only game in town. Maybe advice should be including unbiased research/comparison (if one can find such) with Edmodo (other) as well. And an issue with 'emojis' being the determining factor (overall)????
Better approach might be to come to the realization that what counts the most is student engagement - what ever the OS/Device/LMS/CMS/Portal, etc..
2 cents!
'spirit of sharing', Ken
Nah, you're right Ken, I know I go a little over the top, but here, in Oz, it seems either we pay the Crapple endowment for seriously expensive stuff that can be equalled by other equipment at a cheaper rate but then we have to pay the Dark Side tax for education. After that, we have to cover either choice with the Adopey benefit for which we get a lot of tools that are of limited use to anyone not in the commercial sector. That is how it seems to me, anyway. We pay and pay, and get little in return which is why I get wound up when the people who make decisions don't bother to do any homework or consider any alternative. All I seem to do at times is to make myself unpopular by insisting that we at least consider the alternatives and not just buy into slick marketing campaigns or sales pitches. I lost one such battle and the school is now paying a huge price for it - seriously glad I am out of it - but really feel sorry for the kids who are now suffering because I lost it. (And that had nothing to do with either Crapple or the Dark Side that one...)
I think we best engage with imagination and challenge, forcing students to think outside the square, try new things. Moodle helps me do that, other tools don't. Yeah I tried Edmodo, and there are people who swear by it, but I am not one of them. I have been told that Moodle sucks because it is too complex. Also WikiSpaces, Cool Maths Games, etc are serious tools and so it goes (I though Carmen Sandiego was excellent history/geography tool). Some tell me that Google Docs are the best option and on and on and on. I suspect though that most teachers, parents, students, and so on are only using the laptop, the desktop, the iPad or tablet as a rather expensive pencil. The software and hardware companies, and ISPs, sprout a technology that is so full of glitz and glamour, we are so bedazzled we overlook the incredibly flimsy education returns we are actually getting from it. I question it all anyway.
I still want to get it right though....
So the focus has now changed (not really) to one of cost - not function ... which is more often than not the final determining factor (among others, as you have pointed out). And you should know, that's a factor for any school in any nation.
In my view of the 'crystal ball', which is just as cloudy as anyone, and from the perspective of one who used to teach Social Studies (History), am not sure anyone can 'get it right'. The final decision has to be made by those who pay the bill - and, let's hope they take into consideration what teachers *and* students say. The 'best tech' is the tech that will be used. Sometimes those 'lessons' have to be experienced and learned the hard way.
Am sure you'd agree that there has been a change when it comes to technology used in schools - one from top down to bottom up (personal tech). It's been interesting to watch the transition and have seen IT folks struggle with that. But it's not only happening in education, but corps as well.
Yes, all of 'them' (Apple, Alphabet, Mircrosoft, Amazon, Adobe, etc.) think in terms of 'silos' (Alphabet claiming to be 'less evil') . The 'trick' (which often cannot be attained 100%) is to get the most 'bang' for your (insert your monetory system here). Moodle certainly 'fits'.
IMHO, Moodle might need to be going more the direction of a 'portal' ... that's an old term ... in order to stay in the game with schools.
Errr ... we've kinda strayed from the topic of this ...
'spirit of sharing', Ken
The problem lies more with MySQL, and how it's configured - https://mathiasbynens.be/notes/mysql-utf8mb4
IIRC, Android recently added emoji support equivalent to iOS.
Thanks Dave, mmm wouldn't surprise me at all.... good link btw... very informative.
Thank you, great link!
