Matt Riordan's manual is invaluable, essential, clear, cool but sadly I also find a little impenetrable - the lack of page numbers and no table of contacnts make it hard to use as a reference book.
I have reformatted it and saved as a PDF - but it is 3230Kb - any way i can post it up?
Steve
Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Number of replies: 27
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Alex Brown -
Hi Steve
Any chance of sending us a copy of this? We have a moodle meeting next week. Shame to print out copies of the existing version, if yours suddenly becomes available with page numbers and index.
Alex Brown
In reply to Alex Brown
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In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Paul Andrews -
Lo Fella.
I can pop it into the files dir on our Moodle front page - this way anyone can DL it if they have the URL - no login needed.
In reply to Paul Andrews
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Thanks Paul - I'll send it to you and if you could post up the link that'd be good - unsuprisingly there's some demand!
Cheers
Steve
Cheers
Steve
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Paul Andrews -
No worries! I'll post the URL as soon as it's up.
In reply to Paul Andrews
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Alex Brown -
Everyday I look. 
Many thanks to Richard Riles who has posted this up:
http://www.jeff-davis.k12.ga.us/~rryles/moodle_teacher-manual.pdf
Hope it helps some of you guys out, no change to text, just formatting.
Yours
Steve
http://www.jeff-davis.k12.ga.us/~rryles/moodle_teacher-manual.pdf
Hope it helps some of you guys out, no change to text, just formatting.
Yours
Steve
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by A. H. -
Hi steve
the link for this manual isnt working. Where can i get this manual from? Are there any manuals available other than the manual for the 1.4 version?
Thanx
the link for this manual isnt working. Where can i get this manual from? Are there any manuals available other than the manual for the 1.4 version?
Thanx
In reply to A. H.
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Just sorting out some personal webspce and I'll post it up with new link v. shortly.
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Sorry for the long delay here - I have made the printable moodle manuals available on my webspace here:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/wrightst/
I for one find I *really* need a printable set of documentation and while I recognise the value of a wiki it's next to useless on a train/in a staff room/as a handout!
Steve
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/wrightst/
I for one find I *really* need a printable set of documentation and while I recognise the value of a wiki it's next to useless on a train/in a staff room/as a handout!
Steve
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Ghassan Geara -
Anyone has an idea where can i find a Moodle 1.5.3 Manual for teachers?
Should there be a big difference between 1.5.3 options and the Moodle 1.4 Teacher Manual of Matt Riordan?
Thx
In reply to Ghassan Geara
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Some differences as far as I can see but overall similar - this remains my BIG issue with the Wiki approach and removing manuals - where is the printable/integrated version?
Obvious remedy would be a PDF/print export from the Wiki, will we see one?
I'd recommend Bryan Williams manual as best printable one - http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/wrightst/moodle/Moodle_1.4.3_For_Teachers_and_Trainers.pdf
Hope to see an equivalent for 1.5.3 soon!
Obvious remedy would be a PDF/print export from the Wiki, will we see one?
I'd recommend Bryan Williams manual as best printable one - http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/wrightst/moodle/Moodle_1.4.3_For_Teachers_and_Trainers.pdf
Hope to see an equivalent for 1.5.3 soon!
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Helen Foster -
Hi Steve,
Please let me know if you'd like your version of Matt Riordan's manual added to Moodle Docs Moodle manuals.
Please let me know if you'd like your version of Matt Riordan's manual added to Moodle Docs Moodle manuals.
In reply to Helen Foster
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Would be good - was suprised these weren't added as is/aren't possible or easy to find legacy printable manuals - download link in this thread.
Steve
Steve
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Faustino Piedra -
Dear Steve
I really apreciate your helped, Thanks a lot.
Faustino
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Martin Dougiamas -
I've never been good with reference books, I just don't think that way. I like full-text search too much! 
We have talked before about offering Moodle Docs as a downloadable .zip, and I believe it'll happen as soon as we can work out a decent format/process. This page offers some direction.
You can load it on your laptop/pda and read it on the train that way.
We have talked before about offering Moodle Docs as a downloadable .zip, and I believe it'll happen as soon as we can work out a decent format/process. This page offers some direction.
You can load it on your laptop/pda and read it on the train that way.
In reply to Martin Dougiamas
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
I'm starting to really like the Wiki - especially with the Firefox search plugin, BUT...
I'm the 'techie' here for setting up distance learning to be run through moodle and am getting used to it (though i still have the printed manual I have put up on my site open on my desk) so it's fine for me - for the teachers on courses I'm setting up it WILL NOT be used. They want printed manuals and print out everything I give, and have demanded word versions of animated (Captivate) demos etc. For support at trainign events and distribution to anyone who couldn't be there and just for sheer ease of making notes and being able to use/refer to anywhere without a PDA (which I don't own) or a luggable laptop etc. nothing beats paper (IMHO).
The DFWIKI documentation route looks nice - collaborative building but with a PDF export (assuming I understand it correctly) and I'd love to see this as an export feature for moodle docs wiki. However the move to wiki only documentation, and removal of printable manuals feels to me as though techies who are completely at ease with PDA's/laptops for everything are directing this - irrespective of many users who prefer paper copies/manuals for reference. That this need exists is somewhat evidenced by replies to this thread and downloads of the out-of-date manual I have posted up...
Support and documentation are critical considerations when choosing a VLE - I've succeeded in getting Moodle adopted here but the lack of any printable manuals now greatly increases teacher dependance on my skills alone (so no holidays???) as searching a wiki through firefox is just never going to happen (Firefox is non-standard, posting to a forum in the training course was a major achievement and step into the unknown for most of the tutors). So I can attempt to go through and select pages from the Wiki and print them off and put together a manual - but it feels like re-inventing the wheel or a neater solution to meet this demand is needed.
I'll be interested to see if anyone supports or violently objects to this view, and how to progress it if supported widely...?
I'm the 'techie' here for setting up distance learning to be run through moodle and am getting used to it (though i still have the printed manual I have put up on my site open on my desk) so it's fine for me - for the teachers on courses I'm setting up it WILL NOT be used. They want printed manuals and print out everything I give, and have demanded word versions of animated (Captivate) demos etc. For support at trainign events and distribution to anyone who couldn't be there and just for sheer ease of making notes and being able to use/refer to anywhere without a PDA (which I don't own) or a luggable laptop etc. nothing beats paper (IMHO).
The DFWIKI documentation route looks nice - collaborative building but with a PDF export (assuming I understand it correctly) and I'd love to see this as an export feature for moodle docs wiki. However the move to wiki only documentation, and removal of printable manuals feels to me as though techies who are completely at ease with PDA's/laptops for everything are directing this - irrespective of many users who prefer paper copies/manuals for reference. That this need exists is somewhat evidenced by replies to this thread and downloads of the out-of-date manual I have posted up...
Support and documentation are critical considerations when choosing a VLE - I've succeeded in getting Moodle adopted here but the lack of any printable manuals now greatly increases teacher dependance on my skills alone (so no holidays???) as searching a wiki through firefox is just never going to happen (Firefox is non-standard, posting to a forum in the training course was a major achievement and step into the unknown for most of the tutors). So I can attempt to go through and select pages from the Wiki and print them off and put together a manual - but it feels like re-inventing the wheel or a neater solution to meet this demand is needed.
I'll be interested to see if anyone supports or violently objects to this view, and how to progress it if supported widely...?
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Dan Stowell -
Steve - I strongly agree with you that printable manuals should be produced as part of this Moodle documentation project.
What I would love to see is some feature of the centralised wiki where people (admins only?) could define a printable output composed of a certain set of the wiki pages in a certain order. PDFs should automatically be generated from that defined set. This would mean that the printable documentation could be as up-to-date as the wiki.
I've never directly worked with MediaWiki so I don't know how pie-in-the-sky this is. Can anyone tell us if this is already a feature/add-in of MediaWiki?
What I would love to see is some feature of the centralised wiki where people (admins only?) could define a printable output composed of a certain set of the wiki pages in a certain order. PDFs should automatically be generated from that defined set. This would mean that the printable documentation could be as up-to-date as the wiki.
I've never directly worked with MediaWiki so I don't know how pie-in-the-sky this is. Can anyone tell us if this is already a feature/add-in of MediaWiki?
In reply to Dan Stowell
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
Dan, glad I'm not alone - the benefits of community update of a wiki are clear compared to a static manual, but it's the export/single priantable 'snapshot' that would be really useful.
From what I understand, this is the aim of the dfwiki 'wikibook' - to enable single, structured export of the contents of the Wiki as HTML (initially) and in the future other formats (PDF etc.). Of course with a media=print css style sheet attached the HTML export should be ideal, For more info on this see Ludo's thread here http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=37951 and an example here;
http://appserv.lsi.upc.es/palangana/moodle/course/view.php?id=40&page=Wiki%20Book%20(V)&gid=0
So not pie-in-the-sky for dfwiki it would seem (bit some way off) - but not sure about mediawiki?
What do others think about this - is it ripe for adding to suggestions/requests for moodle docs?
From what I understand, this is the aim of the dfwiki 'wikibook' - to enable single, structured export of the contents of the Wiki as HTML (initially) and in the future other formats (PDF etc.). Of course with a media=print css style sheet attached the HTML export should be ideal, For more info on this see Ludo's thread here http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=37951 and an example here;
http://appserv.lsi.upc.es/palangana/moodle/course/view.php?id=40&page=Wiki%20Book%20(V)&gid=0
So not pie-in-the-sky for dfwiki it would seem (bit some way off) - but not sure about mediawiki?
What do others think about this - is it ripe for adding to suggestions/requests for moodle docs?
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Ghassan Geara -
Hi Steve,
Concerning Matt Riordan's manual, u wrote:
I have reformatted it and saved as a PDF
Do u have it in Microsoft Word format?
Can u send it to me or post it here?
Here at AUB, we need it badly so we could customize it according to our needs:
- Change many snapshots and put ours
- Divide the manual into 2: Moodle Basic and Moodle Advanced.
Ur idea of a printable format directly from MoodleDocs wikis is great!
We definitely need a way where we can print a teacher/student manual covering the topic/version we need. We should be able to choose the pages to include in this customized manual: which modules/features and for which version of Moodle (1.5.3? 1.6? ...)
Peace and good will to all ..moodlerskind 
In reply to Ghassan Geara
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Steve Wright -
I've posted it up in Word format at the address given earlier in this thread - hope its of use/help.
Please post your developments publicly as well once completed to help us all and contribute to Moodle Wiki - hopefully a printable version of that will be developed in due course (wich I was techie-enough to help out on it!)
Please post your developments publicly as well once completed to help us all and contribute to Moodle Wiki - hopefully a printable version of that will be developed in due course (wich I was techie-enough to help out on it!)
In reply to Steve Wright
Re: Moodle documentation: Moodle Manual with page numbers and TOC
by Faustino Piedra -
Dear Steve
Thanks a lot, and maybe later I´m going ask again, I already fixed my firts trouble.
Faustino
Hi there,
in dfwikiteam we have been working on a way to provide a structured way to brownse the contents of a wiki... Its called wikibook. A wikibook is an activity binded to a (df)wiki, the teacher is able to create a tree index, place metadata to propose a reading order for the wiki pages. We have still in dev but in the cvs contrib/dfwiki/itinerary is the code. You may use it along the last stable version of dfwiki.
A demo with contents in catalan ( sorry no time for more) is avaiable here
Ludo's dfwiki Wikibook demo
Hope you like it. Now we are working on a way to export the wikibook to pdf, static html and other formats.
Regards
Ludo
in dfwikiteam we have been working on a way to provide a structured way to brownse the contents of a wiki... Its called wikibook. A wikibook is an activity binded to a (df)wiki, the teacher is able to create a tree index, place metadata to propose a reading order for the wiki pages. We have still in dev but in the cvs contrib/dfwiki/itinerary is the code. You may use it along the last stable version of dfwiki.
A demo with contents in catalan ( sorry no time for more) is avaiable here
Ludo's dfwiki Wikibook demo
Hope you like it. Now we are working on a way to export the wikibook to pdf, static html and other formats.
Regards
Ludo
Hi Ludo,
This really sounds like an excellent development - am watching with keen interest. Would I be right in putting together the following developments with DFWiki:
1 - It's going to be the new 'standard' moodle wiki module (once current dev and code cleanup is complete).
2 - There will be a seamless import function from other wikis including old moodle wiki activity and other wikis (including media wiki?)
3 - Once wikibook is complete there will be a seamless export function to a structured linear printable pdf (or other easily printed format).
Hmmm, doesn't this combo sound like maybe moodledocs could in the future be hosted on imported from media wiki (current format), hosted on moodle.org moodle-based site and include the export function for a printable version fo the most recent version of documentation - thus solving all the issues in this thread?
No that would be fantastic!
This really sounds like an excellent development - am watching with keen interest. Would I be right in putting together the following developments with DFWiki:
1 - It's going to be the new 'standard' moodle wiki module (once current dev and code cleanup is complete).
2 - There will be a seamless import function from other wikis including old moodle wiki activity and other wikis (including media wiki?)
3 - Once wikibook is complete there will be a seamless export function to a structured linear printable pdf (or other easily printed format).
Hmmm, doesn't this combo sound like maybe moodledocs could in the future be hosted on imported from media wiki (current format), hosted on moodle.org moodle-based site and include the export function for a printable version fo the most recent version of documentation - thus solving all the issues in this thread?
No that would be fantastic!
Yeah,
its pityfull that the moodle documentation project is hosted with a non moodle tool. But let's face it rigth now mediawiki is a damm good wiki tool, its markup language more complete and it's been widely tested. It's hitback is the ABSOLUTE lack of integration with moodle.
In order to make things easy we are going to improve our markups to meed mediawiki standard, and set up a mediawiki import tool, so if moodle want's to import the whole wikipedia to a dfwiki it would be possible and painless..
Right now I'm succeeding in getting some structure to suport dfwiki project and other related ( like internalmail and wikibook) tha'ts why I'm not as often as I like arround here.
Best regards
Ludo
its pityfull that the moodle documentation project is hosted with a non moodle tool. But let's face it rigth now mediawiki is a damm good wiki tool, its markup language more complete and it's been widely tested. It's hitback is the ABSOLUTE lack of integration with moodle.
In order to make things easy we are going to improve our markups to meed mediawiki standard, and set up a mediawiki import tool, so if moodle want's to import the whole wikipedia to a dfwiki it would be possible and painless..
Right now I'm succeeding in getting some structure to suport dfwiki project and other related ( like internalmail and wikibook) tha'ts why I'm not as often as I like arround here.
Best regards
Ludo
Hey Ludo.
Your work on the dfwiki is well noted and it is shaping up to be a brilliant module.
Has it been included in 1.6? When would you say it would be stable for production?
Your work on the dfwiki is well noted and it is shaping up to be a brilliant module.
Has it been included in 1.6? When would you say it would be stable for production?
Yes, it looks like the running joke about Apple: selling the best computers in the world, but doing the administration on a machine of a different brand.
I think documentation should move to dfWiki - the sooner the better.
.. and Perth could help a little to make it fitt earlier/better