Sorted forum digests?

Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -
Number of replies: 13

We have students that are enrolled in more than one course. They are getting a forum digest that mixes messages from both courses together.

a) is there a setting I could set that would fix this? (Yes, I've looked and googled...feeling sad that I haven't found one. Hoping there is one.)

b) if not a, then is there a plugin that will fix it?

c) if not b, then can anyone tell me where the file is that generates the digest?


My hope is that this will be easy to fix. If not, I'm hoping that I can find a way to add a sort on the results...but this may not even be possible. It would be very helpful to the students...

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Andrew Lyons -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi Lisa,

I'm afraid that there is no setting for this at the moment. I haven't had a chance to check whether there is any open feature request for this, but I don't recall seeing one.

This is currently generated in mod/forum/lib.php in the forum_cron() function, but I am currently rewriting the forum mail processing functionality in MDL-46881 which will make this easier to change in the future.

Andrew

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In reply to Andrew Lyons

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

Thank you, Andrew!

And thank you for your hard work on this. I took a look at the function and think my crew will just have to wait for your update. I *hate* the idea of editing the core anyway. If it was as simple as adding a sort...maybe. I think I see where that might be done, but it also looks like there are several other aligned connections that (knowing me) I'd likely get mixed up.

So I'll stay out of where I don't belong and tell them to live with it. (grin)

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

By the way -- if you think it would help if I added a feature request for it, let me know. I'm happy to do the write up. I'm new enough that you might have to point me to the best place to make that request, though.

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Andrew Lyons -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Hi Lisa,

That would be really helpful - thank you!

Andrew

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In reply to Andrew Lyons

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

Andrew -- sorry. I tried multiple times today to add that issue. I created an account, searched through existing issues, then tried to add one. It said I had to follow some, so I went back and followed some (all marked as closed, none I could vote for) and still it would not let me create the issue.

I'm beyond frustrated right now, especially since I've seen that this has been requested before.

Sorry. I seem incapable of getting through the issue tracker.

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

I know that this might seem like a very complex method to some, but I will suggest it anyway.

Consider using the email client's capability to automatically put emails into folders based upon "Subject." Moodle (I believe) will always use the course title as the subject.  So when an email comes from "XYZ123" the email client can put these messages into the "XYZ123" inbox.

Yes, this does involve knowing how to set up your email client's filtering.  And yes, this does involve having Moodle send out individual forum emails instead of digest.  But it is a solution.  (I mention this because it is what I happen to be doing.)

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

I like the idea of it.

Unfortunately, I'm dealing with some very technically challenged users who rely on the digest view. A couple of our classes generate MANY emails each day and we've had users who fly into a panic at the site of that many emails at once. I have even had one student threaten to drop out before I showed her the digest.

Most of our students only take one class at a time, so they are not affected. It is only those who take two at once that find themselves in this situation. I think we'll wait for a less intrusive solution. It seems like running a sort on the emails before assembling the digest shouldn't bee this hard...but I see that it is.

So we'll wait...

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

Yes, I understand.  Some people struggle with separating white cloths from dark when they do their laundry.

You would probably have to make a very detailed video for students.  I have yet to do this, but I do have a video that describes switching to "digest."

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

Rick,

If you read the emails that I've received from students just today...you'd laugh and say, "no...maybe not."

Darks from lights...naaa. Just dump 'em all in with soap and hope for the best. (Grin) I also have a tutorial for switching to digest. With some of these classes...that's just a MUST.

I think I mentioned earlier that I had one student want to quit because there were too many emails. It was better after I switched the person to digest.

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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

Yes, the number of emails depends upon 1) the number of students, and 2) the number of required posts.

In one of my courses, I have about 80 students and 8 posts per week required per student.  They can post more.

So, this is about 650 emails per week from this one course.

I accumulate these emails from three courses into one mailbox.  For the three courses, I get about 1000 per week.

My role is the instructor.  I use the emails to "gauge" what is going on.  But I actually read these within the forums.  So the emails I tend to quickly browse and delete.  This one inbox also accumulates other emails, too.

Well, its a combination of software that makes this work.

I still appreciate that it is difficult for students to manage, especially without help.

Oh, I think that you can set the default for emails to "digest" if you think this will help.

One more thought... Many administrators like big courses, like 250 students, and they like a lot of "discussions" like 20 per student per day.  Obviously, these administrators need some education.  (One solution is to make the administrator be responsible for reading and replying to posts.) 

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

I am evil. I want the instructors to read and reply to student's posts. I prefer to read inside the forums as well. The posts generally just remind me if I've forgotten to check in. (Grin)

I had thought about switching to digest by default, but that would make the not-sorted email issue even worse for the students who really can't handle their peas and their meat touching. I love that Moodle gives students the option, because some can't live without digest and some can't live with it. (grin)


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In reply to Lisa Norman

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

Great!  I have found that the key to reading forum posts is to keep up with them.  It's like reading the newspaper every day.  I also spread out due dates so that all of the posts do not arrive on one day.

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Sorted forum digests?

by Lisa Norman -

I find that refreshingly good thinking. Shocking how many folks don't think that way. Years ago I was in a company that had rotating deadlines. Yet somehow everyone would always think in terms of "week" or "month" so it never failed ... we'd be at the end of the month and there'd be this huge "crunch" to make a "deadline" that made no sense.


Spreading them out is good for both students and teachers. Now...if the students would only cooperate. LOL

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