I DID find one thread on this subject but it was inconclusive. Is it possible to create a place where GLOBAL resources can be stored and linked to from any course? In my case I have two glossaries that I frequently update which are used in two courses. Currently we can only duplicate the glossary and try to remember to update one when we update the other. It would be VERY convenient if I could update the glossary and be confident that whoever goes there, from any course, will get the same content. Anyone have a stable fix for this problem?
Cheers.
Marc,
Hiding the resource will not only make it invisible, but will also effectively make it inaccessible for every student.
If you want to add resources to the frontpage to access them from other courses, add them to the Main Menu block and then hide this block using th eye icon. They will not show up on your frontpage, but they will remain accessible for every student.
Now for the difficult question:
Is this a feature or a bug ?
Bug. Hidden resources should never be available.
However, there should be a 'hidden but available' option to allow course designers flexibility to build context (linking to activities from within lesson, for instance) without providing confusing alternative views (an extension of the redundancy principle).
However, there should be a 'hidden but available' option to allow course designers flexibility to build context (linking to activities from within lesson, for instance) without providing confusing alternative views (an extension of the redundancy principle).
Thanks, Michael.
If bug, do you have a good solution to the problem of having to duplicate resources for every course? It would be very good for some of us if we had a folder where the resources could be accessed by all courses. I now must update multiple glossaries and duplicate various pages that I must update individually. A truly global resource set would be very useful. Perhaps your idea of a hidden but available option would do the trick.
If bug, do you have a good solution to the problem of having to duplicate resources for every course? It would be very good for some of us if we had a folder where the resources could be accessed by all courses. I now must update multiple glossaries and duplicate various pages that I must update individually. A truly global resource set would be very useful. Perhaps your idea of a hidden but available option would do the trick.
There is also MyFiles for file based resources.
Latest release:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=31943#182455
Latest release:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=31943#182455
Hi Jan,
I too have a need to have activities (not resources) that are linked to from other places (like Michael does, from within lessons, books, etc.) and I do NOT want them also visible on the course homepage (that adds to confusion in my opinion). I do this by adding activities to a "main menu" type block in my courses (the activities actually go into section 100), and then hiding the block. Until there is a "hidden but accessible" function for activities/resources, I do not want this "fixed".
Maybe the Main Menu block could have two "hide" options: 1. hide block, including all activities, and 2. hide block, but leave activities open.
I too have a need to have activities (not resources) that are linked to from other places (like Michael does, from within lessons, books, etc.) and I do NOT want them also visible on the course homepage (that adds to confusion in my opinion). I do this by adding activities to a "main menu" type block in my courses (the activities actually go into section 100), and then hiding the block. Until there is a "hidden but accessible" function for activities/resources, I do not want this "fixed".
Maybe the Main Menu block could have two "hide" options: 1. hide block, including all activities, and 2. hide block, but leave activities open.
回复Chardelle Busch
Re: Resources on frontpage, make them invisible but not hidden.
What a coincidence! I just went through the same exercise for a couple courses. I had to have some activities and resources that are within a course provided as links within another resource. I implemented this by using an extra block which is not visible (but not hidden). However, I find this quite an unsatisfactory solution since these courses have some 10 blocks and the resources/activities that belong together are far away. Not to mention multiple steps required to add a new resource.
I just added to Bugsbase something along the lines what you suggest BUT to control it at the activity/resource level: instead of having just eye open (courses available) and eye closed (course unvailable), we can have three possible states: available, hidden but active, hidden and inactive. The first and the last are what we have now.
This could work the same way it works with the three states of group setting (no group, group, forced group), thus no new technique to learn, just new icons. At the same time, it would allow us to have linkable resources/actvities within a course or globally without much pain.
It'd also eliminate the issue of listing that you mention further down this thread. The hidden resources would not show up in lists (for students) regardless whether they are active or not. I guess both would also show in gray for teachers/admins.
I just added to Bugsbase something along the lines what you suggest BUT to control it at the activity/resource level: instead of having just eye open (courses available) and eye closed (course unvailable), we can have three possible states: available, hidden but active, hidden and inactive. The first and the last are what we have now.
This could work the same way it works with the three states of group setting (no group, group, forced group), thus no new technique to learn, just new icons. At the same time, it would allow us to have linkable resources/actvities within a course or globally without much pain.
It'd also eliminate the issue of listing that you mention further down this thread. The hidden resources would not show up in lists (for students) regardless whether they are active or not. I guess both would also show in gray for teachers/admins.
Agreed it is a bug. (Bug 4770)
IMHO adding a hidden but available option is very likely to increase confusion.
Especially because the reason for adding this option is already awkward: to allow teachers to link to existing resources from inside activities. According to me, it would be better to add this functionality to Moodle in a less haphazard way. (I agree this would not be easy)
Hi Jan, we've found that having a plethora of resources available on the course page confuses the heck out students, the 7+or-2 principle, they get overloaded by the choices and have a hard time figuring out what to do first.
A solution is to present the course in a logical flow from one topic to another within a simple interface like that provided by lesson or book. However the problem comes in when the resources are available in multiple ways, the students again get confused. Hidden but available would allow course developers to build simple interfaces to rich collections of activities.
There may be a simpler/better way to accomplish this, but IMO something needs ot be done soon & it is better to confuse course developers than students (reducing your total support load to your course developers, presumably fewer of those than students).
A solution is to present the course in a logical flow from one topic to another within a simple interface like that provided by lesson or book. However the problem comes in when the resources are available in multiple ways, the students again get confused. Hidden but available would allow course developers to build simple interfaces to rich collections of activities.
There may be a simpler/better way to accomplish this, but IMO something needs ot be done soon & it is better to confuse course developers than students (reducing your total support load to your course developers, presumably fewer of those than students).
This makes sense, Michael. It is exactly those principles that has led me to the problem. As an educator I have found, both with my NIH public education on genetics project and for my students here at Pacific that SIMPLE and CLEAR is best. What I do, believe it or not, is have an opening screen with NO boxes at all, now news, events, calendars etc. All I have in big letters is WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? I then have a list of no more than 7 options. That's all. Folks have really responded to this. I can't seem to find a way to hide everything else and just have these options visible. I have to have the resoures visible below the menu to have them accessible in the menu, if you see what I mean... This is a separate but related problem to the global resources issue. Thanks again for your thoughtful responses to this thread.
Hello, Marc, since 2006, did you solve this issue of having activities that need to be hidden but active in order to make courses more "clear"?
I have two hyphotesis:
1. Metacourses
2. Groups.
I try the second but it doen't work, because all activities are open to all students, but the content is diferent; and it doen't work for the lesson;
The first its a little more serious because you will have several courses: but I am going to explore this.
Thanks António
I have two hyphotesis:
1. Metacourses
2. Groups.
I try the second but it doen't work, because all activities are open to all students, but the content is diferent; and it doen't work for the lesson;
The first its a little more serious because you will have several courses: but I am going to explore this.
Thanks António
For making resources invisible but not hidden, have a look at this: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Course_homepage#Make_your_course_home_page_look_more_like_a_regular_webpage
I agree about the simple interface, logical flow and not having multiple ways to get to the same resources.
As an example of what we are talking about here, I have Moodle install where I have pictures of faculty on the left side of the homepage that are links to their courses (webs), but I also have the same links in a category called Faculty & Administration. I would really like to hide this category, but have the courses still available...the duplication on the front of the site serves no purpose. See what I'm talking about at the link below. The hide, but make available option would solve this problem.
http://www.ekuprofessor.com/eportfolio/
Steve
Michael,
Perhaps I misunderstood. I thought you were suggesting adding three display options to every activity/resource:
hidden, but available for students if directly linked to from inside the lesson module / book module / a label / etc...
hidden and (thus) unavailable
visible and available
I now see that you were talking about the Main menu block. It should be possible to configure it to ....
hide the contents and make all activities/resources unavailable as well (because that's the way the eye icon behaves in course sections)
hide the contents but don't adapt the availability of the activities/resources in it.
I fully agree that adding resources/activities inside another module without having them clutter the course page should be possible. On our schoolsite I use the section 100 trick invented by Chardelle:
put a discussion forum inside section 100
put an assignment inside section 100
... they will not show up inside the course page, but now you can ...
add a html resource to a normal course section
link to the discussion forum from inside the html resource
(Something like ...Use this forum to discuss the pro / contra)link to the assignment from inside the html resource
(Something like ...Submit paper here)
I am not sure what happens when backup/restore are used on a course where some section numbers are skipped.
Any ideas on how one would go about solving this in a more permanent way?
It's strange that this should come up here (and now). I've been thinking over the last few days that what I could really do with is the equivalent of a "Main Menu" block in courses - in fact I was talking to Mike Churchward about this not half an hour ago.
No quite the same requirement as some of those above but it would be useful.
No quite the same requirement as some of those above but it would be useful.
You and Mike might want to look at our Course Menu block. It is not quite the same as Main Menu, but it does provide navigation through topics/weeks without scrolling. Add a 'create activity' link to it, and it might be what you are looking for.
Its in CVS/contrib or download http://cdc.humboldt.edu
Some info and screenshots:
http://learn.humboldt.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=8730&chapterid=1712
http://learn.humboldt.edu/mod/glossary/showentry.php?courseid=3765&concept=Control+Panel
Hi Michael,
Thanks for that. My understanding from my brief discussion is that the potential problem in courses other than the "course" on the site page is that the activity/resource must reside in a topic section somewhere - leading to Chardelle's "Topic 100" hack. I'm guessing that would be the same here...
A Social Activities block clone (with just the Add activity/resource elements) for Weekly/Topic format would perhaps be a better starting place than the porting the"Main Menu" block.
I've posted in the Blocks forum and I'm hoping that PJ will respond.
Cheers
Ray
Thanks for that. My understanding from my brief discussion is that the potential problem in courses other than the "course" on the site page is that the activity/resource must reside in a topic section somewhere - leading to Chardelle's "Topic 100" hack. I'm guessing that would be the same here...
A Social Activities block clone (with just the Add activity/resource elements) for Weekly/Topic format would perhaps be a better starting place than the porting the"Main Menu" block.
I've posted in the Blocks forum and I'm hoping that PJ will respond.
Cheers
Ray
Actually, I believe that the Social Activities block and the Main Menu block are similar in that they add activities/resources to section 0. So yes, they still go into a section. The activities have to go into some section (e.g. arbitrarily into section 100). Any ideas where else they could go?
Thanks for explaining this Chardelle,
I'd wondered where they were kept but had not switched a Social Format course to a Weekly / Topics format. Just tried that and it all makes perfect sense i.e. why allocate another section mumber.
To a non-programmer it appears a relatively simple matter to adopt this approach as standard for a block like this in courses (I suspect that changing the site main menu block to use sestion 100 would break lots of sites on upgrade).
I'd wondered where they were kept but had not switched a Social Format course to a Weekly / Topics format. Just tried that and it all makes perfect sense i.e. why allocate another section mumber.
To a non-programmer it appears a relatively simple matter to adopt this approach as standard for a block like this in courses (I suspect that changing the site main menu block to use sestion 100 would break lots of sites on upgrade).
Hmmm, I really don't know all about the intricacies of this, but I have been using a second "Main Menu" block on a site front page using section 100 for quite some time and haven't had any problems on upgrade.
We somehow need to create the ability to have: 1. A hidden but accessible section--Activities/Resources that go into a section that is hidden from the course homepage, but are still accessible. 2. A block section--A section(s) of activities/resources that appear in a block and not on the course homepage.
The blocks I use take care of this, but in a very unelegant way. One of the problems is: How should they appear in the index pages? I really don't like having them appear in Topic 100. So I have changed the way the index pages look. I would like to be able to give sections (Topics) names other than 1, 2, or be able to organize the index pages in another way.
We somehow need to create the ability to have: 1. A hidden but accessible section--Activities/Resources that go into a section that is hidden from the course homepage, but are still accessible. 2. A block section--A section(s) of activities/resources that appear in a block and not on the course homepage.
The blocks I use take care of this, but in a very unelegant way. One of the problems is: How should they appear in the index pages? I really don't like having them appear in Topic 100. So I have changed the way the index pages look. I would like to be able to give sections (Topics) names other than 1, 2, or be able to organize the index pages in another way.
I'm interested in the course menu block you mention above but the provided link leads to a default apache page on the server. Could you possibly post a direct link?
--Ron Wright ~ Director of Information Technology ~ LSU@Eunice
"If you want to add resources to the frontpage to access them from other courses, add them to the Main Menu block and then hide this block using th eye icon. They will not show up on your frontpage, but they will remain accessible for every student."
It is good, but if I use this block with some visible resources?
"Two "hide" options"... I think it is not very good solution...
Is it possible to add link in block "Administration" in all courses with name, for example "Auxiliary resources/activities". On this page only admin and teachers can add resources and activities which available for students. Students can't view this link. Is it good solution? Is it difficult in realization?
It is good, but if I use this block with some visible resources?
"Two "hide" options"... I think it is not very good solution...
Is it possible to add link in block "Administration" in all courses with name, for example "Auxiliary resources/activities". On this page only admin and teachers can add resources and activities which available for students. Students can't view this link. Is it good solution? Is it difficult in realization?
On my courses i have a forum to use on many steps (a project forum). I need to organize many theads , one thread for each step.
Students typically create new threads OUT of the designed threads by me, i want to hide the forum itself and create many links directly to theads avoiding the users freedom to create new threads, but if i hide the forum, the forum be considered "deactivated" and the links will not functional.