Hi Gordon,
I'm trying to use the "student feedback" functionality and I have a couple of questions.
First, what is the difference between the 'web page' and the 'feedback form' modality? Since the feature 'student feedback' entails that the student will have to write something to the professor, as opposed to receive feedback, this means that the web page will have to incorporate some kind of form for the student to write something. That, as far as I can tell, would be equivalent to a 'feedback form'. I don't understand why both options are included.
Also is there already some kind of feedback form incorporated in the module or users are supposed to make their own?
Concerning the forum alternative, I see that if the student clicks on 'send a message to the professor', s/he is taken to the page where all the course forums are listed. That's good but I would like to take the student directly inside of a specific forum devoted to questions and answers about HotPot exercises. I suppose this would be rather simple as it would only entail introducing the specific URL for the forum inside one of the files in the HotPot module. Could you tell me which file I would have to modify to point the student to a specific forum?
A similar question. I would like to change the message 'Send a message to the teacher' to something different. Where does this text live? I've done a search within mod/hotpot looking for this string of text and it has yielded nothing. What file should I modify so that a different message appears?
Thanks in advance.
Josep M.
Sorry, I forgot that there is a very useful button with a question mark that one must click first when he wants to get help. I see the difference between 'web page' and 'feedback form' now: they are two different types of forms.
I haven't been able to find answers for my other questions, though.
By the way, I've found an alternative use of the 'web page' feedback modality which I share in case someone finds it useful. You create a 'feedback' activity with the fields you need (using the wonderful little module created by Andreas Grabs: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=40943) and then introduce the URL for the feedback in the field for 'web page'.
Josep M.
I haven't been able to find answers for my other questions, though.
By the way, I've found an alternative use of the 'web page' feedback modality which I share in case someone finds it useful. You create a 'feedback' activity with the fields you need (using the wonderful little module created by Andreas Grabs: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=40943) and then introduce the URL for the feedback in the field for 'web page'.
Josep M.
Hi Josep
thanks for your questions. My responses appear below.
- what is the difference between the 'web page' and the 'feedback form' modality?
As you have discovered, the "web page" can be a link to any kind of a page: it could be a static, display-only page, or it could be a form which students fill out and then send off to a cgi script. On the other hand, the "feedback form" option, will display a rudimentary form with standard fields for the standard formmail.pl script.
- is there already some kind of feedback form incorporated in the module or users are supposed to make their own?
I think this question is answered now by my response to the previous question. Basically, you can use the module's standard form if you specify "feedback form", or you can use your own form if you spcify "web page". - Could you tell me which file I would have to modify to point the student to a specific forum?
For a specific forum, I suggest you use the "web page" option, and supply the spcific URL of the forum you want.
- I would like to change the message 'Send a message to the teacher' to something different. Where does this text live?
Oh, the feedback messages and form titles seem to be hard-coded into "mod/hotpot/view.php". That's not so great, is it!! I will try and move them to the "lang/en/hotpot.php" messages file as soon as possible, but for now you can modify "mod/hotpot/view.php", around line 245.
One final point, and that is that if you are using formmail.pl, I recommend that for securuty reasons you switch to "nms formmail". It is the first download, called "Compat", on the following page:
http://nms-cgi.sourceforge.net/scripts.shtml
hope that helps
Gordon
Do you ever sleep, Gordon? 
Thanks a lot. Duh! It hadn't occurred to me to use the "web page" to point to a specific forum. I think I'll use that since now I've learned a new trick to point to a forum so that when the user clicks s/he gets the reply window already opened. Like this.
Josep M.
Thanks a lot. Duh! It hadn't occurred to me to use the "web page" to point to a specific forum. I think I'll use that since now I've learned a new trick to point to a forum so that when the user clicks s/he gets the reply window already opened. Like this.
Josep M.
I would like to change the message 'Send a message to the teacher' to something different. Where does this text live?
Oh, the feedback messages and form titles seem to be hard-coded into "mod/hotpot/view.php". That's not so great, is it!! I will try and move them to the "lang/en/hotpot.php" messages file as soon as possible, but for now you can modify "mod/hotpot/view.php", around line 245.
I went into this file and I did a search for 'Send a message to the teacher' and I still didn't find it. What I found is this:
case HOTPOT_FEEDBACK_MOODLEFORUM:
$module = get_record('modules', 'name', 'forum');
$forums = get_records('forum', 'course', "$course->id");
if (empty($module) || empty($module->visible) || empty($forums)) {
$hotpot->studentfeedback = HOTPOT_FEEDBACK_NONE;
} else {
$feedback[0] = "'$CFG->wwwroot/mod/forum/index.php?id=$course->id'";
}
But I don't see the old message I want to replace here or any place to introduce an additional message for that matter. There must be another file wher you have the string 'Send a message to the teacher', right? How does this message get generated in the popup window?
Josep M.
Oh, the feedback messages and form titles seem to be hard-coded into "mod/hotpot/view.php". That's not so great, is it!! I will try and move them to the "lang/en/hotpot.php" messages file as soon as possible, but for now you can modify "mod/hotpot/view.php", around line 245.
I went into this file and I did a search for 'Send a message to the teacher' and I still didn't find it. What I found is this:
case HOTPOT_FEEDBACK_MOODLEFORUM:
$module = get_record('modules', 'name', 'forum');
$forums = get_records('forum', 'course', "$course->id");
if (empty($module) || empty($module->visible) || empty($forums)) {
$hotpot->studentfeedback = HOTPOT_FEEDBACK_NONE;
} else {
$feedback[0] = "'$CFG->wwwroot/mod/forum/index.php?id=$course->id'";
}
But I don't see the old message I want to replace here or any place to introduce an additional message for that matter. There must be another file wher you have the string 'Send a message to the teacher', right? How does this message get generated in the popup window?
Josep M.
Hi Joseph,
in file mod/hotpot/view.php downloaded today, March 5th
$Id: view.php,v 1.12 2006/01/22 04:40:27 gbateson Exp $
line 493:
$feedback[6] = "'Send a message to teacher'";
Hope that helps,
Joseph
in file mod/hotpot/view.php downloaded today, March 5th
$Id: view.php,v 1.12 2006/01/22 04:40:27 gbateson Exp $
line 493:
$feedback[6] = "'Send a message to teacher'";
Hope that helps,
Joseph
Thanks Joseph. Very helpful. That's exactly the line we are talking about.
Ooops! I guess I hadn't done the search properly. I found the string now.
It is in line 247 in my file, though. There are only 455 lines in my view.php file. I'm surprised that the two files are so different since I downloaded mine not so long ago.
Anyway, thanks a lot Joseph and Gordon.
Josep M.
It is in line 247 in my file, though. There are only 455 lines in my view.php file. I'm surprised that the two files are so different since I downloaded mine not so long ago.
Anyway, thanks a lot Joseph and Gordon.
Josep M.
Hi Josep,
I'm glad to hear you are well on the way to getting the result you want.
Regarding the differing number of lines, this is because the characters used to represent a newline are different on Windows, Unix and Mac computers. Sometimes these get messed up as the scripts are being edited, uploaded or downloaded, zipped or unzipped.
When the newlines are not converted correctly you may find blank lines appearing between each line of code, or sometimes all the newlines disappear and the code is a single, long, unintelligible line!
From the line numbers that Joseph R. gave, I would summize that the scripts appear with a blank line between each line of code on his machine, and therefore have twice as many lines. I think source of the problem is the settings I use on my own TortoiseCVS. There have been reports about this before. It looks like I have yet to completely to correct the problem. Probably I won't until I switch to developing in a Unix/Linux environment
However many lines you have though, the scripts have a unique version number at the top, which is what Joseph wisely gave in his post.
all the best
Gordon
I'm glad to hear you are well on the way to getting the result you want.
Regarding the differing number of lines, this is because the characters used to represent a newline are different on Windows, Unix and Mac computers. Sometimes these get messed up as the scripts are being edited, uploaded or downloaded, zipped or unzipped.
When the newlines are not converted correctly you may find blank lines appearing between each line of code, or sometimes all the newlines disappear and the code is a single, long, unintelligible line!
From the line numbers that Joseph R. gave, I would summize that the scripts appear with a blank line between each line of code on his machine, and therefore have twice as many lines. I think source of the problem is the settings I use on my own TortoiseCVS. There have been reports about this before. It looks like I have yet to completely to correct the problem. Probably I won't until I switch to developing in a Unix/Linux environment
However many lines you have though, the scripts have a unique version number at the top, which is what Joseph wisely gave in his post.
all the best
Gordon
OK, this difference in line numbers was a little confusing. But, yes, I can confirm that we are talking about the same versions. It feels good to know I have THE latest version .
.