Is there anywhere on Moodle where a teacher can write notes about a particular student, preferably that could then be viewed by other teachers. This would be so helpful for teachers thata re not in the same location when a student transfers from one teacher to another and also when there are things that the teacher is corresponding with the studant about and wants to keep a record online.
I saw it mentioned that teachers can keep private notes on a website that was comparing moodle to other programs but then could not find it anywhere in the moodle documentation.
Nikki Macfarlane
Something I've been wanting to add for a long time (and it's easily done as a new Notes tab on the user profile page), but I have unresolved questions about possible leakage of private information:
Should every teacher on the site be able to add/edit/view notes for every user? What happens if some students are given teacher privileges in a separate course for a club or a project? If we restrict viewing/editing, then what should be the rules? Perhaps all users can keep notes about everyone else, but only be able to see their own notes?
Should every teacher on the site be able to add/edit/view notes for every user? What happens if some students are given teacher privileges in a separate course for a club or a project? If we restrict viewing/editing, then what should be the rules? Perhaps all users can keep notes about everyone else, but only be able to see their own notes?
This is an excellent idea for various reasons, but I share your privacy concerns. It would be great to have this in a Wiki-like functionality, since multiple teachers can then contribute to it. My gut feeling is:
- For any current enrolments, the student will have a set of teachers. These should naturally be allowed to read/write the contents.
- Teachers from courses for which the student is not enrolled should not have any access to the contents. This will allow metacourses to be used to structure access to student notes effectively.
- The other suggestions for a _parent role would allow read-only access -- subject to a site-wide policy for it, so that teachers will know what kind of content should be in it; one could even have the student notes "anonymised" for these users, so that the teachers involved would have their privacy protected.
- Administrators / creators are (at least here) used for elevated permissions above teachers; it is clunky, but it works. There should be a site-wide policy for these users to access the student notes, although it is somewhat of a moot point in the case of administrators. However, complete logging of access would probably mitigate this problem somewhat.
Great idea but a thing to settle first is the focus. I mean whether they are meant as a utility for a teacher, a course, or a site-wide feature.
At the course level, the private teacher forum can be readily (and more convient than tab on user profile) used for this purpose, with a separate thread for each student, although a dedicated forum-like or wiki-like resource could be even better. For some uses I'd prefer forum, particularly when multiple people are involved or when it should function like a logbook, but for other uses wiki might be better.
If this is conceived primarily as a resource to individual teachers, then I would envision the notes being private by default with the owner having to explicitly grant access to specific individuals or groups.
At the course level, the private teacher forum can be readily (and more convient than tab on user profile) used for this purpose, with a separate thread for each student, although a dedicated forum-like or wiki-like resource could be even better. For some uses I'd prefer forum, particularly when multiple people are involved or when it should function like a logbook, but for other uses wiki might be better.
If this is conceived primarily as a resource to individual teachers, then I would envision the notes being private by default with the owner having to explicitly grant access to specific individuals or groups.
Here's one use-case that I would actually use it for:
I run a residential academic summer program. Within this program a student can misbehave in numerous ways. What I would like to do is to allow anyone on the staff to file a report (bug tracker) on a student and then once it's resolved to place a note on the student themselves. A parent could then come along and see the ticket (or note) and be kept up to date (or a notice be e-mailed to them).
This would mean I'd need a bug tracker (which exists I think), notes attached to students with different permissions (teachers-only; site-wide, course-wide). As far as have student teachers... I believe this would be resolved with the Roles system coming out.
.02
--sea
I run a residential academic summer program. Within this program a student can misbehave in numerous ways. What I would like to do is to allow anyone on the staff to file a report (bug tracker) on a student and then once it's resolved to place a note on the student themselves. A parent could then come along and see the ticket (or note) and be kept up to date (or a notice be e-mailed to them).
This would mean I'd need a bug tracker (which exists I think), notes attached to students with different permissions (teachers-only; site-wide, course-wide). As far as have student teachers... I believe this would be resolved with the Roles system coming out.
.02
--sea
Hmm, any user who is a teacher of a course that that the target user is a student in. That's probably good enough for a first cut.
How about adding access as part of the "asisgn teachers" function.
Currently we have the option for "Editor - Yes:No".
Could we possible add "Student Notes - No Access:Read:Write" or something similar as a dropdown.
That way access is granted to only those teachers that need it.
Currently we have the option for "Editor - Yes:No".
Could we possible add "Student Notes - No Access:Read:Write" or something similar as a dropdown.
That way access is granted to only those teachers that need it.
Create an off-line assignment, not visible to students, and add your comments to each student, in a course basis, is what i use. It also alows you to give some extra points in order to adjust grades for students hor participate activelly during classrooms
Joan
Joan
Looks like this is something of interests to lots!
The solution you use would not work for me unfortunately Joan. I want it to be user based rather than course based. These are the sort of situations I have.
1. A student pays for a course but opts to pay by instalments rather than paying for the course up front. They pay the first instalment and get access to the course. Their second instalment is declined. Their access to the course is removed - i.e. they are unenrolled - until the payment can be processed. If the student tries to log on, they cannot get into the course and will sometimes contact their teacher to find out why. There is no way for the teacher to know the reason since the unenrolment is done by admin. Our admin is done in one country, our teachers are based in 4 countries, and our students are based in 36 countries.
2. A student is doing several different courses, possibly with a different teacher in each course. The student has some personal problems - perhaps her child is ill, or her husband loses his job. Because of the nature of our courses, these sorts of personal issues often affect the studying the student can do. If a teacher could write about this on the students notes page, the teacher would remember the issues in the future when she is next corresponding with the student, and the admin department are also aware of any problems so they do not contact the student inappropriately.
3. A teacher leaves and is replaced or a student moves to a new area and is assigned a new teacher (our teachers are assigned geographically). A notes page would allow the new teacher to know about any issues or correspondence that has happened in the past.
I would be looking for a notes page - ideally on the student profile page asa new tab - that all teachers could view, and all teachers and admin could add to. With the geographical issues we are contending with it is a really important component of our teacher support and subsequently student support but would only work if it was spcific to a user rather than on each course page, and only if all teachers could access it and add to it. Ideally, only admin could edit the notes after they have been written.
Nikki Macfarlane
The solution you use would not work for me unfortunately Joan. I want it to be user based rather than course based. These are the sort of situations I have.
1. A student pays for a course but opts to pay by instalments rather than paying for the course up front. They pay the first instalment and get access to the course. Their second instalment is declined. Their access to the course is removed - i.e. they are unenrolled - until the payment can be processed. If the student tries to log on, they cannot get into the course and will sometimes contact their teacher to find out why. There is no way for the teacher to know the reason since the unenrolment is done by admin. Our admin is done in one country, our teachers are based in 4 countries, and our students are based in 36 countries.
2. A student is doing several different courses, possibly with a different teacher in each course. The student has some personal problems - perhaps her child is ill, or her husband loses his job. Because of the nature of our courses, these sorts of personal issues often affect the studying the student can do. If a teacher could write about this on the students notes page, the teacher would remember the issues in the future when she is next corresponding with the student, and the admin department are also aware of any problems so they do not contact the student inappropriately.
3. A teacher leaves and is replaced or a student moves to a new area and is assigned a new teacher (our teachers are assigned geographically). A notes page would allow the new teacher to know about any issues or correspondence that has happened in the past.
I would be looking for a notes page - ideally on the student profile page asa new tab - that all teachers could view, and all teachers and admin could add to. With the geographical issues we are contending with it is a really important component of our teacher support and subsequently student support but would only work if it was spcific to a user rather than on each course page, and only if all teachers could access it and add to it. Ideally, only admin could edit the notes after they have been written.
Nikki Macfarlane
In reply to Nikki Macfarlane
Re: Teacher storing notes on students by hidden assignment - in special site-wide course
by Ne Nashev -
You can have one special course in you moodle when all teachers is a teachers, and all students is a students. And make this assignment in this course.
In this "global" course you also can have server-wide news-forum, discussions and other staffs - and it is can be understandable reason to students to be in this course...
In this "global" course you also can have server-wide news-forum, discussions and other staffs - and it is can be understandable reason to students to be in this course...
Hello Nikki.
I suggest using a glossary for your needs. It is a simple approach, but I think it really fits what you are looking for.
Admins and teachers can see it. You can create an entry for each student. You can search by keywords/alias, categorize entries, attach files to each entry, have comments on each entry, display entries by author (teacher)...
At the very bottom of page when creating the glossary set "Visible to students" to "Hide" so no students can see it.
Good luck.
The totally awesome new Database module in 1.6 could easily handle this request I would think, if the field "Visible to students:" were to include non-editing teachers as a Hide value. Otherwise, this could be handled down the road as roles start to shape up in Moodle. A Notes template for the Database mod (along with other requests) could be added to a template download area somewhere at Moodle.org.
Watch this module folks, it may be the sleeper run-away favorite of the new release IMO. Cudo's to Martin and team for adding this.
Watch this module folks, it may be the sleeper run-away favorite of the new release IMO. Cudo's to Martin and team for adding this.
Can you create a site-wide database? And where would you put it so that it is easily accessible?
I'm really hoping to see much more development of My Moodle with the ability of teachers to add activities/resources (like a user's manual, etc.) to that page either on an individual basis for each student, or on a default basis. Sounds like this might be a good addition to mymoodle. A My Moodle tab from the profile that could have a notes section would be good.
I'm really hoping to see much more development of My Moodle with the ability of teachers to add activities/resources (like a user's manual, etc.) to that page either on an individual basis for each student, or on a default basis. Sounds like this might be a good addition to mymoodle. A My Moodle tab from the profile that could have a notes section would be good.