Create certificates from Moodle

Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Number of replies: 9

Hello,

In my organization they use Moodle version 3.11.6

They need to be able to create certificates from Moodle for the students who take the courses. To do this, they want to install the "Certificate" plugin. My question is this:

1.- You can install this plugin without having to access the Moodle server folders. Until now I have only downloaded a plugin and installed it directly in Moodle through the administrator area and uploading the corresponding .zip file. But nothing else. Can this "certificate" plugin be installed this way? or do you have to access the server folders?

2. Can installing this plugin affect something on the server where the Moodle courses are located? I say this because it is a very personalized Moodle in which they have developed modules

Thank you

María

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Maria Carrasco

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Leon Stringer -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Confusingly there are at least four different certificate plugins, mod_certificate, mod_customcert, mod_simplecertificate and tool_certificate. Can you tell us which plugin you're looking into? Include a link if that's easiest.

Average of ratings: Useful (2)
In reply to Leon Stringer

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Hello Leon,

They showed me the following link (mod_certificate):
 
https://docs.moodle.org/404/en/Certificate_module
 
 and told me that they want to generate certificates from Moodle for students who take Moodle courses. They have asked me to install the corresponding plugin for this, but they do not understand much about Moodle, they have only seen this link and have seen that certificates could be created from Moodle and they want to have this option in their Moodle courses.
 
What is the best option to get what they ask of me? In order to install the corresponding plugin do I have to access the server folders or can it be done from the Moodle administrator area? I have no experience on this topic.
 
Moodle version 3.11.6
 
Thank you,
María.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Maria Carrasco

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Hello!,
Somebody could help me?
As I read in that link, it cannot be installed from the Moodle administration area, right? Would I have to access folders within the real server?

Is there a plugin for version 3.11.6, which is the one my organization has?

imagen.png
Would the following plugin versions be compatible with my organization's version 3.11.6? or should it be the exact version?
I have never done this type of installation and I am afraid that it could affect my organization's courses that are in production.
 
Thnaks.
María
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Maria Carrasco

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Leon Stringer -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Confusingly https://docs.moodle.org/404/en/Certificate_module discusses and conflates both mod_certificate and mod_customcert.

But mod_certificate should no longer be used as it's an old deprecated plugin requiring you to edit files on the server to change certificates. One should use mod_customcert instead. It's widely used, you should be able to install it as you would a normal plugin.

Tool_certificate is similar to mod_customcert but the latter can only issue a certificates within a course whereas the former can issue certificates at site level so that students may pass one of multiple courses to be awarded the certificate (for example, if there are multiple routes to the same qualification).

I don't have any experience with mod_simplecertificate.

If you're not sure, try mod_customcert. But the best thing to do is set up a test site that's the same version as the live site so that you can install these plugins and try them out before making changes on your live site.

(I should also add: Moodle 3.11.x is now out of support and you should plan to upgrade to a supported version. Moodle 3.11.6 is 16 months behind on bug and security fixes, you should update to Moodle 3.11.18).

Average of ratings: Useful (3)
In reply to Leon Stringer

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Thanks for your answer Leon.
 
1.- If my organization's Moodle version is 3.11.6, could I install the version of the "customer certificate" plugin that I indicate in the following image?Or could that actually give me problems for not being the exact version 3.11.6?
imagen%20%281%29.png
 
 
2-I have never made a change to the Moodle version of a real site, which is in production. Honestly, the idea terrifies me, I'm afraid that the Moodle site that is in production will fail. In addition, it has specific customized modules for my organization. Do you think I could install a certifate plugin without modifying the Moodle version? What do I have to take into account when making a version change?
 
Thank you.
María.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Maria Carrasco

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Leon Stringer -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

If my organization's Moodle version is 3.11.6, could I install the version of the "customer certificate" plugin that I indicate in the following image?Or could that actually give me problems for not being the exact version 3.11.6?

Yes, this should be fine. Moodle 3.11 here:

Screenshot of mod_customcert version page showing plugin version 3.11.3 (2021051704) with Moodle 3.11 highlighted

means it should work with any Moodle 3.11.x version.

Do you think I could install a certifate plugin without modifying the Moodle version?

Yes, you should be able to install the certificate without modifying the Moodle version. However, we cannot be 100% certain since we don't know anything about your organization's customized modules.

I have never made a change to the Moodle version of a real site, which is in production. Honestly, the idea terrifies me, I'm afraid that the Moodle site that is in production will fail.

It's good to have a healthy respect for production systems, this is a challenge all site and system administrators face. Two key ways to mitigate the risk – and anxiety – are:

  1. Test planned changes on a non-production site. Set up a test site which mirrors the live site as closely as possible then make any planned changes – plugin installs, configuration changes, version upgrades – on the test site first and see if they work as expected.
  2. Have a rollback plan. Typically this means taking a full site backup before making changes so that it's possible to roll the site back to before the change if unexpected problems arise.
Average of ratings: Useful (2)
In reply to Leon Stringer

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Thank you so much for your answer Leo, I really appreciate it.
María.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Leon Stringer

Re: Create certificates from Moodle

by Maria Carrasco -
Hello Leon,
In my organization they have told me about the characteristics that the certificate must have. I have opened another post to find out if the customcertificate plugin can make the type of certificate they want to make.

Thanks,
María
Average of ratings: -