Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Number of replies: 11
Hello Moodlers!!!

I am Rowan and I thank everyone for extending the opportunity to help with Moodle through Google Highly Open Participation. I have used many open source projects before and I never realized that I was capable of contributing.

I am working on issue 19:
Record a screen-captured video with a voice-over demonstrating how to
create a new course, suitable for a teacher who is fairly new to Moodle.

You can learn how to do this by: reading existing documentation; playing
with Moodle and asking questions in the forums.

The video should be between 1 and 3 minutes. Post the result on
Youtube.com and link to it from here.

I have not yet created the youtube video. However, I have created a interactive screencast. At first I thought this issue was to document how to create a course, then Helen informed me it was to modify a course. I have done both, since I had already finished "Creating a course" when she informed me.

View Moodle Tutorial

Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Known Issues
  • Closed Captioning is not complete.
  • Takes a long time to load (I just have to build the project with different quality settings)
  • People mistake the buttons in the middle of "Creating a Course." When hovering over the "learn more" not the buttons provides the details and the button starts the tutorial again.

The Reasons for a Screencast
  • Interactive
  • Eliminates size issue associated with Youtube videos
  • Easily Edited
  • Closed Caption thus more accessibly (still working on those)
  • Scenario Based Tutorial (User decides what they need to watch)
Please let me know if you still want me to create the youtube videos. I can convert the .fla to .avi and upload it to Youtube! Also, the "Modifying a course" when run without listening to the middle intro is between 1 and 3 minutes. smile

Thanks in advance!
Rowan
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rowan Chakoumakos

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Anthony Borrow -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
Rowan - Thanks for contributing to the Moodle project! I like that user's can choose the specific options; however, it does deviate from the suggested video format. Also, you may want to explain that you are using demo.moodle.org; however, other users will likely desire to use their site. This avoids confusion about where to go so you may want to make that a little more explicit. Peace - Anthony
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Anthony Borrow

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Anthony - Thanks for the feedback! I will go ahead and create a youtube version so that I am within the standard deviation smile. Which tutorial did you view? I will go ahead and edit it and try to make it more explicit!

Once again thanks!!
Rowan
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rowan Chakoumakos

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Anthony Borrow -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
Rowan - I reviewed the first video on how to create a course. Thanks again for your contribution. I am excited about how folks are helping to contribute to build up the documentation. Peace - Anthony
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rowan Chakoumakos

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Helen Foster -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators
Hi Rowan,

Thanks for your screencast showing how to create a new course and how to modify an existing course. It's very clear and easy to follow. approve

When you asked about how detailed the video should be, I suggested you show a teacher accessing a blank course (that had been created for them by an admin or a course creator) since, by default, teachers cannot create courses. However, the video can still show a teacher effectively creating a new course by editing the course settings and, if there is time, starting to add activities.

Whilst it's not necessarily ideal to use YouTube to host videos, the task states that the video should be posted there. Thanks for doing so.
(Link copied from GHOP task 19.)

In your video on modifying an existing course and adding an assignment, the voice-over is crystal-clear. smile However, the screen was completely blank at times. thoughtful

Rather than showing how to add an assignment, I suggest you spend more time explaining the course settings, especially the course format and the number of weeks/topics. Also, if you start with a blank course, rather than the features demo course, I think it will make the video easier to follow.

Best wishes and thanks for participating in GHOP. smile
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Helen Foster

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Thanks Helen for the feedback!
Glad to hear from you!

In the beginning of the screencast on how to create a course, I created three different scenarios to hopefully allow someone to understand how to "create" a course literally.

Thanks to your clarification, I will create another video using a blank course to create a "new" course. Since this is the option teacher will be facing. I will leave the other screencast up and label it for administrators.

Thanks again,
Rowan
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Helen Foster

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Helen,

I have created a new screencast!
Please let me know if any more changes are needed.
Video Tutorial on Creating a Course in Moodle

Once it is finalized, I will also create a medium quality, low quality, and youtube version.

Also on a side note, I edited two articles on these subjects a couple of days ago in the wiki big grin.

Thanks for critiques,
Rowan
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rowan Chakoumakos

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Helen Foster -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators
Hi Rowan,

Thanks for your new screencast. Again, it's very clear and easy to follow. approve

It's also very detailed, which makes it very informative, though remember that the video should last a maximum of 3 minutes. You can always point out the question mark help pop-ups for further information on certain course settings such as enrolments and enrolment expiry notification, since teachers new to Moodle would probably leave these settings to an administrator.

One small thing: I was a little confused by your mention of "the back end of Moodle", as usually this is the name given to Moodle's database. thoughtful Maybe you could use the name "front page" or "home page" instead.

Finally, thanks a lot for improving the documentation. The course settings screenshots are great! smile
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Helen Foster

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Helen,

The youtube video will meet the requirement of 3 minutes. However, I will keep the longer version up and point it out as an option in the youtube video. Thanks for the suggestion on pointing out the pop-ups.

I will change the phrasing for "back end of moodle." I had just assumed that was what it was called from my prior work with content management systems.

Thanks for the feedback,
Rowan


Average of ratings: -
In reply to Helen Foster

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
Hello,

Here is the Youtube video:

It is under 3:00 minutes wink!

I also have uploaded higher quality videos at ">www.moodletutorials.org!

In the documentation I had also edited quite a lot spelling errors! big grin

Thanks again,
Rowan



Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rowan Chakoumakos

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Helen Foster -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators
Hi Rowan,

Thanks for all the videos you have made. I'm sure they will be of help to teachers new to Moodle. smile Hosting them at www.moodletutorials.org is very nice too. approve

I have added a link to your final YouTube video in the course settings documentation.

Well done for successfully completing GHOP task 19. smile
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Helen Foster

Re: Issue 19 - Video Showing How to Create a Basic Course from Scratch

by Rowan Chakoumakos -
I want thank both Helen and Anthony for reviewing my video! smile
Thanks guys!

There will be a special surprise coming soon to www.MoodleTutorials.org! wink

Thanks,
Rowan
Average of ratings: -