Urs Hunkler

Yes Petr, this is a good chance to go through Moodle JavaScript and clean it up

Most of the issues reported here in this thread have been solved.

Now that Microsoft has released IE8 officially I checked several Moodle sites in IE8 (in IE8 standard mode not in compatible mode). Among others moodle.org and themes I created with IE8. This browser works very well with actual standard conform sites.

I saw 1 small issue with moodle.org and an issue with an older jQuery library. Using the actual jQuery library fixed the issue. The moodle.org issue must be specific to moodle.org because similar pages with other themes work without changes in IE8.

Congratulations to Microsoft. These congratulations don't come out easily after MS caused me and many others many hours of extra work to get websites working in IE6 and IE7. But it is well-deserved now - they seam to have managed to get IE8 right.

Hopefully many IE users may switch to IE8 as fast as they can.

During the discussions about the possibility to change Moodle's visual presentation to meet educational and/or corporate design needs the importance of visual flexibility of the learning environment I work with became clear to me.

During the last years I investigated a lot of work to evolve Moodle visually

1. present a CSS concept and help to implement it for Moodle 1.5
2. create and help to implement custom_corners to offer a base for a more modern web 2.0 look
3. create and help to enhance the moodle2 theme moodle.org uses since 2009.
4. create and implement templates in my lab environment as a prove of concept that I get the needed flexibility with Moodle

Aspect 4. is the necessary next step for me and probably some other people (for example Patrick, Bernhard) to be able to continue working with Moodle.

I need to stop creating work-arounds for Moodle deficits but investigate in enhancing the look and feel of the learning environment.

Standing at a crossroad

I am very serious about my work and the next steps to achieve the goals I need to reach.

1. If it will be possible to flexible design the learning experience with Moodle I can continue to use and suggest Moodle.
2. If the needed flexible design opportunities will not be offered in Moodle I will need to go another way.

DrupalEd is a promising project. I did some researches during the last days. Design flexibility is build in. Social engagement is better implemented than in Moodle. Drupal needs some learning tools. I am relatively sure that with some support SCORM and some gradebook can be implemented/enhanced. Then many companies/institutions looking for a learning environment get what they need: learning and design.

What's next?

Tim's Moodle docs article from today Development:Theme engines for Moodle? looks very promising. Tim you get my +1p (all if I may be able to spend more points) and a big thank you for writing it

Martin's posting "Navigation, Layout, Blocks, Themes and Other Stuff Week!" may bring the topics to a broader audience.

I have been really frustrated the last days that all the time and effort I have spent in the last few month to help Moodle evolve in a flexible design direction may have been a waste of time. The flexibility which is urgently needed by the market I work in. Today I see hope on the horizon based on Tim's article and Martin's posting.

We will see if I can continue to go the Moodle way - I would much appreciate it. But a bit more flexibility is not the way to go. Either Moodle becomes truly flexible or not.

Hi Patrick,

your clear statements are surely helpful. The discussions started to look as if I am the only one arguing for flexible design for Moodle.

People not deeply involved in design and confronted with design related needs may have difficulties to understand what we talk about. We few need to shout a bit louder to make ourself heard