GPS Format

Course formats ::: format_gps
Maintained by Picture of Juergen KappusJürgen Kappus, Barry Oosthuizen, Ralf Krause - moodleSCHULE e.V. - GermanyRalf Krause
The course format „GPS Format“ allows e-learning content to be displayed according to the geo coordinates of the learner. This enables location-based mobile learning.
Latest release:
22 sites
5 downloads
24 fans
Current versions available: 2

Description:

The course format „GPS Format“ allows e-learning content to be displayed according to the geo coordinates of the learner.

This enables location-based mobile learning or simple geocaching. Learners who use a GPS enabled Web Browser on a Smartphone could take the advantage of this course format. Location services based on WLAN or the phone providers data will not work well due to missing precision.

In events like a city rally, the learner walks between predefined locations using a smartphone or tablet PC. At these stations the learner gets certain information and tasks that are directly related to the location. All conceivable Moodle content like text, pictures, videos or tests can be used.

The trainer is able to integrate new content at his desktop PC, by simply creating a new Moodle course. The GPS format largely matches the popular topics format. Every topic section can contain different material or activities. In a second step specific topic sections can be assigned to the corresponding GPS coordinates where they should be visible. After the installation of the course format "GPS Format", Moodle courses can be created in the new format and existing courses can be transferred into the new format with only one click.

 

Demo Video:

The demo video shows the Version 1.2 of the GPS plugin. From the version 1.3 and 1.4 on trainers do the GPS settings a bit different. Following the Moodle standards it is now done directly in the settings of the topics themselves.

Hint: Please be indulgent with my English pronunciation in the demo video. I didn't want to wait for a native speakers help to publish this helpful course format early together with a demo video.


How to install:

Follow the instructions of the Moodle documentation:
https://docs.moodle.org/en/Installing_add-ons

The correct path on your Moodle server is:
/path/to/moodle/course/format/

 

Support:

This is usually an unsupported version of the course format.
If you ask kindly you can contact Barry Oosthuizen who helped us to develop the plugin.
The ka:media Team could also help from time to time.

 

Background information:

ka:media developed the GPS course format in a „Pro“ version for Totara and its own systems. The focus lies on country-specific learning, mobile learning in large commercial spaces and the efficient training of rescue and delivery services.

The team discovered already in the developing process, that a GPS format will be a very helpful tool for a broad range of users, e.g. teachers or in tourism.

To support the meanwhile great development of Moodle in the area of mobile applications, ka:media decided to publish the GPS format in a version, which is without any fee-based support and can be installed by every Moodle administrator.

 

Potential privacy issues

Learner has to allow GPS access on his device.

Screenshots

Screenshot #0
Screenshot #1

Contributors

Picture of Juergen Kappus
Jürgen Kappus (Lead maintainer): Lead maintainer
Barry Oosthuizen: Supporting Developer from the Moodle Community
Ralf Krause - moodleSCHULE e.V. - Germany
Ralf Krause: Supporting Developer from the Moodle Community
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Comments RSS

Comments

  • Anthony Borrow
    Wed, 28 Aug 2013, 7:48 AM
    Thanks for your good work on this and attention to the licensing issues. As requested, I have deleted https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_kamedia_gps_free and we will await your work on a new version. Peace - Anthony
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Wed, 15 Jan 2014, 12:09 AM
    Hello Aparup and Anthony,

    as discussed, we have now finished a completely new version of the Plugin.

    Will create a completely new upload of the Plugin this week.

    Could you please delete this contribution?
  • MD shot of me from his iphone4
    Thu, 16 Jan 2014, 10:14 AM
    do you want to delete the entire entry? if the name is the same we don't have to, i.e. "format_gps" so we don't recreate the descriptions etc..
    We can simply hide/delete the uploaded zip. You can upload a new zip version anytime even now.
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Thu, 16 Jan 2014, 4:15 PM
    You are right Aparup, we will just Update this entry with the two new Versions and Create a SVN Link and handle the language files as already discussed
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Fri, 17 Jan 2014, 8:46 PM
    The new Version 1.3 is online, Version 1.2 is deprecated and can be deleted. We will do uploads of the language files to AMOS the next days.
  • MD shot of me from his iphone4
    Tue, 28 Jan 2014, 11:08 AM
    This looks fine now. Thanks for clarifying the licenses up a lot, approving!
  • MD shot of me from his iphone4
    Tue, 28 Jan 2014, 11:12 AM
    FYI, AMOS doesn't like concatenation operators in lang files. They are kind of superfluous too. As a result, lang file submission to AMOS gave error about for : "$string['gpshelp'] = "With GPS settings you can restrict the visability of a topic ".

    Please upload a new version with the '.' concatenation operator removed, this will then automatically and successfully send the lang files to AMOS (during your upload).
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Wed, 29 Jan 2014, 2:50 PM
    Thank you Aparup.
    Our next step will be cleaning up the already grown lamguage files, collect bug reports on the Version 1.3 and to publish an improved version 1.4.

    After that we start the development of Version 1.5 for Moodle 2.6.

    Please everyone feel free to leave your feedback here to support the ongoing development.
  • Wesley Wes
    Sun, 16 Feb 2014, 11:47 PM
    Hello, Mr. Jürgen Kappus
    My name is Wesley, I'm a student at Federal University of Amazonas.

    I tested the GPS kamedia Format Free.
    iphone unable to receive the information and tasks by location gps.
    In android devices unable to view information and tasks by location
    gps. Curious how to receive location information and tasks with
    android devices. I thank you for the excellent work with the GPS
    kamedia Format Free


    Moodle version:2.5
    Devices:
    Galaxy tab 2-3g
    Galaxy s4 mini duos
    Xperia play
  • Ralf Krause - moodleSCHULE e.V. - Germany
    Sun, 16 Feb 2014, 11:55 PM
    Hello Wesley,
    did you install the "gps format" in the current version 1.3 in your Moodle?
    And did you allow the access of gps location services on your devices and in your browser?
    Ralf

  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Mon, 17 Feb 2014, 4:02 PM
    Hello All,

    I found out the following things during some tests in the last few weeks:

    Chrome on Android (and I think the native Android browser too) uses WLAN location services if they are available even if you activate GPS. WLAN location services could return a wrong position.

    Firefox uses GPS if it is activated in your phone's menu. Lets say "it does what you expect".

    On iPhone we have no reported issues until now, please report if you have any trouble.
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Mon, 17 Feb 2014, 8:14 PM
    We well keep the "Android uses WLAN instead of GPS" issue in our internal bug List for the next release - perhaps there is a solution to force the usage of GPS by the browser if enabled in a more strict way.
  • Wesley Viana
    Tue, 17 June 2014, 4:16 AM
    First I would like to thank you for your brilliant idea plugin =]
    I am constantly using plugin in Moodle and would like to get some doubts: I realized that at times the system does not identify my location correct in the "update my position, I would like to know why this occurs. Another question I have is that sometimes when I use a cell phone and a computer in the same location, both with internet, to update my position in both my current location on my cell is different from the computer. Can be an error in the plugin? I have another question, testing more thoroughly realized that the plugin does not work in browser standards of android devices, this error can be corrected at some point?
  • Ralf Krause - moodleSCHULE e.V. - Germany
    Fri, 20 June 2014, 2:45 PM
    Hello Wesley,
    the geo locating needs to have a device with gps and this works very fine. Geo locating mostly works with computers and other devices connected via wlan. It does not work with computers without gps and without wlan.
    Yes, you will get some small differences between gps and wlan but these should be not far away.
    Jürgen told about some problems with Android devices. I could not see them on my iPad or my iPhone.
  • Picture of Juergen Kappus
    Sat, 21 June 2014, 1:13 AM
    Hello Wesley, hello Ralf,

    we know on some Android Devices/Versions that you are not able to force them to use the GPS sensor in the Web Browser, even if there is one.
    E.g. I had trouble with Google Chrome on Samsung S3.
    Firefox always worked fine on any device.

    If the Browser does not use GPS, the position sometimes is set well, sometimes it is set not well.

    Best way to check if there are browser or device related issues is to open https://maps.google.com
    If your position is shown correctly in the browser, but the GPS Format doesn't work well, please tell us.

    If https://maps.google.com shows a wrong position, please try to do the following for testing:
    a) install firefox
    b) check your devices location settings
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