Moodle plugins directory: Collapsed Topics | Moodle.org
Collapsed Topics
An interchangeable topic or week (day for 2.3.1+) based format that solves the issue of the 'Scroll of Death' when a course has many topics / weeks. All sections except zero have a toggle that displays that section. One or more sections can be displayed at any given time. Toggles are persistent on a per browser session per course basis but can be made to persist longer by a small code change. Full installation instructions, code adapt-ions and credits are included in the 'Readme.md' file.
If you have a course with more than fifty two sections then currently the toggle persistence will not work for the fifty third section and above. Then you need to upgrade to the Moodle 2.5 version+.
Support:
The format comes with NO support. Please see the 'Support' section in 'Readme.md' file that comes with the format. This is because the format is complex and I regret that I don't have the time / resources to freely assist with questions pertaining to specific enhancements / changes / knowledge improvement.
I will investigate genuine bugs and issue fixes in a timescale set by myself. When reporting issues you MUST clearly state the full version and release of both Moodle and the Collapsed Topics format as contained within their 'version.php' files - if not it takes me longer to figure out, often resulting in me asking for the details anyway and slowing the process of solving your problem down. It really helps to read the 'Reporting Issues' section in the 'Readme.md' file and upload and describe in detail the issue you are having on the 'Course formats' forum.
Book:
NEW: 'The Complete Guide to Collapsed Topics' (and 'Blurb') book is now available, covering: installation, upgrade, uninstallation, course and global features, resetting, capabilities, language strings, overriding icons / styles in a theme and adding a new icon set.
NOTE: The latest version incorporates functionality to support new UK / EU Cookie Law which is implemented as a user acceptance in the 1.9 version and no 'cookie' is used at all in 2.x versions.
Screen casts:
Privacy API support starts with V3.3.1.2 for M3.3 and V3.4.0.2 for M3.4 where the API has been implemented in the minor release of Moodle.
Screenshots
Collapsed Topics is really the course format I have been searching for!
Regarding my users I would like to have the active topic opened. Searching the default options I can just find two:
- all open on visit
- all closed on first visit
Is it difficult to get a third one like
- active topic open on first visit, all other closed?
I am using Moodle 2.5.2 with TopColl 2.5.3.2
Cheers,
Alexander
That option already exists. When you click on the light bulb when editing on a section that makes it the current. Then when users visit the course then that section automatically opens.
Cheers,
Gareth
Cheers,
Alexander
small problem in Moodle V2.6 beta:
get_device_type has been deprecated, please update your code to use core_useragent instead.
line 4592 of /lib/deprecatedlib.php: call to debugging()
>>> line 75 of /course/format/topcoll/format.php: call to get_device_type()
line 280 of /course/view.php: call to require()
great to have this format alredy workable when updatin to 2.6, thank you!
I like the new Instruction too, but I would like to translate it in German for our members. Is that already possible?
Cheers,
Alexander
It is. All you need to do is copy the 'lang/en/format_topcoll.php' file to 'lang/de/format_topcoll.php' and make the translations. If you would like, send me the file and I can submit it to AMOS so that it gets distributed in the language packs.
Cheers,
Gareth
great, that worked
Thanks a lot for that super fast answer. I think I can translate the whole text but this will take some time. Sending it then to you.
Cheers,
Alexander
any ideas ?
thanks,
Graham
What is the specific error please?
Gareth
I do now know what is going on and how to fix it, however it is a little complex with other implications. Please give me some time to undertake the work.
Cheers,
Gareth
One of the most annoying aspects of Moodle is the scroll to death when re-ordering topics.
This is often necessary when teachers want to share Moodle content between their courses. When importing a topic from a colleague into your own course, there is no option to "append" this topic to your course, instead it mashes its content with the same topic number of your own course. Therefore, before importing a topic one has to "make space" in your course by resorting topic and getting an empty one at the place where you want to import the colleagues one.
Being able to resort topic when collapsed would be a great feature indeed.
Yes, you should be able to move the sections around when they are collapsed. From memory, all of the versions (there are alot of versions) should do this. If not, please let me know on the Course Formats forum: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=47.
That sort of functionality I certainly see as valuable to solving the scroll of death.
Cheers,
Gareth
I have just started with a new organisation using Moodle which I haven't used in a couple of years, I have been told by the Moodle manager that they don't use Collapsed Topics plug-in as it crashes courses and they loose content , is this an issue???? trying to find a solution to the scroll of death!!