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- Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
Moodle is growing at a seemingly unstoppable rate. One of the key reasons for its popularity lies in its potential to extend with modules, thus making the site easier to administer, add new features, and completely change the way it looks. This book finds you the best Moodle modules, teaches you how to install them, and helps you to master their configuration.There are hundreds of Moodle modules available. Find out which you can trust and how to put them to work. This practical book gives you hands-on experience on using and managing Moodle modules, thus making your learning website feature-rich. It covers many features and techniques in order to allow you to organize your ideas to improve teaching using Moodle as a virtual learning platformThis book begins with simple activities such as adding and installing modules. Then, it moves to a very interesting topic about the integration of multimedia into Moodle, covering major multimedia elements such as images, audio, and video.
Social networking applications like Twitter and Facebook are embedded in the Moodle course in order to invent stories, create group works, and create social team interactions with the virtual classroom. But the book doesn't end there, you will also see how to use Moodle to accept and assess coursework submissions, discuss work with students, and deliver quizzes, tests, and videos.The book ends with a chapter full of simple challenges such as adding educational games. This book is written to help you find modules that will be useful to you and your students, and to show examples of how these modules can be setup and used in teaching.
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Seitenzahl: 289
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010
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Table of Contents
Moodle 1.9 Top Extensions Cookbook
Moodle 1.9 Top Extensions Cookbook
Copyright © 2010 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First published: November 2010
Production Reference: 1021110
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
32 Lincoln Road
Olton
Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK.
ISBN 978-1-849512-16-9
www.packtpub.com
Cover Image by Ed Maclean (<[email protected]>)
Credits
Author
Michael de Raadt
Reviewers
Mary Cooch
Ben Reynolds
Acquisition Editor
Usha Iyer
Development Editor
Meeta Rajani
Technical Editor
Sakina Kaydawala
Indexer
Tejal Daruwale
Editorial Team Leader
Mithun Sehgal
Project Team Leader
Ashwin Shetty
Project Coordinator
Zainab Bagasrawala
Proofreader
Jacqueline McGhee
Production Coordinator
Adline Swetha Jesuthas
Cover Work
Adline Swetha Jesuthas
About the Author
Michael de Raadt is a regular family guy who lives in Toowoomba, in the state of Queensland, Australia. He enjoys camping, hiking, and playing table tennis. Michael is also a Cub Scout leader.
In his professional life, Michael wears a number of hats. He is a lecturer in Computing Science (usually teaching programming), he is a researcher of educational technology, and a developer of Moodle modules. He currently works at the University of Southern Queensland where he is an advisor on teaching and learning matters. Michael holds a PhD which he gained through research in computing education and has published numerous papers in this research area.
Michael enjoys being a member of the Moodle Community. He helps out with the management of modules contributed to Moodle. Within his local area, Michael is an advocate for development of modules for Moodle.
I would like to thank my family for supporting me during the writing of this book. I would also like to acknowledge the community of developers who have contributed the modules reviewed in this book, and acknowledge Anthony Borrow, who has generously offered his time overseeing such contributions.
About the Reviewers
Mary Cooch (known online as the Moodlefairy) is a teacher, VLE trainer specializing in Moodle and the author of Packt's Moodle 1.9 For Teaching 7-14 Year Olds and Moodle 2.0 First Look. She is based at Our Lady's Catholic High School, Preston, Lancashire, UK and can be contacted for training and consultancy on <[email protected]>.
Thanks, both to my family at home and to Mark at school for their support.
Ben Reynolds is a Senior Program Manager of CTYOnline at the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth (CTY). An award-winning fictionist, he began CTY's face-to-face writing program in 1978 and launched CTYOnline's writing program in 1983. He began administrating CTYOnline's writing and language arts division in 1985. CTYOnline serves over 10,000 students a year in writing/language arts, math, science, computer science, advanced placement, and foreign languages. In the 1990's, Reynolds left the classroom for full-time administration of both CTY's writing/language arts program and of a residential site for CTY Summer Programs. Reynolds has also taught writing and the teaching of writing for the Johns Hopkins School of Continuing Studies. He holds a BA from Duke University, where he part-timed in the computer center, trading printouts for punch cards, and an MA from Johns Hopkins in Fiction Writing. He is an active member of the Using Moodle community.
Preface
Moodle is growing at a seemingly unstoppable rate. One of the key reasons for Moodle's popularity is its potential to be extended with modules. This book will teach you how to find the best Moodle modules, how to install them, how to configure them, and how to get the most out of them.
There are hundreds of Moodle modules available. Find out which you can trust and how to put them to work.
This book is written to help you find modules that will be useful to you and your students, and to show examples of how these modules can be set up and used in teaching.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Getting Modular with Moodle, is an introduction to adding contributed modules to a Moodle instance including how to find, install, and remove modules; related matters of site-wide settings, languages, and bugs are also discussed.
Chapter 2, Adding Content, discusses modules useful for adding various forms of content that a teacher may use with students.
Chapter 3, Connecting to the Outside World, talks about modules that allow students to access real-world resources outside of Moodle.
Chapter 4, Getting Around In Moodle, introduces handy modules that assist in navigating within and between courses in a Moodle site, also making Moodle more accessible to the visually impaired.
Chapter 5, Effective Use of Space, discusses modules that allow screen real-estate to be better used, including collapsing content.
Chapter 6, Assessing Students, discusses simple and novel modules that assist in assessing students.
Chapter 7, Organizing Students, talks about modules that assist in organizing students into groups and peer relationships, helping students with time-management, and getting feedback from students.
Chapter 8, Encouraging Student Interaction, introduces handy modules that allow students to interact in a common workspace and communicate more effectively.
Chapter 9, Informing Students talks about modules used to communicate information that is not related to regular material or assessment.
Chapter 10, Handy Tools for Teachers, discusses modules that aid and inform teachers in their tasks, such as creating activities and finding information and statistics about students.
Chapter 11, Just for Fun, ends the book with non-essential modules that make learning more enjoyable for students.
What you need for this book
If you wish to test the modules presented in this book you will need the following:
Windows and Mac users can download packages from http://download.moodle.org/ that contain both of these ingredients combined. Alternately, you can download Moodle separately from the preceding link and add it to a web server such as XAMPP (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html).
More information about setting up and managing your test server can be found in Chapter 1, Getting Modular with Moodle.
Who this book is for
This book is primarily aimed at readers who are involved with teaching using Moodle. This includes the following:
Some of the topics covered in this book are specific and technical, but directions will always be provided. No programming ability is needed to add and install Moodle modules.
Conventions
In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.
Code words in text are shown as follows: "Unzip and copy the birthday block directory."
A block of code is set as follows:
New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "You will then be able to add the Session Theme block from the Blocks menu."
Note
Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.
Tip
Tips and tricks appear like this.
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Questions
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Chapter 1. Getting Modular with Moodle
In this chapter, we will cover:
Introduction
Moodle is an open source Learning Management System (LMS). If you're reading this book, it's likely that you are already using Moodle, or you have heard about it.
Image source: http://moodle.org/.
The word Moodle is actually an acronym. The 'M' in Moodle stands for Modular and the modularity of Moodle has been one of the key aspects of its success. Being modular means you can:
Note
M.O.O.D.L.E.
The acronym Moodle stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It is modular because you can add and remove modules. The programming paradigm used to create Moodle code is Object-Oriented. It is dynamic because it can be used for information delivery and interactivity, in a changeable and flexible way. It is a learning environment designed for teaching at many levels.
Because Moodle is modular and open source, many people have created modules for Moodle, and many of those modules are available freely for you to use. At time of writing, there are over 600 modules that you can download from the Moodle Modules and plugins database. Some of these are popular, well designed, and well maintained modules. Others are ideas that didn't seem to get off the ground. Some are contributed and maintained by large institutions, but most are contributed by individuals, often teachers themselves, who want to share what they have created.
If you have an idea for something you would like to do with Moodle, it's possible that someone has had that idea before and has created and shared a module you can use. This chapter will show you how to download and test contributed Moodle modules, to see if they suit your needs. Later chapters will help you find modules that will be useful to you and your students, and to show examples of how these modules can be set up and used in teaching.
Note
Origins of Moodle
Moodle began in 1999 as postgraduate work of Martin Dougiamas, "out of frustration with the existing commercial software at the time". Considering the widespread use of Moodle around the world (over 40,000 registered sites in over 200 countries), Martin is a very humble man. If you ever make it to a MoodleMoot and Martin is in attendance, be sure to introduce yourself.
A test server
If you only want to test modules, consider setting up your own basic web server, such as XAMPP (http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html) and installing Moodle from the Moodle Downloads page (http://download.moodle.org/). If you are a Windows or Mac user, you can even download and install Moodle packages where these two ingredients are already combined and ready to go.
Once installed, add a course or two. Create some dummy students to see how modules work within a course. Have a play around with the modules available—Moodle is quite hard to break—don't be afraid to experiment.
Getting modules you can trust
The Moodle Modules and plugins database is filled with modules great and small. This book will review a range of useful modules and show you how to use them, but first you may want to know how you can find modules yourself.
It is helpful to know where the modules discussed in this book come from, and how they were judged as worthy candidates for review.
Getting ready
You may have an idea in mind, or you may just want to see what's out there. You'll need a web browser and an active Internet connection.
How to do it...
Point your browser to the Moodle Modules and plugins database. Refer http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009:
Image source: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009.
As you scroll down you will see list of modules that can be downloaded. At the bottom of the page is a Search facility:
Image source: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009.
You can also try an advanced search to get more specific about the following:
The following is a search result for the term 'progress':
Image source: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009.
Each entry has a type, the version of Moodle that it is compatible with, and a brief description. Clicking on the name of the module will take you to a page with details about the module. This is the module's 'entry':
Image source: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=2524&filter=1.
On each entry page there is a wealth of information about the module. The following is a list of questions you will want to answer when determining if the module is worth testing.
If you are happy with your answers to these questions, then you may have found a useful module.
Tip
Be wary of modules that do what you want, but are not supported; you may be wasting your time and putting the security of your system and the integrity your teaching at risk.
There's more...
Here is some additional information that may help you on a module hunt.
Types of modules
In order to get a sense of how modules will work, you need to have an understanding of the distinction between different module types. The following table describes common module types. Amid the array of modules available, the majority are blocks and activity modules.
Activity module
Activity modules deliver information or facilitate interactivity within a course. Links to activity modules are added on a course main page and the activity module itself appears on a new page when clicked. Examples in the core installation are 'Forums' and 'Quizzes'.
Assignment type
Assignment types are a specific type of activity module that focus on assessable work. They are all based on a common assignment framework and appear under 'Assignments' in the activities list. Examples in the core installation are 'Advanced upload of files' and 'Online text' assignments.
Block
Blocks usually appear down each side of a course main page. They are usually passive, presenting specific information, and links to more information and activities. A block is a simpler type of module. Because they are easy to create, there are a large number of these in the Modules and plugins database. Examples in the core installation are the 'Calendar' and 'Online Users' blocks.
Course format
A course format allows the structure of a course main page to be changed to reflect the nature of the delivery of the course, for example, by schedule or by topic.
Filter
Filters allow targeted text appearing around a Moodle site to be replaced with other content, for example, equations, videos, or audio clips.
Integration
An integration module allows Moodle to make use of systems outside the Moodle instance itself.
Question type
Within a quiz, question types can be added to enable different forms of questions to be asked.
Checking your version
If you are setting up your own Moodle instance for teaching or just for testing, take note of the version you are installing.
If you have access to the Site Administration interface (the Moodle site root page when logged in as an administrator), clicking on Notifications will show you the version number near the bottom, for example Moodle 1.9.8 (Build: 20100325). The first part of this is the Moodle version; this is what you need when searching through modules on the Modules and plugins database. The second part, labeled "Build" shows the date when the installed version was released in YYYYMMDD format. This version information reflects what is stored in the /version.php file.
If you are not the administrator of your system, consult the person who is. They should usually be able to tell you the version without looking it up.
Note
Moodle 2.0
The next version of Moodle to follow version 1.9 has been "on the cards" for some time. At time of writing, only preview versions of Moodle 2.0 have been released. The process of installing modules will not change in the new version, so most of the information in this book will still be valid. You will need to look for versions of modules ready for Moodle 2.0 as earlier versions will not work without adjustment. As modules are usually contributed by volunteers, there may be some waiting before this happens; the best way to encourage this re-development is to suggest an improvement for the module on the Moodle bug tracker system at http://tracker.moodle.org/.
See also
Adding modules to Moodle
Once you've found a module you would like to test, you need to know how to add and install that module.
Getting ready
You will need to have your web server running with Moodle installed. If you are not an administrator of the site, you will need assistance from someone who is.
To install a module, you will need to access your file browser to copy files and a web browser to see the results. You will need to be able to unzip files as this is how files in a module are packaged together.
How to do it...
On the entry page for the module, look for the links at the bottom-right of the description. If you have an older version of Moodle, look for the version of the module that is suitable for your version.
Image source: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=2524&filter=1.
Clicking on the link will take you to a new page, then a download dialog should appear. Most modules are packaged as zip files. Save the zip file to an easily accessible location on your computer.
As a specific example, search for the Progress Bar block in the Moodle Modules and plugins database. Find the download link and download the file. The filename should be progress.zip.
Once you have the file downloaded on your machine, you need to unzip the code and copy it to a location within the Moodle file structure. The location for the files will depend on the type of module you are installing.
Note
A zip file is a collection of files that have been combined together into a single file and compressed. How you "unzip" a file will depend on your operating system. Most operating systems will provide support to unzip. Try double clicking on a zip file and you may be presented with a view of its contents; dragging the files from such a view will uncompress and copy the files from the zip into the location you drop them. If this doesn't work for you, try right-clicking on the zip file and see what options are available for extracting the files inside.
The following table shows where common module types need to be placed within the Moodle file structure. You will need to know where the Moodle code exists within the file structure of your server when viewed using your file browser (not your web browser). For simplicity we shall refer to this directory as moodle/.
Activity module
moodle/mod/
Assignment type
moodle/mod/assignment/type/
Block
moodle/blocks/
Course format
moodle/course/format/
Filter
moodle/filter/
Integration
(varies by module, look for additional instructions)
Question type
moodle/question/type/
Most modules are self contained within a single subdirectory. This is especially true for modules created for more recent versions of Moodle. So, generally, you should be able to unzip the contents of the module package to one place.
Within the zip file, there will normally be a structure that should become the directory structure when unzipped. This will usually be a single directory at the root of the zip file and subfolders within this. Depending on the complexity of the module, there may be a few PHP files or there may be hundreds of files for images, scripts, language translations, and more.
Tip
Be careful that the folder structure from the zip file is maintained when it is extracted.
Unzip the progress.zip file inside the moodle/blocks directory. The path to the root of the module code should be moodle/blocks/progress.
Tip
When you unzip the files, be sure that you do not add additional directories, for example moodle/blocks/progress/progress/. Doing so will prevent the block code from being detected and installed. Also take care not to accidentally rename the directory or the files within it as this will affect the functioning of the module.
Once the files are in place, the next step is to install the module. For most modules the process is the same.
If you are not sure what the icons on a block do, hover over them for a description. Some blocks will not function properly until you have changed their settings.
When you add an activity module, an assignment type, or an integration, you can add an instance by selecting it from the list of resources or activities, depending on what kind of module it is. When you add a module of this kind you will immediately be taken to a page to set it up.
Question types allow a greater variety of questions to be added to quizzes. Once you have copied the directory of files for a question type to moodle/question/type/, visit the Notifications page as normal. You should then be able to select that question type when creating a new question.
Note
Knowing how to install a module is useful. Getting the best results from the module when it is used for teaching is more critical. Instructions describing how to set up common modules for practical teaching can be found in the later chapters of this book.
How it works...
Moodle is designed to be modular, and also to make the process of adding modules as easy as possible. Allowing the code for a module to be in a self contained directory allows module authors to create and share modules without requiring a complicated installation or detailed instructions. Once you've installed one module, installing more is relatively easy.
Not all modules can be contained in a single directory. If this is not the case, you will be provided with additional instructions for installation. A common change needed for some module types is to add a string to a language file. For extra information check the following:
There's more...
Filters and course formats are installed in a slightly different way compared to blocks, activity modules, and question types.
Filters
Once you have copied the module code to the moodle/filter/ directory, log in as the administrator and go to the root page of your site. At this stage if you were to visit the Notifications
