MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Course settings

2009-02-07T21:42:04Z

Dag:

{{Help files}}
{{Course admin}}

[[Image:Settings.gif]]'''Course settings''' control how the things appear to the participants in a course. It is the first page viewed after creating a course. It can be edited through the '''Settings''' link in the [[Course administration block]] menu. This page has links to other pages that may describe a setting in more detail. Different versions of Moodle may not have all the settings listed below.

==General==
[[Image:generalsettings1.gif|thumb|300px|General settings|center]]

portfolio

===Short name===
Many institutions have a shorthand way of referring to a course, such as BP102 or COMMS. Even if you do not already have such a name for your course, make one up here. It will be used in several places where the long name is not appropriate. The most common use is in the navigation bar that is at the top of most pages and this provides an active link to the course home page.

[[Image:Assignment nav trail.jpg|The underlined part is the course Short name.]]

The above example has the short course name, "Features". The short name also appears in the subject line of email messages that are part of the course.

:''TIP:'' If the short name field is not editable, the site administrator has disabled that user's ability by unassigning the moodle/course:changeshortname capability.

===ID number===
The ID number is an alphanumeric field. It has several potential uses. Generally, it is not displayed to students. However, it can be used to match this course against an external system's ID, as your course catalog ID or can be used in the certificate module as a printed field.

:''TIP:'' If the ID number field is not editable, the site administrator has disabled that user's ability by unassigning the moodle/course:changeidnumber capability.

English portfolio

===Format===
[[Image:generalsettings3.gif|thumb|Format section in course settings|center]]
A Moodle course may use one of the following formats:

====Weekly format====
[[Image:Course top weekly mu1.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Weekly format example]] The course is organized week by week, with a clear start date and a finish date. Moodle will create a section for each week of your course. You can add content, forums, quizzes, and so on in the section for each week.

:''TIP:'' If you want all your students to work on the same materials at the same time, this would be a good format to choose. 

====Social format====
[[Image:Course top social mu1.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Social format example]] This format is oriented around one main forum, the Social forum, which appears listed on the main page. It is useful for situations that are more free form. They may not even be courses. For example, it could be used as a departmental notice board.

''TIP:'' If you change the course format from Social format to Weekly or Topics format, delete the 'Social activities' block. This block should only be used in the Social format and is normally not available in other course formats. 

====LAMS course format====
[[LAMS|The Learning Activity Management System]] is an open source LMS which allows teachers to use a flash based authoring environment for developing learning sequences. LAMS has been integrated with Moodle to allow teachers to develop LAMS activities within a Moodle course. This course format makes LAMS central to the course, only displaying the LAMS interface.

:''TIP:'' If you are interested in using LAMS, check with your system administrator to see if they have installed and configured LAMS. Very few institutions use LAMS as it duplicates much of the Moodle functionality.

====SCORM format====
The [[SCORM/AICC module|Sharable Content Reference Model]] (SCORM) is a content packaging standard. SCORM packages are self-contained bundles of content and JavaScript activities, which can send data to Moodle about the students score and current location. Moodle can use SCORM packages as a content type (see [[SCORM/AICC module]]), or as a course format.

:''TIP:'' If you have a large SCORM object you want to use as an entire course, then you can select this course format and students will only be able to interact with the SCORM object, not the rest of the Moodle tools.

====Weekly format, CSS/no tables (Moodle 1.6 onwards)====
The CSS / No Tables variant of the Weekly format displays the Weekly course format without using tables for layout. This improves the accessibility of the format, but older browsers have trouble displaying it correctly.

====Page format (non-standard)====
This format is very similar to the Book resource format in a Moodle course. It consists of a theme, course format, and menu module which enables blocks and modules to be intermixed on a 3 column layout, provide tab based navigation through course content, inline display of resources and forums, etc.

===Number of weeks/topics===
This setting is only used by the 'weekly' and 'topics' course formats. In the 'weekly' format, it specifies the number of weeks that the course will run for, starting from the course starting date. In the 'topics' format, it specifies the number of topics in the course. Both of these translate to the number of "boxes" down the middle of the course page.

===Course start date===
This is where you specify the starting time of the course (in your own time zone). The first week will start on the date you set here when you use the "Weekly" course format.

This setting will not affect courses using the 'social' or 'topics' formats.

However, this setting will have an effect on the display of logs, which use this date as the earliest possible date you can display. It can also make your course not visible to students even if when the course is available to students (see below).

:''TIP:'' In general, if your course does not have a real starting date then set the date to yesterday and use the availability setting to reveal the course to students.

===Hidden sections===
This option allows you to decide how the hidden sections in your course are displayed to students. By default, a small area is shown (in collapsed form, usually gray) to indicate where the hidden section is, though they still cannot actually see the hidden activities and texts. This is particularly useful in the Weekly format, so that non-class weeks are clear, or if you have quizes you don't want your students to see.

:''TIP:'' If you choose, these non-available items can be completely hidden, so that students do not even know that sections or an activity in the course are hidden.

===Show grades===
Many of the activities allow [[Grades|grades]] to be set. By default, the results of all grades within the course can be seen in the Grades page, available from the main course page for students and teachers.

:''TIP:'' If a teacher is not interested in using grades in a course, or just wants to hide grades from students, then they can disable the display of grades with this option. This does not prevent the teacher using or setting grades for an individual activities, it just disables the results from being displayed to students.

===Show activity reports===
[[Activity_report#Individual_Activity_Report|Activity reports]] are available to each student. These reports or logs shows their activity and contributions in the current course. These reports include their detailed access log.

Student access to their own reports is controlled by the teacher via this course setting. For some courses, these reports can be a useful tool for a student to reflect on their involvement and appearance within the online environment, but for some courses, this may not be necessary.

Teachers always have access to these reports. Teachers can use the button or tab visible on each person’s profile page or use the [[Reports]] link in the course administration block.

Your site administrator may ask you to turn this feature off. Showing activity reports can place a load on the server, slowing it down at times. For large or long classes it may be more efficient to keep it off.

===Maximum upload size===
[[Image:Changeupload.jpg|thumb|Maximum upload size setting]]
This setting defines the largest size of file that can be uploaded by students in this course. The site administrator can determine [[Site_policies#Maximum_uploaded_file_sizefile |sizes available]] for the teacher to select. Teachers should be aware of a course's [[Files|file structure]].

It is possible to further restrict this size through settings within each activity module.

===Force===
If the site administrator has allowed the teacher to set a course [[Themes|theme]], this pull down menu will appear with a list of themes on the site.

===Is this a meta course?===
A [[Metacourses|metacourse]] automatically enrolls its participants from other courses. For example, for every course that is a "child" of the metacourse, all students in the child course are enrolled in the metacourse.

==Enrolments==
[[Image:generalsetting4.gif|thumb|Enrolment settings]]
===Enrolment plugins===
This setting allows you to choose an interactive [[Enrolment plugins|enrolment plugin]], such as [[Internal enrolment|internal enrolment]] or [[Paypal]]. If you use a non-interactive enrolment plugin, this setting has no effect.

===Default role===

From Moodle 1.7 onwards, a default course role, such as student, may be set.

===Course enrollable===
This setting only affects interactive enrolment plugins, such as [[Internal enrolment|internal enrolment]] and [[Paypal]]. It has no affect at all on non-interactive plugins (e.g. External Database, LDAP). Setting it to "no" or if it is outside the specified date range will result in the student being told the course is "Not enrollable" and being returned to the front page, if they are attempting to enroll using an interactive plugin.

:''TIP:'' If you are using Internal enrolment and you have not set an enrolment key, you should seriously consider setting this to ''No'' otherwise any user can enrol on your course.

===Enrolment duration===
This setting specifies the number of days a student can be enrolled in this course (starting from the moment they enroll). Set this value with care - setting it when not required is a common origin of the complaint, "my students keep disappearing after n days".

:''TIP:'' This is useful for rolling courses without a specific start or end time. Students are automatically unenrolled after the number of days has expired in this setting.

:''TIP:'' This setting can be used as an alternative to a manually unenrolling students or using a clean-up function to remove defunct students at some future time.
:''TIP:'' If this course is a metacourse, the enrolment period will not be used.

==Enrolment expiry notification==
[[Image:generalsettings5.gif|thumb|Enrolment expiry notification settings]]
These settings determine whether teachers and/or students are notified that their enrolment is about to expire and how much notice they should be given.

==Groups==
[[Image:generalsettings6.gif|thumb|Groups settings]]
===Group mode===
Here you can define the [[Groups|group mode]] at the course level by a pull down menu. "[[Groups#No_groups|No groups]]", "[[Groups#Separate_groups|Separate groups]]" and "[[Groups#Visible_groups|Visible groups]]" are the choices. The selected setting will be the default group mode for all activities defined within that course. The group setting can affect what users see in the [[Participants]] list.

:''TIP:'' You may leave it set to "No groups" and still have specific activities use groups. In this case the force setting below should be set to "no". For example, the teacher can use a group setting to completely separate cohorts of students such that each group is unaware of the other in the course.

===Force===
If the group mode is "forced" at a course-level, then this particular group mode will be applied to every activity in that course. This will override any activities that may have a special group setting.

:''TIP:''The force setting is useful when the teacher wants to set up a course and not have to change each activities group settings.

===Default grouping===

{{Moodle 1.9}}If [[Groupings|groupings]] are enabled (in Moodle 1.9 onwards), a default grouping for course activities and resources may be set.

==Availability==

[[Image:generalsettings7.gif|thumb|Availability settings]]
This option allows you to "hide" your course completely. It will not appear on any course listings, except to teachers of the course and administrators. Even if students try to access the course URL directly, they will not be allowed to enter.

:''TIP:'' The [[Course_settings#Course_start_date|Start Date]] of the course can also effect course visibility.

===Enrolment key===
A course [[Enrolment key|enrolment key]] enables access to courses to be restricted to those who know the key. This feature is typically used on sites which encourage self enrolments or use an external database process to register students in a course. The idea is that Teachers or course administrators will supply the key to authorized people using another means like private email, snail mail, on the phone or even verbally in a face-to-face class.

When the key is left blank and [[Course_settings#Course_enrollable|self enrolment]] is allowed, then anyone who has a Moodle username on the site will be able to enrol in the course.

:''TIP:'' A student can be manually enroled in the course and will not have to supply the required key when they enter the course for the first time.

:''TIP:'' If this password "gets out" and you have unwanted people enrolling, you can unenrol them (see their user profile page or unassign them from the [[Assign roles|student role]] in the course) and change this key. Any legitimate students who have already enrolled will not be affected, but the unwanted people will not be able to get back in.

:''TIP:'' If you are using a non-interactive enrolment, system (e.g., External Database, LDAP) and you do not want students who fail the initial check to be asked for an enrolment key that they will not have, set ''Course Enrolable'' to ''No''.

:''TIP:'' You can control who is displayed as providing the Key when someone is requested to supply the key. See [[Internal enrolment]]

===Guest access===

Allows any authenticated user (i.e. logged in) to access the course (as a [[Guest role|guest]]), including those who have logged in "as guest". You can choose if they need an enrolment key or may enter without one.

People can log in as guests using the "Login as a guest" button on a login screen, where that feature is enabled for the site. When the user tries to enter a course, they will see the [[Log in|login screen]]. If you only need people authenticated via your normal authentication method to access courses (as Guest or not) it is probably wise to disable "Login as a guest" for a slight improvement in site security. See [[Manage authentication]].

Guests in a course ALWAYS have "read-only" access - meaning they cannot leave any posts or otherwise mess up the course for real students. No use information is stored for a guest.

:''TIP:'' This can be handy when you want to let a colleague in to look around at your work, or to let students see a course before they have decided to enroll.
:''TIP:'' You have a choice between two types of guest access: with the enrolment key or without. If you choose to allow guests who have the key, then the guest will need to provide the current enrolment key EVERY TIME they log in (unlike students who only need to do it once). This lets you restrict your guests. If you choose to allow guests without a key, then anyone can get straight into your course.

For more information see [[Guest role]].

===Cost===

If [[Paypal]] or [[Authorize.net Payment Gateway]] is set as the [[Enrolment plugins|enrolment plugin]], then the course cost can be set in the cost field.

==Language==
[[Image:generalsettings8.gif|thumb|Language settings]]

If you force a language in a course, the interface of Moodle in this course will be in this particular language, even if a student has selected a different preferred language in his/her personal profile.

==Role renaming==
[[Image:rolesimages.gif|thumb|Role renaming settings]]
{{Moodle 1.9}}In Moodle 1.9 onwards, you can rename the [[Roles|roles]] used in your course. For example, you may wish to rename the [[Teacher role]] as "Facilitator", "Tutor" or "Guide". These new role names will appear within the course. For example on the [[Participants|participants]] and the override permissions pages.

Please note that the site administrator or a [[Course managers|course manager]] may have changed the names or added new roles. These names will appear and the teacher may rename them.

[[Roles FAQ]] contains information on changing the name for teacher in Moodle 1.7 and 1.8. Prior to Moodle 1.7, the words for teacher and student may be changed in the course settings.

:''Tip'': Do not worry about changing every role name. Only change the site roles which are used in your course. For example, you may want to ignore renaming roles such as the [[Administrator role]] or the [[Authenticated user role]].

:''Tip'': To include new role names in a course backup, users should be included in the backup.

==See also==

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWOp1oq-TvI Video showing how to create a course in Moodle]

[[Category:Teacher]]

[[de:Kurseinstellungen]]
[[fr:Paramètres]]
[[ja:コース設定]]
[[ru:course/edit]]

Label

2009-02-06T23:26:19Z

Dag:

{{Resources}}
A label is a way to add text to the content area of your course. Labels can be used to give a quick instruction or for telling users what to click on next.

==Add/edit a label==
Use the drop-down resource menu in a course to add a label. [[Image:Label_0.gif|300px|center|Add label]]

===Label text and visible to students===

You can hide the resource from students by selecting "Hide" here. It is useful if you do not want to make the activity immediately available.

[[Image:Label_1.gif|frame|center|add text, links and/or images]]
 

== Use a label to display an external web page within a label ==

An exciting possibility for labels allows external or internal pages to be displayed in the middle of the moodle screen (instead of just putting a link to them)

===How===
* Create a label
* Display raw HTML code (use the editor button <>)
* Insert code like: <iframe width="100%" height="200" align="middle" src="http://www.google.com" border="0"></iframe>

Additionally, labels allow more flexible formatting of moodle resources e.g. place links to resources in a table so that many can be offered in the same line, thus reducing the need to scroll through a course page.

The actual resources still need to exist in the course, perhaps in an admin topic at the very bottom.
*Turn editing on by clicking the '''Turn editing on''' button.

*In the content area in which you wish to put the label, click the '''Add a resource...''' drop-down menu. choose Insert a label.

A new window will appear where you can type your label.

===Quick Tip===
Before entering any text hit the Shift+Enter key (hold-down the Shift key and hit the Enter key on your keyboard) to skip to the second line. This will prevent labels and resources from bunching up together.
Be careful NOT to hit the Enter key alone since this will create an undesired paragraph.

When you're finished be sure to click the '''Save changes''' button.

==See also==

*[[Teaching tips and tricks]]
*[[Flash|Using Flash]]
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=68116 Adding Dividers in Topics] forum discussion
*[http://www.packtpub.com/article/moodle-makeover A guide to how to make your course front pages more visually appealing]

[[Category:Resource]]

[[cs:Popisek]]
[[de:Text oder Überschrift]]
[[es:Recurso:_Etiqueta]]
[[eu:Baliabidea:_Etiketa]]
[[fr:Étiquette]]
[[ja:ラベル]]
[[sk:Nadpis]]

IMS content package

2009-02-06T23:24:13Z

Dag:

{{Resources}}
{{Moodle 1.6}}

IMS is a body which helps define technical standards for various things, including e-learning material. The [http://www.imsglobal.org/content/packaging/ IMS Content Packaging specification] makes it possible to store chunks of material in a standard format which can be re-used in different systems, without having to convert the material into new formats.

The IMS content package in Moodle 1.6 enables such content packages to be uploaded and included in Moodle courses. There are various options for displaying content in a pop-up window, with a navigation menu or buttons etc. In addition, the resource type supports an optional repository, enabling content packages to be shared between courses.

==IMS content package repository==

The IMS content package repository enables access to a repository of IMS and SCORM packages within Moodle. The repository is disabled by default. It may be enabled as follows:

# Find repository_config.php in ''moodle/mod/resource/type/ims'' and change <code>$CFG->repositoryactivate = false;</code> to <code>$CFG->repositoryactivate = true</code>
# Create a folder named ''ims_repository'' in the webroot
# Change <code>$CFG->repository = "C:/public/www/html/ims_repository";</code> to point to this folder on your file system

Content packages should be extracted to the folder ''ims_repository''.

==See also==

* [http://www.nln.ac.uk/?p=Moodle NLN Materials - Support: Using the NLN Materials in Moodle]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=31011 New resource type: IMS CP]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=86101 What is an IMS package?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=48684 Trying to add NLN Materials via IMS CP]

[[Category:Administrator]]
[[Category:Resource]]

[[de:IMS-Paket]]
[[eu:Baliabidea:IMS]]
[[es:Recurso: IMS]]

IMS content package

2009-02-06T23:23:50Z

Dag:

Text page

2009-02-06T23:17:22Z

Dag:

{{Resources}}

A Text page resource is a simple page written using plain text. Text pages aren't pretty, but they're a good place to put some information or instructions.

==Text page set-up==
[[Image:Text_page_1.png|left|frame|The "Add a resource..." drop-down menu]]
 
#From the course main page, click the "Add a resource..." drop-down menu within the topic you wish to add a text page
#You'll be taken to a page labelled "Adding a new Resource to topic x."
#You must type a Name for the text page. This is what your students will click on, so have it make some sense.
#Add a summary (optional). The summary is displayed on the Resources index page.
#Type your text in the Full text box. You can paste text from MS Word or any other location. A number of [[Formatting options|formatting options]] are available to help turn your plain text into nice-looking web pages.
#Choose whether you want this resource to open in the same window or a new one. If you choose New Window, you can choose what attributes the new window will have. Make sure you allow the window to be resized and scrolled, otherwise your students might not be able to read the bottom of the page!
#Choose if you want to hide or show this to students.
#Once you've made your choices, click on the "Save Changes" button. You will be see a preview of what your new resource looks like.

[[Category:Resource]]

[[cs:Textová stránka]]
[[de:Textseite (ohne Editor)]]
[[es:Página_de_Texto]]
[[eu:Testu-orria]]
[[fr:Page de texte]]
[[ja:テキストページ]]
[[sk:Textová stránka]]

Messaging

2009-02-06T19:06:34Z

Dag:

{{Messaging}}The Messaging system default is not limited to a specific course or role. Logged in users (students, teachers or administrators) may send messages to each other regardless of whether they are enrolled on the same course. This is unlike [[Forums]] and [[Chats]] that can be course, role or group specific.

Messages are sent via a popup Message window. This can be found via:
*[[Participants]] link in a course's [[People block]] (Send message button on each user's page),
*[[Online Users block]] (if turned on) has a message icon [[Image:Message.gif]] next to each user's name
*Browse list of users in the [[Course administration block]] (send message button on each user's page)

Site-wide messaging may be disabled/enabled by the Administrator in the permissions section of ''Administration > Configuration > Variables'' (1.6) or in ''Administration > Security > Site policies'' (1.7 onwards).

Alternatively, to encourage the use of messaging in a course, you may wish to add a [[Messages block]] and/or an [[Online Users block]] to the course page.

==Sending messages==

To send a message to an individual:
#In the Messages window click on the Search tab to search for the person, if appropriate checking the box "Only in my courses", then click on their name. (Alternatively, if the person is listed in the Online Users block, simply click on the "Add/send message" envelope opposite their name.)
#Type the message in the pop-up box then click on the "Send message" button.

To send a message to selected course participants (for teachers only):
#Click on the Participants link in the People bock on the course page.
#Select participants from the list or use the "Select all" button at the bottom of the list.
#Choose "Add/send message" from the "With selected users..." drop-down menu.
#Type the message then click the "Preview" button.
#Assuming you are satisfied with the message, click the "Send" button.

==Reading and replying to messages==

When you are sent a message, the Messages window will pop-up. Also, the Messages block will display the name of the person sending the message with a link to read the message. If you have set the email option (see Message Settings below), then you will get a copy of the message in your email after the time you have specified if you are not logged in.

After reading a message, you may type a reply then click on the "Send message" button.

==Searching messages==
[[Image:MsgSearch.jpg|thumb|Message window Search tab]]
In addition to searching for people, the Search tab in the Messages window provides the option to search for keywords, only messages to or from you, and to include in the search people you have previously blocked from contacting you.

==Managing contacts==
[[Image:MsgContacts.jpg|thumb|Message window Contacts tab]]
People may be added to your list of contacts (or blocked from contacting you) by clicking the "Add contact" (or "Block contact") icon opposite their name in the Messages window.

By default the contact list is empty. In order to send a message or to create a shortcut to the person you are sending, go to the Search tab.

==Message history==

A record of messages sent to/from a person may obtained by clicking the "History" icon opposite their name in the Messages window.

==Message settings==
[[Image:MsgSettings.jpg|thumb|Message window Settings tab]]
Message settings may be changed via the Settings tab in the Messages window.

Here you can decide on having a popup Message window whenever you get a new message, blocking messages from people who are not on your Contacts list, having an audio signal for a new message, using a HTML editor, or getting email messages when you are offline.

Note: It's possible to set a different email address for receiving copies of messages to the email address in your profile.

==See also==
*[[Messaging FAQ]]
*[[Using Moodle book]] Chapter 5: Forums, Chats, and Messaging
*[[Messaging enhancements]] (contributed code)

Using Moodle forum discussions:
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=27559 What facilities are there for seeing other users' messages?]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=58977 How can I see student messages?]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=34972 Viewing old messages?]
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=63401 Restrict Messaging to Course Participants/Teachers]

[[es:Mensajería]]
[[de:Mitteilungen]]
[[fr:Messagerie]]
[[ja:メッセージング]]

Notes

2009-02-06T10:36:49Z

Dag:

{{Moodle 1.9}}From Moodle 1.9 onwards, teachers may add notes about their students.

The notes page may be accessed via the Notes tab in a user's profile page or the Notes tab on the Participants page.

==Note status==

A note's status determines who can see the note.

* Personal - The note will be visible only to you (as the teacher)
* Course - The note will be visible to other teachers in this course
* Site - The note will be visible to other teachers in all courses

==Enabling/disabling notes==

In Moodle 1.9.4 onwards, notes may be disabled by unticking the ''enablenotes'' checkbox in ''Administration > Security > [[Site policies]]''.

==See also==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS2tBi-ct5k Moodle 1.9 Notes Tutorial video]

[[Category:Notes]]

[[ca:notes/index|Anotacions]]
[[de:Anmerkungen]]
[[eu:Oharrak]]
[[fr:Annotations]]

Moodle in education

2009-02-06T10:34:31Z

Dag:

{{Teacher documentation}}
* '''[[Getting started for teachers|Getting started for teachers page link]]''' - New at this Moodle thing? The "Getting started" page gives a general overview of all the features of a course. There are lots of internal links that will allow you to expand your knowledge. Welcome !

You can get back to this page by using the Teacher link in the Documentation menu on the left on most MoodleDoc pages.

==Reference==
*[[:Category:Teacher]]
*[[Moodle manuals]] - a list of links to manuals and books
*[[Using Moodle book]] - a real book you can reprint!

==Guidelines==
*[[Blogs]] - blogs in Moodle
*[[Teaching with Moodle]] - inspiring links
*[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=66854 Moodle and elearning intro] - Written by Martin Langhoff
*[[Teaching do's and don'ts|Teaching Do's and Don'ts]] - hints
*[[Teaching FAQ]] - common questions
*[http://moodle.tokem.fi/mod/book/view.php?id=16397&chapterid=8258 Example of a course teaching checklist]
*[http://moodle.tokem.fi/mod/book/view.php?id=16397 Teacher's Moodle Manual] - site specific, done in Moodle with the book module
*[http://www.houseoftutorials.net/ Video Tutorials on how to use Moodle] (go to the learning Moodle section and login as guest)
*[[Teaching tips and tricks]]
*[[Student documentation examples]]
*[[Student FAQ]] - students have questions about technology?
*[[Trainer]] - links that might be useful to Trainers
*[[Development:Windows_Installer_anywhere|Off-line Moodle Variant]] - Development: MoodleAnyWhere

[[Category:Teacher]]
[[cs:Rukověť učitele]]
[[de:Dokumentation für Trainer]]
[[es:Documentación para Profesores]]
[[eu:Irakasleentzako dokumentazioa]]
[[fi:Opettajan opas]]
[[fr:Documentation enseignant]]
[[it:Documentazione per Docenti]]
[[ja:教師ドキュメント]]
[[nl:Documentatie voor leraren]]
[[ru:Учителям]]
[[zh:教师文档]]

Grades

2009-02-06T10:31:32Z

Dag:

{{Grades}}'''Note:''' This page, together with the pages listed in the block on the right, describe the gradebook in Moodle 1.9 onwards. For documentation on the gradebook in Moodle prior to 1.9, see [[Grades pre-1.9]].

==Introduction==

The concepts of ''grades'' and of ''gradebook'' have been completely revisited in Moodle 1.9. Although these words are used in earlier versions, important differences are documented here in order to avoid misconceptions.

The two central ideas of grading in Moodle 1.9 are:

#'''Grades''' are scores attributed to participants in a Moodle course
#The '''gradebook''' is a repository of these grades: modules push their grades to it, but the gradebook doesn't push anything back to the modules

The three building blocks of the Gradebook in Moodle 1.9 are

*The [[Grade_categories|grade category]]
*The [[Grade_items|grade item]]
*The grade (see above)

As an overview:
*A grade category groups grade items together, and has settings for affecting these grade items
*A grade item stores a grade for each course participant, and has settings for affecting these grades
*A grade has settings for affecting how it is displayed to the users, as well as [[Grade locking|locking]] and [[Grade hiding|hiding]] functions.

Grades can be [[Grade_calculations|calculated]], [[Grade_categories#Aggregation|aggregated]] and [[Grader_report#Display|displayed]] in a variety of ways, the many settings having been designed to suit the needs of a great variety of organisations.

Many activities in Moodle, such as [[Assignment module|assignments]], [[Forum module|forums]] and [[Quiz module|quizzes]] may be given grades. Grades may have numerical values, or words/phrases from a [[Scales|scale or rating system]].

Grades can also be used as [[Outcomes|outcomes]] and as arbitrary text attributed to each participant in a course.

==Grades pushed by modules==
When activity modules produce grades, they use the [[Development:Grades#API_for_communication_with_modules.2Fblocks|gradebook public API]] to push (or send) their grades to the gradebook. These grades are then stored in database tables that are independent of the modules. The grades are still kept in the module database tables, and the gradebook will never access or modify these original grades.

The gradebook, however, provides administrators and teachers with tools for changing the ways in which grades are calculated, aggregated and displayed, as well as [[grade/edit/tree/grade|means to change the grades manually]] (a manual edit of a grade automatically locks the grade in the gradebook, so that the module which originally created the grade can no longer update that grade in the gradebook until the grade is unlocked).

==Settings affecting grades==
Being the smallest unit in the gradebook, the grade is affected by many settings at different levels. Here is a list of these levels, in hierarchical order:

*[[General_grade_settings|Site-wide general settings]]
*[[Grade_category_settings|Site-wide grade category settings]]
*[[Grade_item_settings|Site-wide grade item settings]]
*[[Gradebook_report_settings|Gradebook report settings]]
*[[Gradebook_course_settings|Course settings]]
*[[Grade_categories|Category settings]]
*[[Grade_items|Grade item settings]]
*[[grade/edit/tree/grade|Grade settings]]

==Outcomes==

[[Outcomes]] are specific descriptions of what a student is expected to be able to do or understand at the completion of an activity or course. An activity might have more than one outcome, and each may have a grade against it (usually on a [[Scales|scale]]).

==Gradebook reports==

The gradebook includes a variety of reports, available via the grades link in each [[Course administration block|course administration block]]:

* [[Grader report]] - The main teacher view of a course gradebook. The "[[Grade preferences|My report preferences]]" tab in the grader report enables teachers to change how the grader report is displayed.
* [[Outcomes report]]
* [[Overview report]]
* [[User report]]

==Grades organisation==

Teachers may organise grades into [[Grade categories|grade categories]], [[Grade import|import]] and/or [[Grade export|export]] grades, and make [[Grade calculations|grade calculations]].

Symbols to represent ranges of grades may be set as [[Grade letters|grade letters]].

Administrators may control the appearance of the gradebook site-wide by adjusting settings available via the grades link in the site administration block:

*[[General grade settings]]
*[[Grade category settings]]
*[[Grade item settings]]
*[[Gradebook report settings]]

==See also==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=2122 Gradebook forum]

Video tutorials:
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeUy-_kbvqQ Basic Moodle Gradebook howto]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hrLNbifiGQ Gradebook reports]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXEefYe3qdk How to use the grade item settings and grade letters at admin level]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUslTuZPu6A Grade category settings]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB58W3KePBc How to set up the gradebook]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmkEGfvjj9U How to use outcomes in Moodle]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZcbN_7p2zI How to export grades from the gradebook]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zWwJGb9TA How to use gradebook site settings and defaults]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKUGyzAXcyA How to set up calculations in the gradebook (basic)]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEj8mmu8lM How to set up calculations in the gradebook (advanced)]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWPUEqdhI4A How to change the display of grades in the gradebook]

[[ca:Qualificacions]]
[[cs:Známky]]
[[de:Bewertungen]]
[[eu:Kalifikazioak]]
[[fr:Notes]]

Workshop activity

2009-02-06T10:13:12Z

Dag:

A '''Workshop''' is a course peer assessment activity with many options. This module maybe removed from the standard Moodle in 2.0. The default is to hide it in the site administration block>modules>manage activities Other modules such as [[Assignment module|assignment]] have some of its functionality.

Workshop allows participants to assess each other's projects, as well as exemplar projects, in a number of ways. It also coordinates the collection and distribution of these assessments.

==Settings==
These are the settings for 1.6 but are similar for 1.8 onward.
The settings have help buttons. The fields or options in settings in Moodle 1.6.include:
:Submission Title, Description,
:Grade for Assessments, Grade for Submission, Grading Strategy, 'Number of Comments, Assessment Elements, Grade Bands, Criterion Statements or Categories in a Rubric', 

:Number of Attachments expected on Submissions, Allow Resubmissions, Number of Assessments of Examples from Teacher, Comparison of Assessments, Number of Assessments of Student Submissions, Weight for Teacher Assessments, Over Allocation, Self Assessment, Assessments must be agreed, Hide Grades before Agreement, League Table of Submitted Work, 

:Hide Names from Students, Use Password, Password, Password Maximum Size 

:Start of submissions, Start of assessments, End of submissions, End of assessments, Release Teacher Grades, Group mode, Visible to students.

== See also ==
*[http://download.moodle.org/download.php/docs/en/using_moodle/ch6_workshops.pdf Using Moodle Chapter 6: Workshops]
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=74784 New Workshop Module] forum discussion
*[[Exercise module]] allows student self assessment and teacher to seperately grade the quality of the assignment and the self assessment.

[[Category:Workshop]]
[[Category:Contributed code]]

[[de:Workshop]]
[[cs:Modul Workshop]]
[[fr:Atelier]]

Wiki activity

2009-02-06T10:09:07Z

Dag:

{{Wiki}}

A wiki [[Teacher_documentation#Activity_modules|activity]] is a collection of collaboratively authored web documents. Basically, a wiki page is a web page everyone in your class can create together, right in the browser, without needing to know HTML. A wiki starts with one front page. Each author can add other pages to the wiki by simply creating a link to a page that doesn't exist yet.

Wikis get their name from the Hawaiian term "wiki wiki," which means "very fast." A wiki is indeed a fast method for creating content as a group. It's a hugely popular format on the Web for creating documents as a group. There is usually no central editor of a wiki, no single person who has final editorial control. Instead, the community edits and develops its own content. Consensus views emerge from the work of many people on a document.

Moodle's wiki is built atop an older wiki system called Erfurt wiki: http://erfurtwiki.sourceforge.net.

In Moodle, wikis can be a powerful tool for collaborative work. The entire class can edit a document together, creating a class product, or each student can have their own wiki and work on it with you and their classmates.

It may be useful to think of a wiki's front page as a structured table of contents. Essentially, a wiki is organized by its links.

== Setting up and editing a Wiki ==

For documentation on setting up a Wiki and for adding and editing pages, see:

Setting up: [[Adding/editing_a_wiki]]

Adding pages: [[Viewing_a_wiki#Adding_a_wiki_page|Section on Adding a wiki page]]

Editing pages: [[Viewing_a_wiki#Editing_a_wiki_page|Section on Editing a wiki page]]

Printing pages: [[wiki_print|Wiki print]]

==Creative Wiki practices==

The free-form, collaborative nature of wikis makes them easy to apply in creative ways. Any sort of group process can be facilitated using a wiki. For instance, a course may make use of many resources and have, as an aid to instructors, a wiki devoted to equipment located in several remote classrooms. The wiki's links to equipment and process pages can become useful in giving directions. The front page would then be organized differently than an individual teacher's page.

===Group lecture notes===
Usually, lecture notes are a solitary activity, but one person can easily miss an important point during a lecture through daydreaming or trying to understand a prior point. Students may also have difficulty deciding what information is important and what is elaboration or example. Creating a wiki for group lecture notes after a lecture gives students a chance to combine all their notes. Those that missed information can get it from their peers. The group can also decide what information is critical and give it proper emphasis. Group lecture notes could be done with the entire class, if it is small enough, or with small working groups. Groups can also compare notes for further discussion and refinement.

===Group Project management===
The most straightforward use of a wiki is as a tool for group collaboration for creating group projects. A teacher assigning a group project can give students a place to work by creating a wiki with the group mode enabled. This will give each group their own space to record research, to develop outlines and to create the final product. The teacher may create a submission date on which to turn off editing capabilities for students so that he or she can grade the final projects. Afterwards, the teacher may enable visible groups so that everyone can see each other's work.

===Brainstorming===
Brainstorming is a non-judgmental group creative process in which group members are encouraged to give voice to any ideas they personally consider relevant to the group exercise. In a face-to-face meeting, a brainstorming facilitator will usually stand in front of a big piece of paper and elicit ideas from the participants in the room. A teacher can create an online version of this process by setting up a wiki for the entire class or for smaller student groups and asking people to submit ideas around a brainstorming topic. People can add ideas as they occur and link to other pages for elaboration.

===Contribute to other wikis===
A teacher might assign his or her class the task of contributing to [http://en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia], [http://en.wikiversity.org Wikiversity], or to another wiki on the Web, on any class topic, perhaps by assigning students to groups (or making it a class project if the class is small enough and the topic broad enough) and challenging them to collaboratively create an article they would feel confident posting to a public-information space. Students will use the course wiki to create drafts of the article they will eventually publish to the community at the end of the semester.

This type of assignment has a number of benefits:
* It gives students additional motivation to do their best, since they know their work will be viewed and critiqued by the public instead of just by their instructor.
* It can act as a summarizing activity for an entire semester’s worth of material.
* Students will know their work will be used by other people, not just graded and filed away.

== See also ==

*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=366 Wiki module forum]
*[[Using Moodle book]] Chapter 10: Wikis
[[Category:Modules]]

[[de:Wiki]]
[[es:Wikis]]
[[eu:Wikiak]]
[[fr:Wiki]]

Choice activity

2008-04-13T14:36:53Z

Dag:

{{Choices}}
[[Image:Choices_Icon.GIF]] A '''choice''' [[Teacher_documentation#Activity_modules|activity]] is very simple – the teacher asks a question and specifies a choice of multiple responses. It can be useful as a quick poll to stimulate thinking about a topic; to allow the class to vote on a direction for the course; or to gather research consent.

Choice requires some preparation time for creating your activity and thinking about what results you would like to achieve, but your participation with activity itself is likely to be minimal.

==Educational Benefits of Using Choice==
Pedagogically, the choice activity can be used to provide an opportunity to share starting points through which learners are encouraged to think about and articulate existing knowledge and understandings of a topic. For example, you can ask students to make ‘choices’ about a statement such as “in learning to become a teacher, the most significant issue for me is” (giving the following choices): trust, theoretical underpinnings, communication or delivering materials to students.

This has two benefits: firstly, it forces participants to engage with their choice and think, in advance of a further related activity (you might wish to follow up such a choice activity with a forum discussion or a reflective activity like the online text assignment), about the context and consequences of this choice. Secondly, it allows tutors and students to gain a better understanding of existing views/understandings/knowledge related to the question, idea or concept at hand in the Choice activity.

The choice activity in Moodle only allows a participant to select one choice from a variety of options (that you provide), but you may set the activity so that participants can change their choices. You can also set the activity so that it ‘closes’ or ‘locks down’ on a specific date, making all choices final from that point on. This allows participants to change their minds several times before a final date.

== See also ==

* [http://download.moodle.org/docs/using_moodle/ch14_surveys.pdf Using Moodle Chapter 14: Surveys and Choices]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shkelQDKbtM Choice module video]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=43536 Have Your Students "Sign" an Agreement] forum discussion
* [[Choice block]] - a 3rd party block

[[Category:Modules]]

[[cs:Modul Anketa]]
[[de:Abstimmung]]
[[es:Consulta]]
[[eu:Inkesta]]
[[fr:Sondage]]

Forum activity

2008-04-13T14:23:41Z

Dag:

{{Forums}}
Forums [[Teacher_documentation#Activity_modules|activities]] can contribute significantly to successful communication and community building in an online environment. You can use forums for many innovative purposes in educational settings, but teaching forums and student forums are arguably the two more significant distinctions.

==Teaching and Learning Forums==

When you decide to use a discussion forum as an activity in an e-learning environment it is important to be aware that your time will be needed in some sense in order to make the activity successful. If your goal is to encourage discussion, the forum will only work if:

a.) participants feel there is a need/reason to participate and they will gain something from the experience. Incentives for learning, gathering support, etc. should be explored and encouraged early on in order to clearly convey the purpose of the forum to others. Anyone considering offering grades or marks for participation is advised to think very carefully about the difference between quantity and quality of discussions in forums.

b.) a sense of community and purpose can be fostered amongst participants. This sense of community can be fostered through tutor/teacher initiative and scaffolding, or primarily through the students/participants themselves depending on the intentions of the activity.

'''Participation and Scaffolding'''

Whilst one of the great advantages of e-learning is the flexibility it affords participants, this does not mean that days or weeks should pass without response and discussion in a forum (unless it is appropriate for it to do so). This is perhaps most especially true at the beginning of a course or programme when students and tutors are new to each other and in need of welcome messages/encouragement. Whilst e-learning, and discussions in particular, can support learning that is not always tutor/teacher-centred, your role will be important, especially as an online community begins to develop. It is during these initial stages of introductory material that a group of students can become a community of participants who begin to grow in their understandings of course material and individual contributions to the knowledge construction process.

As the discussions progress and learners become accustomed to the mechanics and the tone of the forums then there are key ways in which your input can be reduced, thereby helping to foster a community that is less dependent on the tutor/teacher. Even then, however, you will probably want to be a presence in the discussions although you may choose to be one of many contributors rather than the font of all wisdom.

'''Committment and Participation'''

Ask yourself if

# you wish to have involvement in the forum or if you want the students to lead and own the space
# you want the forum to add value to the face to face environment or have a life of its own in its own right outside the lecture theatre/classroom or seminar room
# you are prepared to make appropriate contributions to the discussion in order to:
## encourage discussion if students are quiet
## help shape ideas if students begin to wander off-task
## your role will be defined as discussions/a course progresses
## you will explicitly but gradually relinquish control of the discussions
## you will encourage and support learners to share control of discussions(for example you might ask a learner/group of learners to summarise contributions to a discussion thread/topic or you might ask learners to initiate discussion topics)

==Student Centred Forums==

With the growing popularity of social networking software like Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and the like, students are leaving schools and coming to Higher and Further Education with a new technological sophistication and with new expectations for communication. And as school, colleges and universities recognise that reflective and life long learning are significant goals in education, student centered learning and the creation of student centered spaces online are also gaining credence in educational settings. We know that effective learning requires access to social and academic networks for both study material and emotional support; as such, online communities can offer a holistic knowledge construction and support mechanism and recognize that affective activity is effective.

Social forums, often called ‘Virtual Cafes’ or ‘Common Rooms’ can be set up for courses or for programmes, depending on the student need. Such spaces provide a common area for students to come together and discuss unlimited topics, including social activities and educational ideas. They are supportive spaces for students, most successful with large first and second year courses where students would not otherwise have the opportunity to communicate with others outside their own tutorial group. It is arguable that students will experience a greater sense of community within and a sense of belonging to an educational institution or individual department having had the experience and convenience of the social forum on their course; this could arguably have implications for retention.

These spaces are typically highly active, especially in first term. Depending on your institution, they are usually self monitored by students, who understand that the same ‘rules’ and ‘netiquette’ that apply to them within any computing space, also apply in Moodle.

==The News Forum==

Moodle courses automatically generate a News Forum which defaults to automatically subscribe all participants in a course. The name of the News Forum can be changed to something more appropriate, such as ‘Important Announcements’ or the like. This is a useful feature and many use this forum in a Moodle course to announce exam dates, times or changes to exams, lectures or seminars, as well as important information about course work throughout a term or special announcements relating to events.

==Teacher/Tutor forums==

''Prior to Moodle 1.7, each course had a teacher forum, accessible via a link in the course administration block.''

A teacher/tutor-only forum may be added to a course by creating a hidden forum. Teachers are able to view hidden course activities whereas students cannot.

==How do I know which forum is right for my purpose?==

Moodle has four kinds of forums:

# A single simple discussion
# Standard forum for general use
# Each person posts one discussion
# Q And A Forum

Which of the above will best suit your needs for a particular activity? In order to answer this question it is useful to think how you might lead such a discussion in a face-to-face environment. Would you throw the question out to the class and sit back to observe them in their answers? Or would you break them up into smaller groups first and ask them to have discussions with a partner before bringing them back to the main group? Or perhaps you would like to keep them focused on a particular aspect of a question and ensure that they do not wander away from the topic at hand? All of the above approaches are both valid and useful, depending on your learning outcomes, and you can replicate all of them in Moodle forums.

''A standard forum for general use'' is probably most useful for large discussions that you intend to monitor/guide or for social forums that are student led. This does not mean that you need to make a new posting for each reply in each topic although, in order to ensure that discussion does not get 'out of control', you may need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of time finding the common threads amongst the various discussions and weaving them together. Providing overall remarks for particular topics can also be a key aspect of your responsibilities in the discussion. Alternatively, you could ask students to summarize discussion topics at agreed points, once a week or when a thread comes to an agreed conclusion. Such a learner-centred approach may be particularly useful once the online community has been established and, perhaps, when you have modeled the summarizing process.

''A single simple discussion'' is most useful for short/time-limited discussion on a single subject or topic. This kind of forum is very productive if you are interested in keeping students focused on a particular issue.

''Each person posts one discussion'' is most useful when you want to achieve a happy medium between a large discussion and a short and focused discussion. A single discussion topic per person allows students a little more freedom than a single discussion forum, but not as much as a standard forum where each student can create as many topics as they wish. Successful forums of this selection can be active, yet focused, as students are not limited in the number of times they can respond to others within threads.

A ''Q and A forum'' is best used when you have a particular question that you wish to have answered. In a Q and A forum, tutors post the question and students respond with possible answers. By default a Q and A forum requires students to post once before viewing other students' postings. After the initial posting, students can view and respond to others' postings. This feature allows equal initial posting opportunity among all students, thus encouraging original and independent thinking.

==Some forum suggestions to consider==

#If your course is at a distance, if your face to face time is limited, or if you just wish to foster a sense of community in your Moodle course which supplements your face to face course, it is good practice to begin with a welcome or introductory message or thread in one of your forums. This welcome or introduction from you invites participants, for example, to post some specific details to introduce themselves to you and their peers. This can be your icebreaker or you can have an icebreaker separately.
#If you have two questions for participants to answer, starting the two strands or topics within the forum itself will both help learners to see where to put their responses, and remind them to answer all parts of your question.
#Remember that you are communicating in an environment that does not have the benefit of verbal tone, eye contact, body language and the like. Careful consideration of your communication is, therefore, necessary.
#Postings to a forum are always written but they can take different forms and you may wish to consider what form best suits the activity. For instance, you might choose to articulate a form of contribution in order to be explicit. Thus you might say, 'This is a think-aloud forum in which, together, we will try to tease out ideas and possibilities' or 'This is a formal forum in which you are invited to share your ideas on (topic)' and, where you select the latter, you might have already suggested learners plan those ideas offline or in another kind of activity within Moodle.
#Create a forum where only the teacher can start discussions, but the students can only reply. Each thread you start contains an essay question (or several similar ones). The students make a bullet point plan for the essay and post it as a reply. This works well as a revision strategy as the students can see how others have approached the same task. Once everyone has posted their plan, you can start a discussion as to which plans seem better and why. Creating a scale to use for rating the posts can be useful so that the students can see how helpful other people think their effort were.

===Grading forums===

*You can use the ratings to grade student activities by restricting ratings to instructors only, and then rating all student posts. But be aware that this reports an average of all ratings for a single student to the gradebook, and not a sum total of the ratings for all posts. So if you want your students to make several posts in one forum, then you may want to use an Assignment module to house the Forum grade for a particular block. That grade will then be reported to the gradebook. Be sure to make it clear to the students that they don't have to do any assignment in that assignment module, and that that's where their forum grade will be housed.

===Best Practice and shared discussions===
*There are lots of discussions about Forum best use and Forum assessment in the Teaching Strategies Forum http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=41.

*A useful discussion about Forum assessment can be found here http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=66008.

== See also ==

* [http://download.moodle.org/docs/using_moodle/ch4_forums.pdf Using Moodle Chapter 4: Using Forums, Chats and Dialogues]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=116 Forum module]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=5367 The philosophy underlying "no editing after 30 minutes"]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=66008 Best Practices for grading discussions]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=88000 Two Courses, One Forum?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=93304 Using a forum for 1 to 1 teaching]

[[Category:Modules]]
[[de:Forum]]
[[es:Foros]]
[[eu:Foroak]]
[[fr:Forum]]
[[it:Modulo forum]]
[[ja:フォーラムモジュール]]

MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Course settings

Label

IMS content package

IMS content package

Directory

Text page

Messaging

Notes

Moodle in education

Grades

Workshop activity

Wiki activity

Choice activity

Forum activity