Course format ideas
This is a page set up in response to comments in this forum post: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p910726 It may take a number of iterations to get to where was want.
Former discussions:
- Possibility of getting Folderview into Moodle: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=175758#p772469
- Martin's post, prior to 2.3: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=200470#p874588
- Marty's 2008 post: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=102680
- Course formats at present: a summary from Moodle News http://www.moodlenews.com/course-formats/
There are several factors.
- Legacy issues
- Getting a nice solution into the core. As Mary says, we don't all have the benefit of an IT department, and hosted solutions cost a lot to customise.
- Creating flexibility fo plugin writers.
- ??
1.9 to version 2 brought the navigation menu. In some respects this attempts to do everything. We have site navigation, course navigation and section navigation in one block. Almost an alternative scroll of death.
2.2 to 2.3 brought us a course level choice of a new layout option. Single sections and All sections on one page. Somehow the drop down list of sections was removed, whether this is a feature or an ommission is unclear. As an immediate fix in 2.3.x I'd like to see it back. Much like in this post. http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p910618
Contributed Formats
- Folder view - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_folderview
- Flexpage (Now back on the scene for 2.2 but not 2.3, see http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p911219)
- Collapsed Topics - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_topcoll
- Grid - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_grid and http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB-3769
- Onetopic - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_onetopic
- Easypost - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_easypost
- Topics (colours) - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_colours
- Weekly reversed - see http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_weeksrev
See: https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Talk:Paged_course_formats
General principles
ie what are the ways we should be thinking about this?
Consistently available ie there, in general, without having to scroll (as is the case regularly with inside course navigation in the Nav menu).
One option: a menu at the top left.
http://moodle.org/pluginfile.php/554/mod_forum/post/873291/Pic1.png
- a plugin: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=169107
- Itamars version: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p910618 and his comments: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=200470#p874588 (from an old post)
http://moodle.org/pluginfile.php/155/mod_forum/post/910639/sections-vav.png
- Another version from Itamar http://moodle.org/pluginfile.php/155/mod_forum/post/910618/itamarsectionformat.png
IMO, this simple section<>section navigation as and option in core is essential. It takes care of the basic/simple course course, makes navigation in your face and intuitive. I don't like personally having too much in this. I like it really clean. Comments? --Derek Chirnside 12:01, 16 August 2012 (WST)
Ability to tag the current section as current
This is needed especially for the courses done on a week by week basis. You may have a navigation scrolling, but who cares in this case? Highlight this week, with a previous and next and I think it works OK. Then there is the problem of too much content for one week. The subpage module maybe of use here? --Derek Chirnside 12:01, 16 August 2012 (WST)
ie the Navigation menu option isn't enough.
Comments: "Regarding the SoD in the Navigation block, I think a very easy improvement to the in-course navigation would be to simply break out that navigation from the My Courses tree into its own tree. That way users can easily navigate within the course as well as between courses, but aren't hit with too much information with large course lists." from Kris Stokking http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p911219
IMO there are too many levels in the Navigation Menu: Site, (Course), Sectionns, Section content. I'd like to see Course > Sections only. I don't mind scrolling within a well defined, sell structured section. --Derek Chirnside 12:01, 16 August 2012 (WST)
Other approaches
Comments on Grid idea
Comments on Collapsed sections approadh
Basically, my suggestion. http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=208789#p910650 --Derek Chirnside 12:01, 16 August 2012 (WST) http://moodle.org/pluginfile.php/155/mod_forum/post/910650/Ideal%20Navigation.jpg