Talk:Assignment

Martin originally wrote:

Problem 1

The four core subtypes we have are really confusing from a GUI point of view for new users, and are in fact all very similar.

SOLUTION: Collapse all these four into a single new assignment module that can support any or all of these at once:

• Teacher-written text to students
• Teacher-supplied files to students
• Student-written text for teacher
• Student-supplied files for teacher

Problem 2

The support of subtypes makes it slightly easier to write new assignment types but also makes them less flexible, and so people tend to create hacks.

SOLUTION:

1. Remove subtypes from the default assignment module and implement all core features as above.
2. Allow normal activity modules to declare themselves as "Assignment" modules (similar to resource modules) so that the GUI can group them if required.
3. Provide lib/assignmentlib.php with some core classes to help the migration of subtypes to become full modules.

I understand "Provide lib/assignmentlib.php with some core classes" in two ways: - write the new Assignment module in a way that makes it possible to migrate an instance with the old four-pronged Assignment module. All migrated Assignment modules would turn into new Assignment modules with the appropriate settings. OR - make available a library with classes so that other modules that currently are not Assignment modules ("hacks") to be upgraded to become Assignment modules as well. Examples for this would be the Mahara View Assignment and BIM.

Problem 3

We have no good support for team-based assignments.

SOLUTION:

1. Support course groups and groupings.
2. Add a switch to settings to "Enable team assignments" which will allow users in groups to share one file area and one text response per group.
3. Add good logging of changes made by the users.

Problem 4

Implement web services for all functionality of Moodle to support LightWork and mobile

Assignment Module Redevelopment meetings

The NetSpot development team will use this space to document notes from meetings as they happen.

Meeting 1 - 22 Nov 2011

Project team:

• Mark Drechsler - NetSpot project sponsor
• Damyon Weise - Lead developer
• Victor Herrera - Project Manager
• Ashley Holman - Code Architect, all round good guy
• Minh-Tam Nguyen - Functional Consultant
• Plus future input from the consortium of Australian universities who will support NetSpot's development effort through a range of means. Details to be added soon.

First step is to establish the functional specification for the 'bare minimum' of changes needed to meet the design goals listed by Moodle HQ. Once we have these we can start to look in more detail at the requirements of the Consortium and see how many of these are feasible and how many overlap with existing Tracker 'wish list' items from the broader community.

Project team will be meeting regularly in the lead up to Xmas 2011 to try and be ready to hit some development tasks in early 2012.