OER Exchange contributors block
| OER Exchange contributors block | |
|---|---|
| Type | Block |
| Set | N/A |
| Downloads | https://marketplace.moodle.com/plugins/block_oerexchangecontributors |
| Issues | https://github.com/adamjenkins/moodle-block_oerexchangecontributors/issues |
| Discussion | https://marketplace.moodle.com/plugins/block_oerexchangecontributors |
| Maintainer(s) | Adam Jenkins (WiseCat) |
The OER Exchange: contributors block shows the people who publish to an OER Exchange as cards, ordered by what they have shared. Each card links to the contributor's public Exchange profile. The block can go on the Dashboard or the Site home of the Exchange site. It is part of the OER Exchange plugin set, and it works only on the site where the OER Exchange plugin (local_oerexchange) is installed.
Installation
Install the plugin from the Moodle plugins directory, or download the ZIP file and follow Installing plugins. The files go in the folder blocks/oerexchangecontributors. The plugin supports Moodle 5.0 to 5.3.
The block needs OER Exchange 1.0.10 or later on the same site. Moodle does not install the block without it.
What the block shows
Each contributor card shows:
- the contributor's profile picture and name;
- their badges, such as Trusted Contributor;
- up to three of the expertise areas from their Exchange profile;
- how many resources and how many courses they have shared, for example 12 resources · 3 courses;
- when they last shared something, for example latest 2 days ago.
The whole card is a link to the contributor's profile.
Two menus sit above the cards:
- Sort by: Most resources shared, Most courses shared or Recently shared.
- View as: Cards (large pictures in a grid) or List (one contributor per row, which suits a narrow block region).
Changing either menu updates the block without reloading the page. Without JavaScript, the menus work as a normal form with a Sort button. The choice is not saved as a preference: the block opens with its own defaults again.
The footer link See all contributors opens the full contributor listing of the Exchange, with the same menus and 24 contributors per page. Anyone can open that page, including visitors who are not logged in.
Who appears
- Only people with at least one resource that is currently published in the catalogue. Someone whose resources are all pending, hidden or taken down does not appear.
- Only people whose Exchange profile is public. A contributor who turns off Show my profile publicly on their profile is left out.
- Co-authors count in the same way as the creator: a resource counts once for each of its authors.
- Deleted and suspended accounts never appear.
If nobody qualifies yet, the block says No one has published to this Exchange yet.
Adding and configuring the block
- Go to your Dashboard, or to the Site home if you are a manager.
- Turn on Edit mode and click Add a block (see Blocks).
- Choose OER Exchange: contributors.
- To change the block's defaults, open its actions menu, choose Configure OER Exchange: contributors block, set the options below and click Save changes.
The block can be added only to the Dashboard and the Site home, and only once per page. Each option can be left at Use the site default:
- Contributors to show: 1 to 24 cards.
- View: Cards or List, before the viewer changes it.
- Sort on load: the order before the viewer changes it.
The block has no title setting. Its title is always OER Exchange: contributors.
To give everyone the block, an administrator can add it to Site administration > Appearance > Default Dashboard page and then click Reset Dashboard for all users.
Site settings
In Site administration > Plugins > Blocks > OER Exchange: contributors you set the defaults for every block that keeps Use the site default:
- Contributors to show (default 6): how many contributor cards a block shows. Values above 24 are treated as 24.
- View (default Cards): cards or a compact list.
- Sort on load (default Most resources shared): the order before the viewer changes it.
Capabilities
- block/oerexchangecontributors:myaddinstance (Add a new OER Exchange: contributors block to Dashboard): add the block to your own Dashboard. Allowed for authenticated users by default.
- block/oerexchangecontributors:addinstance (Add a new OER Exchange: contributors block): add the block to the Site home (editing the Site home needs its own permission too). Allowed for managers and editing teachers by default.
Privacy
The block stores no data of its own. It only shows information that the OER Exchange plugin already stores (profiles, badges and published resources), and only for contributors whose profile is public. The viewer's sort and view choices are not saved. The OER Exchange plugin's privacy provider covers the data shown (see OER Exchange).
