Textless forum
| Textless forum | |
|---|---|
| Type | Local plugin |
| Set | N/A |
| Downloads | https://moodle.org/plugins/local_textless_forum |
| Issues | https://github.com/adamjenkins/moodle-local_textless_forum/issues |
| Discussion | https://moodle.org/plugins/local_textless_forum |
| Maintainer(s) | Adam Jenkins (WiseCat) |
Textless forum is a local plugin that turns chosen forums into forums where every post is an audio or video recording. Typing is switched off in the message box; the only way to post is to record. It suits speaking practice in language courses, spoken reflections, and show-and-tell tasks. The post's subject can still be typed.
Installation
Install the plugin from the Moodle plugins directory, or download the ZIP file and follow Installing plugins. The files go in the folder local/textless_forum. The plugin supports Moodle 5.0 to 5.3.
Recording needs a current browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari). Browsers allow the microphone and camera only on secure sites, so the site must use HTTPS.
Making a forum textless
- Add a forum, or open an existing forum's settings.
- Expand the Textless forum (RecordRTC only) section.
- Tick Make this forum textless.
- Choose the Allowed recording type: Audio or video, Audio only or Video only.
- Set the Maximum recording length.
- Save.
Posting in a textless forum
When someone adds a discussion, replies or edits a post in a textless forum, the message editor is replaced by a recorder:
- Click Record audio or Record video (only the allowed types are shown) and allow the browser to use the microphone or camera.
- For video, the camera preview appears first so that you can check how you look; recording starts only when you click Start recording. Cancel closes the camera. Audio recording starts at once.
- While recording, a countdown shows the Time remaining. Click Stop recording when you have finished; at the maximum length, recording stops by itself.
- The recording is uploaded and added to the post. Record again replaces it.
- Post as usual.
The forum's Reply links lead to the same recorder, so replies must be recordings too.
The server enforces the same rules, whatever way a post is made (for example through web services or the Moodle app): when a post in a textless forum is saved, everything in its message except recordings of the allowed type is removed. Uploads must really be audio or video recordings (WebM, MP4 or Ogg) within the site, course and forum upload limits and the forum's maximum length.
Site settings
In Site administration > Plugins > Local plugins > Textless forum:
Recording quality
- Audio bitrate (128 kb/s) and Video bitrate (2,500,000 bits per second, that is 2500 kb/s): the quality, and so the file size, of recordings.
- Allow switching cameras (off): show a Switch camera button during the video preview, for people with more than one camera.
Recording transcoding
Recordings can also be converted in the background into formats that more devices can play. The original is kept as well, and the converted copy is added to the post as an alternative, so each browser uses the format it supports.
- Path to ffmpeg: the full path to the ffmpeg program on the server. It is locked when the site prevents executable paths from being changed in the browser (
$CFG->preventexecpath). - Transcode recordings (off): the switch. Whether ffmpeg can be run is checked in the background; if the check fails, transcoding is turned off and the settings page says why.
- Audio format: Don't convert or MP3.
- Video format: Don't convert or MP4 (H.264/AAC).
Capabilities
The plugin adds no capabilities. Posting needs the forum's usual permissions, and the forum settings need the usual permissions to edit the activity.
Privacy
The plugin stores only each forum's settings, not personal data. Recordings are stored with the forum posts by the forum itself, which handles their privacy.
