Moodle+Webinar+Notes

toc

Previous moodle session at YETC - http://iu12moodle.wikispaces.com/ 4/17/09 - Moodle speaker: Laura Mikowychok-- Skype: mikowychok; email: LauraMi@cciu.org. [|Moodle.org]

Hardware Requirements

 * 1GB RAM/ 50 concurrent users
 * Concurrent users: roughly 5% of active user accounts

Back End

 * SSL Certificates for some sites (such as Executive Board)
 * Sites that have username and password do not need security certificate. Slows things down.

Authentication

 * All About [|LDAP]
 * Benefits - streamline account management, security
 * Limitations - Only one LDAP directory; number of instances should reflect number of directories, fields may reveal student information; be careful here (do not put student information in the email acct).
 * Guest Access can be tricky.
 * Distinction between courses with guest access or if users can create guest accounts?
 * Roles and permissions are important to avoid this type of issue.

Email-based self registration

 * Enable/Disable
 * Site admin block>Users>Authentication>Manage authentication
 * Leave plugin on, but the lower drop down may be off. If you close the plugin, previous user accounts will be disabled.
 * reCAPTCHA option
 * Site admin block>Users>Authentication>Email-based self registration
 * Save Changes, add reCAPTCHA

Roles & Permissions

 * CCIU setup
 * 1-3 District Admins, 1 Course Creator per building
 * Program or District, not Site (configuration stuff), Administrators
 * Superintendent's Role, or Observer role
 * Users>Permissions>Define Roles
 * Assign System Roles - System wide settings for roles of users
 * [[image:hidden.jpg align="left"]]Hidden Assignment checkbox will keep the assignment hidden. User won't appear on all courses with this one checked. Check the box per user.
 * Teachers can have other roles
 * Parent Role (presenter will share her parent role settings)
 * Parents can have mentee/mentor access - assign a parent to an individual student!
 * Users>Accounts>Browse for student
 * Click student profile (each student)
 * Roles tab
 * Assign parent role here to establish mentor/mentee relationship (guidance counselor, parent)
 * Be sure that the person doing this has the Assign roles to users in the Role area
 * Parent role allows access to student profile and reports for that student.
 * Guest type access to course is better for showing the whole course to parents, if desired.

Uptime
- Is Moodle mission-critical for your organization? - How can you deliver?
 * Keep high volume records (peak times, end of mp, end of school year)
 * Plan for hardware
 * Synchronize your maintenance to minimize downtime (vacations, etc.)

Upgrades vs. Updates

 * Upgrade is a version change. (Optional)
 * Capture a backup first
 * Check the features - is it worth it?
 * Updates - iterations in versions. (Always do)

Development

 * Keep a development instance
 * Give back to Moodle.org

3rd party Modules

 * []**
 * Support committment. Is the module worth it?
 * Does the need warrant the module?
 * Test it on the development site.
 * Modules may require patching code. Be skeptical. You have to change that line of code with every upgrade.
 * Keep a CVS repository of code changes for reference

Special Files

 * Newer programs (.docx)? Zip them up before putting them into Moodle.
 * Media (turn in built on filter)
 * Search site admin block for **media** and the filters area appears>Turn on Multimedia plugins
 * Control upload size
 * Search site admin block for **max** and it's in Site Policies.
 * Use a streaming server to avoid using so much space on your Moodle server.

Support

 * Do you need a consultant? Moodle rooms, etc. Often they require hosting so there's an extra charge.
 * Moodle.org
 * User support - ticketing program or dedicated email address for questions.

Keeping it clean

 * Resetting courses instead of copying them!
 * Admin block of any course>Reset
 * Wipes course of user data and gets it ready for new class/semester
 * Leaves content (Does remove forum topics)
 * The Reset removes all contributions to sites that are not teacher created resources/activities.
 * Teacher can backup individual forms using Restore function.
 * Long-time-no-see policy
 * If a user hasn't logged in for a certain period of time, they are automatically removed.
 * Cleaning out manual backups
 * Cleaning out manual backups
 * Cleaning out manual backups
 * Cleaning out manual backups

Reports [[image:reports.jpg width="152" height="126" align="right"]]

 * Enable Statistics
 * Site Administration menu, under Server > Statistics
 * Choose All under second drop down. 72 hours to compile after set.
 * Course Overview
 * Logs
 * Statistics

Backups
Teacher .zip file to back up individual courses. Tell teachers: Capture back up after completely created. After a huge activity (exam, forum, wiki) Built in tool can be buggy, especially if course is large in size.

Archives
Captured at end of year for long time storage. DOE requires you keep doc on students for as long as you have students records on file. (Grad/death) Search Backup in admin search box. Set schedule and where to save. When to execute. Teachers should not rely on this, as it's a pain to restore from the archive. More for legal/grade dispute issues.

Lessons Learned
Fear issues - New software, Investment, Time, Trouble Hunger issues - Ideas, Support

Students
See all pictures on your site with http://yoursite/userpix .'

Questions:
1. David Fry-- Hanover Public School District-- Is there a way to use an external database to assign students to groups with in classes? **No, but enrollment key can.** 2. Cathy DiPiano, Dallastown-- We have tons of questions, but I will have to gather them. The most recent is a problem with word wrapping and journaling. I have a teacher that creates journals and then when the students enter the information the text does not word wrap and keeps going on and on and on. This problem has appeared twice. We have posted it to Moodle.org but no one has answered us. >Themes, site level (front page and defaults). Teacher can choose their own theme. User can choose in their profile for a theme, but are overridden if course or site theme is enforced.**
 * >Theme or HTML code, not Moodle malfunction. Try a different theme, and see if the problem persists.

Jaron Flickenger-Northeastern:1 - when we see add-ins or new modules, how tough is it to install these. (Since CAIU does that, I just want to know how reticent I should be about asking.) Installation is a 2 step process.** 2 - what add-ins/modules would you recommend? Questionnaire Activity TurnItIn Integration activity Hot Potatoes activity Book resource WiZiQ activity Course Dedication block** 3 - how do you modify the new modules? Should I be able to do that remotely? 4 - any suggestions on the best way to clean out the Moodle users? (We upgraded, and I hope to do some house cleaning this summer - we don't have it linked to LDAP yet.) 5 - oh, any hints on connecting it to LDAP? Does that work to clean it up as well?
 * TEST, TEST, TEST
 * Check out:** [|**http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009**]
 * Ungraded Assignments

Michelle Krill-South Western: I want to know how to duplicate a role, but then reduce that person's rights. For instance, I want to have someone be a course creator, but then not be able to do much else AND I do not want that person to show up on the course at all.

I want to know how to integrate google apps with moodle (which is new).

I want to know how to set it up so kids don't need to enter an email address in the profile OR to avoid the profile setup altogether if we're using LDAP.

Can a teacher reset a student password? **No There is a built in password retrieval in Moodle. Teachers can have students edit profile with a __real email address__ and use the Forgot Password button to have an email sent with password.**