Advanced Moodle 2

Advanced Moodle
Moodle 2

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Advanced Moodle 2

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Advanced Moodle 2

A d v a n c e d

M o o d l e

M o o d l e

SECTION 1 Creating Books using the Book Module plugin .................................. 5

SECTION 2 Setting up and customising a Moodle course .................................. 13
SECTION 3 Quick look at 3 Different format possibilities in Moodle.................. 17
SECTION 4 Phase 1........................................................................................... 23
SECTION 5 Phase 2........................................................................................... 24
SECTION 6 The final countdown ....................................................................... 32
SECTION 7 Wiki for groups ................................................................................ 34

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SECTION 1 Creating Books using the Book Module plugin

What is a Book Module in Moodle?
A book in Moodle is a multi-page resource that you can build online chapter by chapter and will look like
a book.
The Book makes it easy to build multi-page collections of resources in a book-like format.

Why use the Book module?

You can use the Book module to present information in a well-structured, user-friendly format.
Also previously created websites can be imported directly into the Book module. Books can be printed
entirely or by chapter (if you enable printing). The Book module is not interactive. You can, however, link
to choices and forums etc from within the book, and you can include multimedia objects and dynamic
links to movies in your book.

Viewing and Navigating through a book (participants and

facilitators)
Click on the name of the book in the course homepage, you will be taken
to the first chapter of the book. To move to the next page, you can use the
links in the Table of Contents (ToC), or you may move through the book
using the arrows located to the top-right and bottom right of the content.

Creating a Book
To create a book:

Click on Turn editing on

Choose Book from the Add a resource... drop-down menu

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Give your book a name and a summary

Tell your students what your book is called and provide a brief description of its content. Keep in mind
that the name you give your book will become the text for the link to it on your main course page.

Add name and

summary of the Book
you are creating.

Indicate how you want chapters numbered

There are several predefined numbering types:

None chapter and sub-chapter titles are not formatted at all, use if you want to define
special numbering styles. For example letters in chapter title type :
A First Chapter, A.1 Subchapter

Numbers chapters and subchapters are numbered

1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 2.1 etc

Bullets subchapters are indented and displayed with bullets

Indented subchapters are indented.

Define chapter
numbering.

Note that the width of the table of contents is set by the administrator of your site.

Enable or disable printing

Disabling printing means hiding the print icons. (the print option is one of this resources most popular
features, so you may not want to disable it.)
Choose either to disable
printing or not.

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Allow or disallow custom titles

If you disallow custom titles, the chapter title (the one that appears on the table of contents (ToC)) will
appear as a header at the to of your content. If you enable custom titles, you will be able to create a title
different from the one that appears in the ToC or display no title at all. If you enable custom tittles, you
will need to enter the chapter title as part of the page content.

Choose either to enable

custom titles or not.

Custom titles enabled

Custom title
Table of
Contents
Note: that the custom title is different to the title in the Table of Contents
Custom titles disabled

Note: that the titles in the table of contents and in the chapter are the same.

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Add a chapter
Titles of chapters appear as links in the Table of Contents to the left of your content. Keep your titles
short.
Enter a chapter title.

Add a chapter

View work to date

So far you see the table of contents on the left and the content on the right.
Note the print icons near the top
To add another chapter, click on the red cross in the ToC or first chapter. The new chapter will be
inserted directly after the chapter whose title is on the same line as the red cross you click.

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Add a sub chapter

A chapter may have many sub chapters, but sub chapters can not have sub chapters. In order to keep
this resource simple you are limited to two levels.

Add a sub chapter

Note: that the sub chapter box is checked

To add another chapter, click on the Add new chapter icon next to the name of the chapter you just
created in the Table of Contents. The new chapter will be inserted directly after that previous chapter.

Icons in the Book Module

Add new chapter :
Hide/Show :
Delete :
Edit :
Up :

allows you to create or add a new chapter

allows you to hide/show the chapter

allows you to delete the chapter

allows you to edit the content of the chapter

allows you to move the chapter one level up

Down :

allows you to move the chapter one level down.

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Importing a page (This must be enabled by the site administrator)

The Book module allows you to include the content of a webpage in your book by directly importing the
webpage into the book. To import a web page, in the Editing chapter page click on Import at the
bottom of the page.
An example of this would be that each student creates a simple web page about a topic and uploads the
pages into the book. Viola! You and your students have created a useful a, interesting resource that you
can build on in subsequent classes.

Click on the import link

Click on the Choose or upload a file button then click on Choose next to the webpage you want in your
Files are.
If you havent uploaded the webpage yet to Moodle, you can upload it in the Files area in the window
that just opened. Then click on the Choose next to the webpage.
Tick the Subchapter checkbox if you want the page you're importing to be a subchapter. Click on
Import
Browse to the desired web page or folder of
web pages and import them into your book.

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Note: Relative file links are converted to absolute chapter links. Images, Flash and Java are relinked to.
Remember to upload images and multimedia files as well as html files to your server. Unfortunately
Javascripts, SSI page includes etc will most likely be lost, so be advice is to keep your pages simple and
static.

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SECTION 2 Setting up and customising a Moodle course

A generic blank course
When you first enter a new
Moodle course, it will
appear like this. It has no
content or activities and no
participants.

Blocks: Each course homepage generally contains blocks on the left and
the right, with the centre column containing the main course content. Blocks
may be added, hidden, deleted, and moved up, down and left/right when
editing is turned on.
Over 25 different block types are available to the teacher (the lecturers
Moodle role) to enable them to provide additional information or
functionality to their learners.

Administration: A teacher with editing rights will also have a course

administration block. This is an important tool for the teacher. It has sub
menus for course: backup, restore, users, grades and question bank.
A student's course administration block typically only has the Grades and
Profile options available.

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Settings: Click on Settings block in the Administration block. This settings block has been docked to
the side of the page. The setting block could also be listed with the other blocks to the right of the
content.

Turn Edit on!

Sounds simple but this will be the one things when you are starting out that you will habitually forget to
do. Your screen will change to editing mode and you are now ready to add resources and activities as
directed by your presenter. Adjust the settings for your course as suggested by the presenter or to suit
your course.
Note: You can change any of these settings again at any time

When you have finished Editing Course Settings, click on the Save changes button at the bottom of the
page.

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Editing tools
There is a wide amount of editing tools in the WYSIWYG editor for Moodle 2. Below is a brief outline of
the tools that will be used to Shape up your Shell.

Icon

Effect

Icon

Effect

Icon

Effect

Icon

Effect

Insert/Edit image

Insert a new
* table

Moodle Media

Prevent automatic
linking

Toggle full screen

mode

Paste from
* Word

Insert/edit link

Toggle spellchecker

Unlink

Remove formatting

Edit HTML source

Paste as Plain
text

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SECTION 3 Quick look at 3 Different format possibilities in

Moodle
Format 1
Format: Grid Format
This format can instantly turn your scroll of death course into something that looks like it was developed
by a professional web developer all with a simple plug-in and flick of a switch in your edit settings area.
Again as this is a plug-in so you will need to have your Administrator or Host run a quality assurance
debug. Full documentation is available on moodle.org
What does it do?
The pictures set out in a grid format (hence the name) are a series of clickable dynamic links.

When you click on the images you get a pop up overlay of the associated topic. The overlay looks similar
to how a light box gallery displays (shown below).

Is it easy for the lecturer/admin to use?

It is quite simple. Once you have the plug-in running in your site click into your course. Go into the
setting block and click edit settings and set the format to Grid format and save.
You do need to upload an image into each related topic box (shown below).
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As with all other formats you can swap to another format type without losing the content integrity.
Ease of use for learner
For a learner it is very simple to use as they click to expand, click to collapse. It is very simple.
Plug-in link
https://github.com/PukunuiAustralia/moodle-courseformat_grid

Format 2
Format: Collapsed Topics
Collapsed topics Format for Moodle 2. this is a plug in module that provides an alternative course format
for those who want something different to the standard vertical topics or weekly topics to help remove
the Scroll of death that happens when the page goes on too long. This is a plug-in so you will need to
have your Administrator or Host run a quality assurance debug. Full documentation is available on
moodle.org
What does it do?
The Collapsed Topics course format takes the existing topics from a topics format course, and presents
them in a more compact view. The topics names are shown in a list and each topic can be toggled
open or in its default closed or hidden state. The user simply clicks on the down arrow to expand a
topic, and the up arrow to collapse it.

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Is it easy for the lecturer/admin to use?

It is quite simple. Once you have the plug-in running in your site click into your course. Go into the
setting block and click edit settings and set the format to Collapsed Topics and save.
When you click on the down arrow, the topic nicely expands as shown in the below graphic.

You can also expand more than one of the topics at once, as shown below.

As with all other formats you can swap to another format type without losing the content integrity.
Ease of use for learner
For a learner it is very simple to use as they click to expand, click to collapse. It is very simple.
Plug-in link
http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=format_topcoll
Some Random Thoughts
Review: Collapsed Topics course format for Moodle 2.0
http://www.somerandomthoughts.com/blog/2011/06/14/review-collapsed-topics-format-for-moodle-2-0/
Last Access Date 24 Nov 2011
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Format 3
Format: Slide Format
This format is a very powerful format that can help you to turn your scroll of death course into
something that will create a nested learning experience for your learners. Again as this is a plug-in so
you will need to have your Administrator or Host run a quality assurance debug. Full documentation will
be available on moodle.org
What does it do?
The slides course format is a variation of the topics course format. The format loads all of the topic into
slides which you can then navigate freely through without reloading the page again, as you would have
to if you used topics and focused on one of them. This navigation is nice and smooth with sliding
transitions between topics/slides.
It also provides an overview of all completions on the front slide.
Is it easy for the lecturer/admin to use?
It is quite simple. Once you have the plug-in running in your site click into your course. Go into the
setting block and click edit settings and set the format to slides format and save.
You do need to upload an image into each related topic box (shown below).

Traditional Topic Format

You can see the scroll of death
that will soon happen with this
sample course.

Slide Format
You can see the scroll of death is
eliminated and the course slide is
showing the introduction slide, simple
but effective.

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One thing once the slide loaded each of the slide

numbers turned grey as they loaded in the
background which is why the developer explains
that it loads each topic / section asynchronously
(theoretically reducing perceived load time). This is
an advantage over showing one topic at a time
normally, as each jump is a reload.
Clicking on a slide number has the next topic slide
in from the right side, as shown below with a
screenshot taken during transition.
You can nicely jump to any of the other topic slides
without reloading. There is an extra slide ( the first
one) which is the Outline as shown below. This
provides a completion view of all the sides which
have completion aspects.

As with all other formats you can swap to another format type without losing the content integrity.
Ease of use for learner
For a learner it is very simple to use as they click to expand, click to collapse. It is very simple.
Plug-in link
http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=4756
Some Random Thoughts
Review: Slides course format for Moodle 2.0
http://www.somerandomthoughts.com/blog/2011/06/13/review-slides-course-format-for-moodle-2-0/
Last Access Date 24 Nov 2011

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SECTION 4 Phase 1
Before we begin with playing with formatting to make your course more like a website there are a few
things to do at the outset that will assist you in the deMoodle of your look.
How to remove the Topic Outline words

Step 1
Add a HTML block

Step 2
Name the HTML block Welcome and then open Edit HTML source
Turn on HTML editor and add in HTML

Save changes
Hey Presto as long as this block is open the words will be hidden.
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SECTION 5 Phase 2
Format with HTML
Step 1 Insert a label
Click Add a resource in the Course outline area of your shell and select Label.

in the label
Insert a table
Example Table properties are outlined in the graphic

Using the file picker Search for the image that you need

Once you have located you header image and tweaked its appearance
click insert

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Save your label

Your course should have a similar look to this.

NB you DO NOT put in the navigation at this stage!

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Step 2 Add books.

For every topic that you have in your course I would recommend that you have a separate book setup. It
is the same process for each book that will be outlined in the sections.
Click on the Add a resource and select Book.

Insert some place holder content into the summary.

Go back into each book and add place holder content into each chapter as outlined in the below graphic.

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Step 3 Create template

After you have created the books you need to open them by right clicking and selecting open in new tab

Copy the links for each for the pages

Paste and save them in a notepad page
We will use these later to connect up the
All important site navigation.

Add a HTML page lower in the course away from the topics you are creating.

Name the template

I suggest naming it as the following:
Course###templatepage.
In the example in the graphic the name of the
template is:
Course695templatepage.
Click on the toggle full screen in the Content
area .

Add a table

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Add the header image into the first row of the table by clicking in the table centring the image placement
.
and inserting image
Using the file picker Search for the image that you need

Once you have located you header image and tweaked its appearance click insert

Add content

navigation and footer

Important note you MUST click Save and display

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Right click on the image you have loaded as your banner and select view image

Copy the link location so you

have the link to the plugin image
and not the image you have in
draft mode

Past the copied plugin link into the image URL and
forever more the link will work as it is pointing to the
plugin location and not the draft folder location.

Now repeat the process for the Footer

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Step 4
Now is the time that you need to remember to link the navigation through ALL your front page as well
as the internal pages of ALL your book modules.

Highlight the navigation word you want to create the hyperlink to.

Insert hyperlink and Update

Save

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The internal of your books should look similar to this example course.

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SECTION 6 The final countdown

Not quite there yet, but nearly. Click back to the front page of your course and click on your settings
block. Scroll down and click on Edit settings.

Change the number of weeks/topics to 1

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Hey Presto the magic will have worked and your shell will now be looking like the example below.

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SECTION 7 Wiki for groups

A wiki is a fast method for collaborating on content as a group. There is no single person who has final
editorial control it is collaboration in its purest form. The community edits and develops the content and
then the consensus views emerge from the work of many in just the one document.
In Moodle you can have the entire class edit a single wiki, each student can have their own wiki and
finally a group of students can be assigned to a single wiki. This is the focus of these notes.
*Important*
You must have students enrolled in the course to be able to assign them to groups
Step 1 In the setting block click on groups

Step 2 Click on create group

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Step 3 Name the group, put in a description if you feel it is necessary. You do not need to worry about
the enrolment key. Click save changes

Step 4 Adding users to the groups. Click on add and remove users.

Step 5 Click on users that you wish to move into the group.

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Step 6 Success! Click back to groups to repeat.

Repeat step 4, 5 & 6 until all participants are added to a group.

Step 7 Setting up the wiki. Click add an activity and choose wiki.

Step 8 Name the wiki and create the wiki activity framework

Select collaborative wiki

Select Separate groups

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Step 9 Add the first page to the wiki

Step 10 Assigning wiki pages to each of your groups.

Choose a
group

Step 11 Add information about the wiki for the participants.

Add text for the

group to see

Step 12 Save. Repeat steps 10 12 as necessary until all groups are assigned. You are creating 1 wiki
but with closed pages so each group will have a separate page in the wiki that the other groups will not
be able to access.

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