Moodle News » facebook

Moodlebook = Facebooky theme for Moodle 2.2+

Joseph Thibault — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:09 +0000

Julian Ridden (@Moodleman) has just updated/released his new “Facebook” theme for Moodle which is based on the core Decaf theme by Lei Zhang. The theme mimics the world’s favorite social network in color and layout and also includes some nifty drop down navigation. Dropdowns from the main menu bar across the top link to a users course enrollments, their settings and other main blocks (seemingly removing the need for docked blocks).

It’s nice looking and easy to navigate (and courses look great with the theme as well).

Enjoy!

Moodlebook for Moodle 2.2.x forum [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=163036] | Download [https://github.com/moodleman/moodle-theme_moodlebook]

Moodle user Authentication via Google (super simple registration) by @mouneyrac

Joseph Thibault — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:00:09 +0000

Here’s a cool resource by Jerome Mouneyrac (@mouneyrac) at Moodle, IT and me blog which provides the tools necessary for bringing Google Authentication to your Moodle site (just like Facebook Connect for Moodle). The Oauth2 Plugin for Moodle is Jerome’s first authentication plugin for Moodle 2.0 and you can see it working at a sample site to see just how easy registration can be if your users are Gmail/Google Apps users already.

Download the plugin: https://github.com/mouneyrac/auth_googleoauth2
Checkout the demo site: https://www.socialfutsal.com/futsal/login/ (click the Google logo to get started)

Unfortunately at the time of this posting the Module was not yet available at Moodle.org (but here’s the link just in case). While the addon is working, the service is currently in beta (use at your own risk).

“How learning is changing to a more social dynamic” by @wastretchbeyond

Joseph Thibault — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:00:15 +0000

WebAnywhere recently published an interesting white paper on the changing landscape of online learning/elearning and how it’s being impacted by the innovations large and small providing new ways to connect and learn online. From Google+ to Facebook for learning to Moodle and other free services the landscape is changing more towards social-oriented platforms and systems.

As we move into a new era of eLearning or Blended Learning we find ourselves in a completely new paradigm. Organizations now not only look to partner with custom content development houses, build content in house or simply buy the ‘off- the shelf’ type content, they also are looking at completely new modes of delivery of this content.

The market has further been distorted by open source platforms such as Moodle which have given companies the power to test eLearning before they make financial commitment. We have also seen other tools such as Screenr, Google apps, Youtube and DIM DIM (virtual classroom) all being used as free tools to deliver learning.

The authors go onto talk about the growing importance of Mobile web technologies and the rapid adoption of smart phone technology which, as of yet, has not made major in roads to elearning or education in general. Mobile technology, Moodle and Social Learning, WebAnywhere suspects, are the major areas to watch in the next few years.

What do you think? How can Moodle best capitalize on the future trends outlined in the paper or learn from the newest free social software available on the web?

New Block: User Information Block

Joseph Thibault — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:30:03 +0000

Here’s a cool new block that provides a great way to either spice up a user’s myMoodle page or to create a sticky block experience that verifies a student’s identity for the duration of their Moodle activities.

The block is the “User Information Block” and was created/contributed by Federico Botti. You can download it for Moodle 1.9 or 2.0 at Moodle.org.

Download [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=4750]. Please note: there is a typo in the Readme file and installation instructions at Moodle.org. The name of the block folder should be “userinfo” not “user_info”.

Shown below in the screenshots is the version for 1.9. Pretty handy shortcuts to messages and courses at all time. Seems like a great way to “Facebookify” your Moodle experience for students.

Quick video interview of @Moodlerooms about the Joule2.0 release and their new social wrapper for Moodle

Joseph Thibault — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:56:30 +0000

Anyone seen the social wrapper for Joule/Moodle by Moodlerooms?

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYLK34ug0D8

What is Joule? http://www.moodlerooms.com/lms-solutions/joule/

Foodle vs #Facebook (side by side of myMoodle and my Profile in FB)

Joseph Thibault — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:09:55 +0000

Thought some people might appreciate a side-by-side of the Facebook-look applied to Moodle. Below are screen shots of myMoodle with the Foodle theme applied (and a HTML block added with my picture). You can also accomplish this automatically by using a block like the “COVCELL Personal Profile Block” which is available from Moodle.org: http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=1180. Of course we might get even closer with the release of Moodle 2.0 and it’s user-centric layout and new myMoodle features.

If we could add a social stream or “Latest News/Activity” pulling posts from forums I was subscribed to and insert them in the center below the courses I think we’d have just replicated Facebook in Moodle. :D

Moodle + Facebook aesthetics = the Foodle theme

Joseph Thibault — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:00:47 +0000

Foodle, a Moodle theme for Moodle 1.9.x is available from Moodle Partner, UVCMS of Buenos Aires, Argentina [http://moodlesolutions.uvcms.com]. It’s a slick, simplistic theme that evokes the basic aesthetic of Facebook while providing a full screen width and shiny new icon set. I’ve installed it at my own Moodle and everything looks great. I especially love the fact that it simplifies the teacher editing view by hiding some of the editing icons unless you scroll over them.

If you’re looking for a theme that might pique the interest of your students by providing a nice layout with a similar look and feel to the world’s most popular social network: Foodle is your theme.

Downloadable from both UVCMS and Moodle.org:

Opinion – #Facebook, Teachbook and Teacher Collaboration

Joseph Thibault — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:30:03 +0000

You might have heard of Teachbook. It’s the website getting sued by social networking behemoth, Facebook for infringing on the use of the “[insert random word here]book” brand that Facebook has ever so diligently built (note sarcasm). Considering that Facebook’s name itself is lifted from a product that was once in print, I’m not a fan of the litigation. Not to mention that they’ve taken it all a step further and are moving to protect use of the word “face” as well.

Dear Mark Zuckerburg,

Stop it.

Anyways, what most people don’t know about Teachbook is that the collaboration it promotes occurs at least in part on a Moodle site. (Where’s your Moodle, Facebook?) On the Teachbook Moodle, while there are only 8 courses, you can see the level of collaboration within those courses by the number of co-facilitators/teachers enrolled.

According to the site:

When you join Teachbook, you can:
+Manage your professional profile and all information in your account by choosing to share with administrators, colleagues, parents or public
+Create and search lesson plans, instructional videos, and other teaching resources
+Manage your classroom communications with secure parent-teacher communication tools, such as a gradebook, events calendar, classroom newsletter, and homework space
+Communicate and connect with colleagues though discussion, chat, blogs, and more
+Gain new teaching knowledge and insights from like-minded professionals in groups
+Create and manage online courses and instructional modules
+Enable teachers to manage their student grades by recording, calculating, and sharing them in a secure online gradebook.

Teachbook is taking the social aspects of the web and going one further by providing both the training and the tools necessary to master the use of online course management systems. I think it could be a hit service and community. Even if it has to change it’s name.

Note, at the publishing of this post there existed a redirect issue on the Teachbook Moodle site (always returning you to the home page). A support ticket was submitted to Teachbook staff to alert them of the issue.

Opinion – Can Moodle replace social networks in educational settings?

Joseph Thibault — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:00:43 +0000

There are a few interesting articles recently, one from Tampa Bay’s local news channel 10 and the other from the Mundelein Review in Illinois: the local school districts are banning or discouraging communication between students and teachers via social networks and instead are leaning on Moodle and school website portals to provide all modes of communication between the community, teachers, parents and students.

Read the articles here: http://www.wtsp.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=141641 and http://www.pioneerlocal.com/mundelein/news/2593194,mundelein-communication-081910-s1.article

While the use of social network sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace) in schools is a contentious issue, I’m curious what general opinion about student-teacher communication in schools looks like today (via Moodle or not).

Can and does Moodle provide an adequate communication venue for students, parents and teachers? What Moodle tool works best? What specifically might it be missing?¹

While banning communication through Facebook (or other social networks) may prevent otherwise positive and learning-focused communications, I can see where the school (and it’s legal team) might be coming from.

By strengthening the walled-garden that is their school’s website portal and LMS, its possible for a school to get the best of both worlds (i.e. that is, stem potentially dangerous communications before they happen and promote adequate, informal and formal educational discussions between students, parents and teachers)?

¹ Moodle 2.0 provides a much more robust communication tool for students and teachers (specifically enabling a inbox and message system). I think that it will change how many schools view Moodle in terms of providing an adequate communication channel [http://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle_2.0_release_notes#Messaging]

Find Moodle on #Facebook

Joseph Thibault — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:30:44 +0000

There’s a Moodle Facebook page with some nice discussions going on, “like” it at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moodle/41808104107. A few great fan photos as well, like this one: