Moodle Monday (Directory Resource, Idea of Multiple Sets of Groups)
Happy Monday afternoon, Moodle Users!
1. Have you sometimes got a group of files/resources you want on your Moodle site, but don’t want the long list showing up on the screen for students (or other users)? Or do you have a group of files/resources that might change over time, and as you add or delete you don’t want to constantly change your Moodle links? If so, then you want to look into using the Moodle Directory resource. Using a Directory can save you lots of time, in addition to saving real estate as a group of related items can be represented by a single folder instead of a long list of files. Here is how to set up a Directory:
a. Click on Files in the Administration Pane when in your course
b. Create a New Folder; you might want the name you assign it to be indicative of what is in the directory
c. Upload the files you want to be displayed in your Directory (or move files into the folder if they already exist on your site)
d. On the main page of your course, select Display a Directory under the Add a resource dropdown
e. Give the Directory a name, and then select the folder you created & stored the files in
f. The Directory will display in your course as a single folder; when a user clicks on the folder it will display the files you uploaded into it
A directory is nice in that you can move files in and out of the folder without having to change anything on the course page; the file listings will update to what you have inside that folder. It also does help to cut down on the number of items listed down your course page.
2. Many people already use Groups to maintain one course for multiple sections of a class offering. Did you know you can create more Groups beyond that? For instance, perhaps you want to have students that are collaborating on a project across class periods share resources within a Discussion Board, or sharing files within a Database. You can create multiple sets of groups depending on your needs at the time. A word of advice: making sure to use a naming convention that lets you remember what groups go together so you don’t forget what group is for what. Also, an advanced feature that some of you might be interested in later on is Groupings… which will allow you to custom assign activities by Group!
Feel free to share with others!
