iSean

the winter semester ended last week. i had my grades done on Friday. this week is an off week, but as anyone who teaches knows, this is a very busy week for individuals who want to make big changes to their course(s). i am making big changes.

the first thing i wanted to do was to take my phpBB forums to the next level. i upgraded my forums to the latest version. that did not go over without a hitch. i lost all of my customized images during this process . . . and the regular images as well. so, i downloaded the full package for phpBB forums and moved the files over from the full package that appeared to be missing in my install/upgrade. Transmit (on my Mac) made this comparison/addition process very easy. whew!

i have been using phpBB forums for the past 5 years. i have never modified the forums other than changing themes and using customized images. i decided to add some modifications (MODs) to my forums that would make it easier for me to manage. the first thing i added was a MOD called easyMOD. this MOD makes installing other MODs easy. great!

i have always been concerned that anyone who finds my forums can merely click on the memberlist and view a list of all of my students. even if they use an alias, which i encourage, most use their GVSU supplied username and this includes their last name. so, i found a MOD that allows me to make the memberlist only accessible to me. that is terrific.

i then found a MOD that makes it easier for me to set permissions across forums. i tend to make 2 key forums that all students access, but aren’t part of my weekly teaching. the first is Lounge. this is a forum where anything goes, except class-related topics. many students enjoy just talking about life and hobbies and pop culture, etc. i also create a forum for Class ?s and Announcements. this is where students ask class-related questions instead of emailing me. this is a wonderful way to ensure that i don’t get the same email over and over. every student can see the question and they can see my response as well. and, if i am slow and a student poses a question, another student might know the answer and respond before me. i also post announcements in this forum, so students are encouraged to visit when new posts appear.

i also make group discussions that only students in a particular group can view. i try and keep group discussions limited to between 5 and 9 students. i can pose topics for discussion in the individual group. i typically post 2 - 3 topics in any given week. and, since my students can only respond in their group discussions, i create an All Group Discussion forum where students can create their own topics for discussion on that week’s material and content. all students have access to this All Group Discussion forum, but i find that most students are too nervous to start a topic for discussion and that most students are content to stick with the discussions i have started in their groups. this is something i’ll work on this spring.

well, the MOD installation was not all swell. i did have some errors and i ended up spending a lot of time on the phpBB discussion forums trying to find answers. it was slow, but this process worked for me. i think the forums are all set for the semester starting next week.

now i am off to figure out which blogging tool i will settle on using this next semester. i am fiddling with WordPressMU (multi-user), but it’s still early in development and i’d be a guinea pig, no doubt. it sure would be neat to use one database while hosting all of my student blog accounts. i doubt i get it ready in time, but i am trying. but, that’s why i am exploring other options . . . just in case. stay tuned!

Tags: wordpressMU, phpBB, class discussions, forums, MODs, Transmit, online