Portfolios

Hi - quite interested in Moodle  and elgg (asnd drupal ;-)

You mentioned portfolios in the group description - there is a pretty good portfolio system called Mahara.

I will have to do some digging to see if it is getting integrated into Moodle - but it could be. There was some talk.

Don

  • The previous ELGG version has a presentation plugin module that is used in some places to support a portfolio deployment. May be it would be possible to implement it in ELGG 1.0 ?

    Bruno

  • Mahara is apparently integrated in some manner with Moodle 2.0 using a SSO system entitled 'Mahoodle' (i jest not :-) The Mahara Portfolio plugin apparently enables files to be transferred from Moodle into Mahara. I have rather larger ambitions -- see forthcoming forum posting.

    In terms of Mahara, I think that if you're looking for an Open Source eportfolio then it's definitely worth looking at. It does have some social networking functionality but my opinion is that it does not compare to Elgg 0.9 for ease and simplicity of use.  And if you are already committed to Elgg there are too many overlaps IMHO. Better to develop eportfolio functionality plugin for Elgg methinks.

  • @Bruno,

    The presentation plugin last functioned correctly with Elgg 0.8 I believe. It was a rather simple plugin that allowed a user to assemble content items from different places in his Elgg area.

    I made a presentation last summer called Quest for the Holy Grail of an Open Source ePortfolio system which looked at using Elgg, Moodle and Mahara as eportfolio systems.

  • @Mark

    How interesting! I made a presentation with a similar title and related interests at the CNIE conference last year: In Search of the Holy Grail : a Reflexion on the Personal Learning Environment. I can send you the ppt file if you're interested.

    I think a lite approach of a plugin development whitin ELGG is an interesting intermediate solution. ;-)

  • It looks like integrating Elgg, Mahara and Moodle is a fairly complicate system to maintain. It is obvious Mahara's social network tools need to improve or a porfolio plugin in Elgg needed as well as a integration system.

    I think both have different policies. Mahara is more oriented to e-portfolios and Elgg more about social networks. Either we choose Mahara and wait for it to grow up more in terms of social networks or we wait for what ELGG can do with a e-portfolio plugin and integration system. Honestly, I am a bit confused with this all.

  • Hi Dan.

    Mahara was actually created by a group of New Zealand developers who were originally developing classic Elgg plugins and then, dissatisfied with the classic Elgg API, decided to create their own application.

    I'm not sure that it would even exist if Elgg 1.x had been available a few years ago.

     

  • Hi Kevin,

    Thanks for the reply.

    I know the history behind the stages and I know Elgg has been out there for ages and also it has been awarded a few times as the best social network open source software. I am just a bit concern of the fact that Moodle seems to have given a  direct hand to Mahara, hence this is similarly developed as the former in terms of structure. I also know that there is in place some web services carried out by Moodle 2.0 developer's team in order to ease third-party software get connected with Moodle via SSO. 

    It is also truth that Mahara has taken into account more the educational side they are better positioned than anyone else to be the PLE to have into account if you decide to have Moodle as your VLE. 

    Still confused. Not sure... I think both of them have weaknesses and strengths to really consider...

  • This is what I am trying to sort out at my institution also. So far, I find the current elgg far more intuitive that Mahara. Mahara, however, is structured as an e-Portfolio platform and there is pressure to roll one out. One issue is that all of these platforms have overlapping features. This can actually dilute the use of a site since users are confused by it (how many blogs, wikis and walls does one need)?

    We're aiming for a Moodle --> Elgg intergration (at least today... tomorrow, it may be different).