SWF Activity Module now supports conditional sequencing

SWF Activity Module now supports conditional sequencingThe latest build of the SWF Activity Module for Moodle includes support for conditional sequencing between SWF course module instances. This means that teachers and course content developers can require learners to successfully complete one SWF Activity Module instance before moving on to the next.

What is conditional module sequencing?

Normally, on any given Moodle course, learners have the freedom to access any activity modules and resources that are available in any order. Although teachers can hide activities or specify time frames for when they’re available, there’s no provision for only allowing access to an activity when a learner has completed the previous one. Say, for example, a course has six SWF Activity Module instances:

Module 1 – Meeting for the first time
Module 2 – Arranging an appointment
Module 3 – Conducting interviews
Module 4 – Holding meetings
Module 5 – Following up meetings
Module 6 – Dealing with problems

And we want learners to complete three module instances in order, e.g. Module 3 -> Module 4 -> Module 5. All a teacher or course content developer has to do is change the Conditional sequencing parameter in each module instance to “true”. In this case, learners can attempt any of the other module instances, 1, 2 and 6, at any time in any order but Modules 3, 4 and 5 can only be attempted in that order.

How does it work?

SWF Activity Module conditional sequencingFrom a learner’s perspective it works like this:

  • A learner attempts an instance of the SWF Activity Module that is included in the course conditional sequence.
  • If the module instance is the first uncompleted one in the sequence, the module continues to the Flash activity as usual.
  • If the module instance is not the first uncompleted one in the sequence, the module displays a summary of the sequenced modules and a button to navigate to the appropriate module instance (see illustration).
  • When the learner has completed all the modules they are directed to the summary of sequenced modules with a message that they have successfully completed them all if they re-attempt any of the modules in the sequence.

From a teacher or course content developer’s perspective it works like this:

  • Deployed Flash learning applications must be capable of saving grades in Moodle’s grade book, otherwise SWF Activity Module instances cannot be completed.
  • Only one group of SWF Activity Modules can be sequenced per course.
  • Only SWF Activity Module instances that have Grading > Conditional sequencing > true selected are included in the sequence.
  • The order of the sequence is the same as the order of appearance of the module instances on the Moodle course page.
  • Learners must complete the first uncompleted module instance before they can attempt the next in the sequence.
  • Learners are shown a summary page of the sequenced module instances if they attempt a module instance out of sequence with a button that takes them to the next one in the sequence.
  • If the order of the modules is changed or added to before learners have completed all of them, they are simply required to do the first uncompleted module(s) in the new sequence. They do not have to re-attempt already completed module instances.
  • Doesn’t work with guest access, teachers or admins. You must login as a student to test it.

There’s documentation and examples on the SWF Activity Module project site.