(photo by jimmyroq)

For the past couple of weeks, I've used some of my time to write code that adds support for Federated Login for Google Account Users to an Elgg instance. This particular project's requirements don't end with just an implementation of Single Sign-On (SSO) but it also needs to have access to some of the user's Google Apps Data.  Because of this, I decided to use Google's OpenID+OAuth Hybrid protocol, which is a good fit for the requirements.

The first thing I did was to register the domain of the application I'm writing with Google.  You can read instructions on how to do this here.  After I've validated the domain, I now need to write the interface to Google's OpenID+OAuth Hybrid protocol.  The goal is to have SSO working with the capability to automatically create users on the Elgg side and map them to the proper Google account and to be able to request access to Google services.

I searched the plugins page for Elgg if anyone already wrote such a module and I got two results that piqued my interest.  These are Kevin Jardine's OpenID client plugin and Justin Richer's OAuth plugin.

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The Certificates module for Moodle will allow granting certificates based on completion of a Moodle activity.It allows uploading graphics and setting the style of the generatied certificate. Once a user has met the minimum criteria they can download a PDF and print their certificate.

There are several options for setting criteria for granting a certificate. These include overall course grade, time spent in the course, and ability to require one or more activities be completed, optionally with a minimum grade for the activities. Any of these requirements can be combined to determine when a student receives a certificate.

 Images can be uploaded to style the borders and include a watermark if desired. A signature image can be included, and of course, a logo can be uploaded.

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(photo by LAMS Activity p. 6)

The University of Girona, Spain recently published a paper "Modelling Role-Playing Game as a Unit of Learning to Encourage Cooperative Learning" This paper details how they will use the Learning Activities Management System (LAMS) and .LRN, an LMS to run role playing games as learning experiences.

There is a great deal of interest in serious games for learning right now and this is an excellent example of the power of LAMS. The image shows what the design looks like in LAMS.

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(photo by Urgent Evoke)

Is facebook a game? Is eBay? YouTube?

Amy Jo Kim makes a case that they are in her Google TechTalk on Putting the Fun in Functional: Applying Game Mechanics to Functional Software.

On the other side Urgent Evoke, one of the new genre of serious games, presents itself as a game.

But really game or not is not the question. The quesiton is, is the experience fun?

Game mechanics can make life more fun. Games reinformce your behavior and keep you in Flow.

 Amy's talk gives some examples.

• Points - remember, variable reinforement is more effective)
• Collecting - for instance friends.
• Completeing a set - badges or in Urgent Evoke's case you get to complete missions
• Leaderboards
• Feedback, both from the system and from other players, graphic presentation of it
• Structured social exchange - leaving comments, giving points for each other
• Customization - create your secret identity!

Life should be fun. I think even the most serious of sites should look at these elements.  Engagement is important in everything.

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In the iMoot 2010 Conference held on February 4th, Ernie Ghiglione did a presentation showing Moodle users the benefits they can get from LAMS using their own Moodle concepts.

Moodle is an open-source-learning software, a Course Manangement System, also known as Learning Management System (LMS), which helps teachers create online learning courses with a focus on interaction.  On the other hand, LAMS is a tool for designing, managing, and delivering online collaborative learning activities. It provides educators with a visual authoring environment for creating sequences of learning activities.  While both are great tools for promoting online learning, one is effective in creating and managing courses and the latter enhances the first by making the activities within the course sequential.

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