Using Moodle - Need SIMS Parental Access?

[Duke]

Howdy folks,

 

We're using Moodle and have been for several years. We also use SIMS heavily but the two are not connected in any way (for logons we use AD).

 

However, as I'm sure many of you are aware, Becta have the 2010 guidelines that mean we have to allow real-time parental access to SIMS data. The Moodle forum thread about proper SIMS integration has been going on for years and never really got anywhere, at least not with an official tool.

 

As such we're in a bit of an awkward situation, as I imagine many other schools are. Do we go for the SIMS Learning Gateway and move to Uniservity, do we go with Frog, or is there a better option? The Frog threads on here are very mixed, and I've seen the words 'run away screaming' come up too much when researching Uniservity. Many people still seem to see Moodle as the best VLE, but in some ways it's just not a mature/developed solution for what we need for the future.

 

What is everyone else planning to do and what do you see as the right solution? Do you feel Becta and/or SIMS have supported schools enough on this?

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Chris

[CyberNerd]

SchoolsICT's Moodle Demonstration

[Duke]

I did briefly see that - there's not a whole lot of information on there (flyer returns 404), do you know if this is an 'official' tie-in? Last I heard there was a big developers fee if you wanted to 'legally' access the SIMS database and connect it to another product.

 

Is anyone else using this product and if so how have you found it? Do you feel there are any issues surrounding using a third-party product with potentially sensitive student data?

 

Cheers,

Chris

[Soulfish]

We've just moved to Moodle from Uniservity. However we won't be doing parental reporting through Moodle - at least not initially. We're being provided SIMS Learning Gateway by the county council so we're going to be using that to handle all reporting.

[Duke]

We've just moved to Moodle from Uniservity. However we won't be doing parental reporting through Moodle - at least not initially. We're being provided SIMS Learning Gateway by the county council so we're going to be using that to handle all reporting.

 

I must admit that's looking like my preferred option too currently. We get to keep Moodle - which for all its flaws is a pretty good system - and just use SLG to meet the Becta requirements. Not ideal, but it keeps things flexible and puts us on the right track.

 

Chris

[penfold_99]

I did briefly see that - there's not a whole lot of information on there (flyer returns 404), do you know if this is an 'official' tie-in? Last I heard there was a big developers fee if you wanted to 'legally' access the SIMS database and connect it to another product.

 

Is anyone else using this product and if so how have you found it? Do you feel there are any issues surrounding using a third-party product with potentially sensitive student data?

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

 

I have fixed the flyer link. We are using SIF to connect to SIMS and CMIS.

 

Do you feel there are any issues surrounding using a third-party product with potentially sensitive student data?

 

Moodle and SIMS.net are third-party product handling sensitive data and SIF2MOODLE is an extension of moodle so would forsee and issues.

[penfold_99]

We've just moved to Moodle from Uniservity. However we won't be doing parental reporting through Moodle - at least not initially. We're being provided SIMS Learning Gateway by the county council so we're going to be using that to handle all reporting.

 

How are you going to fulfil parental engagement? BECTA's requirement is for Parental Engagement and Online Reporting.

 

Has east sussex rolled out SLG to schools yet?

[Soulfish]

How are you going to fulfil parental engagement? BECTA's requirement is for Parental Engagement and Online Reporting.

 

Has east sussex rolled out SLG to schools yet?

 

Well parents will eventually be getting logins to Moodle together with SLG. Not ideal, but we've decided to use SLG and see how it goes.

 

No rollout of SLG yet but we've been assured it'll be before September! Still testing various two-factor authentication systems for use by teachers which is delaying things.

[CyberNerd]

Has east sussex rolled out SLG to schools yet?

 

Still at the 'vapourware' phase. Anyway are you (@soulfish) sure SLG is going to be 'free', do they pass teh sharepoint costs onto schools?

[penfold_99]

No rollout of SLG yet but we've been assured it'll be before September! Still testing various two-factor authentication systems for use by teachers which is delaying things.

 

Haven't they been 'testing' for over a year?

[Soulfish]

Still at the 'vapourware' phase. Anyway are you (@soulfish) sure SLG is going to be 'free', do they pass teh sharepoint costs onto schools?

 

Something to ask at the next NMF . I think it was being paid for initially from various top sliced budgets (like Uniservity), but I'm not sure of the ongoing costs.

[rh91uk]

I have been also told, in addition to using the SLG, that we have to have parental access in Moodle too.

[penfold_99]

What would you like parents to be able to do with access to moodle? What do want parental engagement to be?

[rh91uk]

We;ve been told to basically give them read-only access to the courses etc that their pupil is enrolled on. Much in the planning stage, I can tell you!

[penfold_99]

We;ve been told to basically give them read-only access to the courses etc that their pupil is enrolled on. Much in the planning stage, I can tell you!

 

With SIF2MOODLE we are looking much close communitcation with parents, establishing 3 way communication between student, teacher and parent.

 

Are you looking to do it in-house or purchase something off the shelf?

[rh91uk]

Are you looking to do it in-house or purchase something off the shelf?

 

Looking to do this in house as would really like to learn the Moodle codebase and how it works ...

[CyberNerd]

We;ve been told to basically give them read-only access to the courses etc that their pupil is enrolled on. Much in the planning stage, I can tell you!

 

Parental access would also make an ideal teacher-parent messaging system. but yes, access to courses is important.

 

Biggest worry is that from a parents perspective, there might be a lot of 'blank' courses posted by tech illiterate teachers. That might then cause a backlash against VLE from the staff.

[rh91uk]

Yes I did also think about the teacher, parental messaging side. I plan to trial this next week on our dev server.

 

how do you do it CyberNerd?

[CyberNerd]

 

how do you do it CyberNerd?

 

 

Were are using the OSS SIMS2Moodle integration for students. We don't get have a solution for parental access- I'm in the same position as Soulfish wrt the Local Authority. We do have a parental email system, but it's clunky and is missing a lot of info (addresses)

My preferred option would be buying penfold_99's SIF integration module when it appears.

[rh91uk]

Were are using the OSS SIMS2Moodle integration for students. We don't get have a solution for parental access- I'm in the same position as Soulfish wrt the Local Authority. We do have a parental email system, but it's clunky and is missing a lot of info (addresses)

My preferred option would be buying penfold_99's SIF integration module when it appears.

 

pssst. Soulfish is my boss!

[frosty]

Whilst I understand the need for this parental access and of course will comply somehow...if am thinking initially to go the current Parent Role Hack in Moodle but how would you guys manage the parents logins? I currently use LDAP integration. Would you set the parents up in your AD or manually?

[CyberNerd]

this could go in the ESCC forum....

[penfold_99]

Yes I did also think about the teacher, parental messaging side. I plan to trial this next week on our dev server.

 

How are you going to automate the parental information from sims and associating them with the right students account in moodle?

[frosty]

this could go in the ESCC forum....

 

With it's extensive use to date? - hum?

[penfold_99]

Whilst I understand the need for this parental access and of course will comply somehow...if am thinking initially to go the current Parent Role Hack in Moodle but how would you guys manage the parents logins? I currently use LDAP integration. Would you set the parents up in your AD or manually?

 

SIF2MOODLE will be supporting LDAP, Manual Moodle Acounts and Siboleth for authenication.