Video Library issues - legal and technical issues

The first concern is legal, but I have covered this by mentioning that the site is only going to be for teachers to access the videos, and perhaps to make them available to the pupils to download for learning. I believe that this shouldn't cause too much trouble.

Technically I have already encountered the first issue with the use of a video library. The maximum upload is set by default at 8mb and the server I currently have is not going to be big enough if we start to upload a lot of videos. For a real video library to work I will need to splash a bit more cash out and go for the package one or two steps up from the one I have.

I can change the maximum upload size and retain the maximum upload size for pupils as is, so that isn't a problem. I will change the maximum upload size on Los Alamos now to try and accomodate the extra space needed for video and we'll see if this works.

NOTE TO SELF FOR LATER: Ensure that the setting for the main site is changed to accomodate files larger than the present 8mb limit.

Video Archive as an external library

My vision is that the video archive is actually external to the science site and that all teachers have access to it, as some videos may well be of benefit to a large number of subjects. I hope that this will then easily make the system accessible to external departments (and in turn we can nick some of theirs...)

Obviously there will be some copyright issues, but this is an entirely closed system and no-one else can access this without password.

We need to find out how to get this youtube downloader too

Marking workload and choice

It's 22:43 and I am STILL marking stuff, both on moodle and in books and I've realised a big issue here that, in my opinion will determine the success of a VLE.

I was talking to Brian earlier and he said that when a job is set on moodle, pupils need to be given CHOICE of whether to submit the job on moodle or in a book. I agreeed with him, but tonight after marking some moodle, some books, it seems that the moodle benefits are effectively negated by such a large number of book submissions. I find myself having to flip between the two to try and figure out who has submitted where and all the benefits of quick marking evaporate. In fact the whole thing has been bloody confusing and it's only because I am very aware of the system that I am putting up with it.

My conclusion from tonights all night marking bender is this

If we are to move onto a moodle work submission system, I think it must be made explicit that the pupils are to submit on moodle or die. I think that the pupils should be allowed writing up time and submission time in class and if they genuinely have no computer at home then some provision MUST be made by the school in the form of a computer suite for use at lunch times and break times that the pupils can access.

As long as this school continues to provide substandard computing facilities I wonder if a VLE is viable. I think that the fact that all the kids SHOULD have computers at home really makes online submission in principle at least, a doddle, but so far it hasn't done the job it was intended to do, which is to cut my marking load significantly.