This document discusses using Drupal to create a classroom website. It notes that Blackboard is difficult for both students and instructors to use, with issues like uploading images, determining if assignments were turned in, and lack of continuity between terms. Drupal allows the instructor to see students, keep previous work, add desired content, and experiment more easily. Drupal is described as a flexible, open source content management system with good documentation and support. Some downsides are that it takes time to learn, is complex, and requires management. The document provides guidance on setting up a Drupal site, hosting it, organizing content, and favorite modules to use.
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Drupal talk
1. Making a classroom site with
Drupal
Sandra Porter, Ph.D.
Digital World Biology
www.Digital-World-Biology.com 1
2. Why not use Blackboard?
Hard for students
problems uploading images
cant tell if assignments were turned in
forums hard to use
depressing colors
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3. Why not use Blackboard?
Hard for instructor
hard to make pages
cant tell if assignments were handed back
forums hard to use
hard to download assignments
can only use students school email
hard to get to know students
no continuity - always rebuilding the same
thing!
www.Digital-World-Biology.com 3
4. With Drupal, I can
see my students
keep previous work
add what I want
experiment
www.Digital-World-Biology.com 4
5. What is Drupal? Why use it?
Drupal is a content management system - a collection
of modules and tools for building an interactive web site
Very flexible
open source
lots of help available
good documentation & support
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7. What are the downsides?
takes time to learn
flexible but complex
do have to manage it
You may be better off adapting a blog
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8. The first steps
Set up a Drupal site on your computer for
experimentation
http://acquia.com/downloads
Bookmark www.drupal.org
Find a local Drupal user group
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9. When youre ready to go online
You will need:
A place to put your site - hosting company
need to be able to host Drupal
Fantastico
cPanel
more info: http://drupal.org/hosting
A name for your site
purchase a domain name
A way to move files
FTP program - e.g. Transmit
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11. Displaying information
blocks & menus
12 blocks
collapsible
similar colors and
images from old
site for similar look
& feel
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12. Displaying information
Where information gets displayed
blocks - control position, pages, and access
menus
Who sees the display - how does it look?
permissions and display - logged in vs. logged out
access controls, publishing controls
損 sticky, teaser, front page
How information is displayed
controlled by views , content fields, css
list, table, links, grid, map
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