Moodle® For Dummies®

Chapter 12

Using Databases to Share Resources and Adding the Latest News via RSS

In This Chapter

• Understanding the reasons to use the Moodle database
• Building a database, adding fields, and editing the interface
• Exploring what your database looks like to you and your learners
• Managing your database and ensuring the quality of entries
• Adding RSS feeds to your front page and Moodle Activities

The Moodle Database module is a simple database that you can quickly set up and is easy to use for general purposes. The database has been embedded in Moodle to serve as a tool for collaborative development that introduces your learners to the structure and function of databases as well as their usefulness.

The Moodle database isn't meant to be as powerful as MS Access or MySQL. Rather, it's a tool that you and your learners can use for projects, galleries, portfolios, and resources. In this chapter, you find out how to set up a data base, add your own fields, and tweak the interface. You can have your learners help structure the database and learn an important skill. If that would be too much to ask of your learners, you can set it up for them, and they can populate it with data such as text, links, photos, graphic files, sound, and/or video.

In addition to databases, this chapter also introduces you to RSS feeds and how to set up an RSS feed block on the course front page as well set up RSS in other Moodle activities (such as a forum, wiki, and database). I can hear you thinking, “Why ...