Social extensions
From EFrontWiki
eFront comes with a rich set of social tools that facilitate the communication and social learning process together with an easy-to-use Facebook integration plugin. The social extensions of eFront aim at providing a more alive learning community where everyone gets informed about actions on the system that comes from his network of friends, co-workers or classmates. Bonds between users in eFront are established dynamically through common lessons. Users that share more common lessons are considered closer.
Contents |
[edit] Activating / Deactivating
The administrator is able to activate and deactivate these options for the system, through the system settings and specifically from the "Social options" tab, as it is shown in the following image.
 Social options |
[edit] Facebook integration
eFront supports integration with Facebook. This integration allows users to connect to efront by using their Facebook account. By using the Facebook connection some info from Facebook is transferred to efront (specifically the user status and avatar). If the user in eFront changes his status this change is also transmitted in his Facebook profile.
The administrator enables the Facebook integration though the system settings and the social options tab, by entering the Facebook API key and Secret code. Then he can allow or not the Connection with Facebook, the Facebook data acquisition (Avatar and Status echnages) and the External login to eFront through a Facebook account.
The basic steps to create the FB integration are outlined below:
1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/developers/ and click on "Set up new application"
 Facebook account |
2. Give a name to the application and agree to the "Terms of Service"
 Facebook account name |
3. You are now on a page with your API Key and Secret code. Save this info because you will need it on eFront to enable the connection.
 Facebook API Key and Secret code |
4. Select the "Connect" option from the left panel and add the URL to your eFront web-site and the main domain name you use. Make sure you save your settings!
 Facebook connect |
5. Go to eFront as admin and select settings->social options. On Facebook integration part add the API key and Secret code and enable all facebook options.
 Facebook account |
6. Logout from eFront. You should see a new option to login with your Facebook account!
[edit] System timeline
The administrator enables this social function allowing the users (professors and students) to have a full overview of the traffic inside eFront. Users are able to see all the actions performed by other users.
 System Timeline |
[edit] Lesson timeline
Apart from the system timeline, every lesson has its own one, which has to de activated by the professor, through the administration function. The lesson timeline shows all the actions performed by the users of this specific lesson and it appears in the lesson's main page.
 Lesson Timeline |
[edit] People
Through his page, each user is able to view the people who share the same lessons with him.
 Users who share the same lessons |
The lesson's people are divided in those who have recently changed their status and everyone who attend the lesson.
 Users who share the same lessons |
By clicking on a user's profile we can interact with him, by posting a message on his wall, sending him a personal message or inviting him to chat.
 Interaction with other users |
[edit] Comments/Wall
Every user has his wall where he or the other users that share the same lessons with him can post messages and comments.
 User's wall |
[edit] Users status
Users are able to set a status on their public profile.
 User's status |
Note: Social options are available in the Community++, Enterprise and Educational version of eFront
