Two Common Problems

I have had a number of emails recently from new and not so new PoodLLers with problems getting PoodLL working on newer versions of Moodle. The basic causes are the same, and they can usually be solved easily.

Moodle Caching

Since Moodle 2.4 a lot of content is cached. In most cases this is fine, but in some cases it is not. The PoodLL audio and video players, and PoodLL pairwork can react quite strangely if cached. So when you install PoodLL you should turn off text filter caching. Do this by setting the “Text cache lifetime” value to ‘No.’ It is unlikely to cause any noticeable slowdown. The setting is located at :

Site Administration -> Plugins -> Filters -> Common filter settings

File Upload Size Settings

PoodLL  “posts” audio files to the server. Servers set  limit on the size of files they will accept, “posted” or “uploaded.”  If you exceed the maximum upload size the server will not store your file. PoodLL does not always respect the max sizes set in Moodle, though it will shortly. But the maximum size set by php cannot be exceeded. So if your recordings are cut short after a few seconds/minutes, you should consider the settings in this section. For most people though this is something you do not need to worry about, unless your recordings get cut short after a few seconds or minutes.

The Moodle max post size can be set in the course settings as in the screenshot.

The options that display for the courses maximum upload size, are determined by the site wide settings. So if the options displayed are too small, check the maximum upload setting at Site Policies.  :
Site Administration -> Security -> Site Policies