Integrating ActiveMath within the Moodle LMS

ActiveMath can be integrated into a Moodle server by the usage of a proxy with the Moodle’s Apache. This configuration includes single-sign-on as well as special linking facilities. We explain the set-up here.

We suppose that you are running a Moodle server at your school, under the URL, http://moodle.myschool.net. We also suppose that this Moodle runs the Apache httpd server in versions 2.0 or above.

On Moodle’s Apache Side

You first need the proxy integration to be working so that http://moodle.myschool.net/ActiveMath2/ goes to your ActiveMath.

This is required so that the cookies that the browsers send to ActiveMath include the cookies sent to Moodle. ActiveMath uses them to read the personal profile of the user to create a new user, in case.

On ActiveMath’s Side

ActiveMath needs to be told where to look for the Moodle it becomes a slave of (that is, it will always obey to when checking for user registrations). Add the following lines to ActiveMath-individual.properties:

 app.sso.enabled=true
 app.sso.class=org.activemath.webapp.base.external.MoodleAuthenticationService
 app.sso.moodle.url=http://moodle.myschool.net/

then restart ActiveMath.

Now if you go to your Moodle, login there (not as guest!), then go to http://moodle.myschool.net/ActiveMath2 you will be recognized under the user-name you used in Moodle.

Linking with the ActiveMath Content Activity Module

Most URLs you visit in ActiveMath can be copied and pasted… but this task is a bit experimental and will fail in some conditions (notably the search tool).

The nice folks at HEG Fribourg are working on a Moodle Activity Module called ActiveMath Content Presentation. A course administrator will be able to use it to add a link to pages of a book or exercises of ActiveMath within Moodle.

The module is now available! Check this url: http://www.hefr.ch/projects/activemath/content/index.htm