Charging For Classes within XF

[Divinum Fiat]

Hi all, I'm not sure if this is in the right place (feel free to move it, moderator).

I'm trying to figure out how to structure my forum for forum leaders who want to offer classes. I'm trying to find a way where their classes can exist on the actual forum via videos, attachments, etc. However, is there a way for people to pay for each of the classes without having to leave the site other than perhaps going to Paypal? In other words, I'm trying to figure out how to "rent" space on the forum for people who want to teach classes within the forum (rather than taking people out of the forum).

Would love to hear of anyone doing something similar or how it can be done technically.

 

[Digital Doctor]

You might consider what e-learning software you could bridge to the forum or run along side.

Learning Management System (LMS)
e-learning software
Course management system (CMS)

http://tektab.com/2012/06/26/10-alt...g-software-lms-platform-using-open-sourcegpl/
Examples:
http://www.efrontlearning.net/
http://ca.e-doceo.net/en/e-learning-software/e-doceo-learning-suite.php
http://www.dokeos.com/en/deployment/free

You might look for a "smaller" elearning script - depending on your needs.

 

[Divinum Fiat]

Thank you, Digital Doc. This is way more than what I want to integrate. I probably wasn't clear enough with my original post, sorry.

I want my forum to be like a hair salon - simply renting out space to people who want to manage/run/moderate their own topics. So they'll have to figure out themselves how they actually deliver the final goods. What they can use the forum for is conversation, articles, ebooks, etc., to get people to buy their courses. But most likely their courses are hosted on their own platforms (if they want to get that complicated). What I want them to be able to do, however, is have a paypal button right on their forum post so people can pay for whatever they offer and then get redirected, if need be. Whether it's a course or just an hourly consulting with them.

I guess my short question is, can a forum post contain a payment link, i.e. to Paypal?

 

[0xym0r0n]

Thank you, Digital Doc. This is way more than what I want to integrate. I probably wasn't clear enough with my original post, sorry.

I want my forum to be like a hair salon - simply renting out space to people who want to manage/run/moderate their own topics. So they'll have to figure out themselves how they actually deliver the final goods. What they can use the forum for is conversation, articles, ebooks, etc., to get people to buy their courses. But most likely their courses are hosted on their own platforms (if they want to get that complicated). What I want them to be able to do, however, is have a paypal button right on their forum post so people can pay for whatever they offer and then get redirected, if need be. Whether it's a course or just an hourly consulting with them.

I guess my short question is, can a forum post contain a payment link, i.e. to Paypal?

Yeah just change the paypal image to a bbcode img and then the link to url

 

[Divinum Fiat]

Thank you, OxymOrOn. I have no idea how to change a paypal image to a bbcode image.

 

[Morgain]

Blue just to clear up the point on educational software - it's crap. I run a whole online school ... checked it all out, and it's crap. Elaborate, bloated, rigid - can't adapt it to yoir own needs - yuck.
I have a large custom forum addon to set homework, track it, and display a report page about it.

The problem you have I think is that you want to support payments to different Paypal email addresses. The rest is no big deal - a personal forum for a renting teacher with various resources on it to make it distinctive. Waindigo's social forums might be helpful also Library to support longer articles.?Each teacher could have their own Library or eaven several.
For the Paypal there's a promising new shop addon about the appear in the next week. It doesn't suppprt multiple paypal payees, but the developer seems good and a new addon means some flexibility in how it can be shaped.
Or the shop could pay you in categories per teacher and you forward the payment to the teacher - for a percentage of course.
see http://xenforo.com/community/threads/a-complete-store-front-add-on-gfnstorefront.42843/unread

I suggest you look at 24IM messenger. It can integrate with your forum (though the script costs a lot) or the hosted version is not so costly. Big advantages - it is a private service, and can be divided in departments so your teachers can each have their own list on it, plus contact you, and not see the others.

For more on online education PC me - Ive been doing it for about 10 years.

 

[Divinum Fiat]

This looks like a great add-on. I'm not sure though I can use it since the payments need to go directly to each person renting space on the forum. Their rental space of the forum goes to me and that is set up through the user upgrade function. However, they're adding their own descriptions of their own products and they need to be able to embed a link to sell their own products, ideally a paypal or a credit card.

I haven't heard of Library to support longer articles, that might be helpful. Some of our posts are huge and I have to change the number of characters permitted per post each time.

 

[Morgain]

Library articles can have multiple pages
see this one http://www.housemorgain.co.uk/circle/libraries/house-info.96/

redoing design of Library pages so scuse us.

I meant you'd need some custom work on the storefront addon