RND: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

Hello everyone,

I am not sure if this is the proper place for this post, so please redirect me if necessary. I currently use the Sassessment plugin and would like to continue using it in the future. At Hokusei Gakuen University, our Moodle installation is scheduled for a major upgrade from version 4.1 to 4.5 in April 2026.

According to our IT Support Office, the upgrade—together with an update of PHP to version 8—may cause the Sassessment and Video Assessment plugins to stop functioning. They plan to provide a Moodle 4.5 test environment between December 2025 and January 2026 so we can check plugin compatibility. If the plugins do not function, we may be asked to prepare alternative solutions.

It would be a significant inconvenience for our program if the Sassessment module were not available. Could you please let me know the current status of Sassessment compatibility with Moodle 4.5 and PHP 8?

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Best regards,
Thomas Goetz
Hokusei Gakuen University

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Don HINKELMAN - Sunday, 3 August 2025, 5:33 PM

Good question, Tom. Sassessment was developed by Paul Daniels. I have not had contact with Paul for a long time, so I don't know if he has continued to maintain it. Could you contact Paul to see if there is a new version for Moodle 4.5? This might be his address: daniels@kochi-tech.ac.jp

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Don HINKELMAN - Sunday, 3 August 2025, 5:46 PM

Tom, you can also contact Nobuhiro Kumai, who co-developed the Speech Assessment plugin (sassessment). Here is his webpage: https://www-cc.gakushuin.ac.jp/~e012459/MoodlePlugins/
If they have stopped development, consider taking over the management of that plugin. As a member, you can apply for a Moodle Association of Japan project funding to develop plugins. Announcement is coming soon. It is possible to update a plugin for Moodle 4.5 and 5.0 before your April deadline.

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Gordon BATESON - Monday, 4 August 2025, 12:52 PM

Hi Tom, Hi Don,
I have spoken with Paul D. He says he is not actively developing the plugin at present. He reports that old, i.e. previoiusly existing, sassessment questions continue to function in Moodle 4.5, but it is not possible to input new questions.
Tom, do you have funding available to put towards the work to upgrade this plugin to Moodle 4.5 and beyond?
Regards,
Gordon

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Thomas GOETZ - Monday, 4 August 2025, 2:50 PM

Hello Gordon and Don

I believe some funds are available, but the amount allocated for this project is the governing factor. Besides Paul, can you think of anyone who is able to do the work? We all have our "seas of strength," and I am very much on the pier on this one.

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Gordon BATESON - Monday, 4 August 2025, 4:12 PM

Hi Tom,
I can take a look, and perhaps take on the project, if there are funds available. The code is messy and convoluted, but looking at the errors, it seems a "quick fix" may be possible.

Re: Question Regarding Sassessment Module Compatibility with Moodle 4.5 / PHP 8

by Gordon BATESON - Monday, 4 August 2025, 4:44 PM

Tom,
I notice there are actually two plugins for "sassessment".

One plugin is an activity module, "mod_sassessment". The latest source code for this activity module appears to be for Moodle 3.6 and resides here:
https://github.com/e-rasvet/sassessment36

The other plugin is a question type, "qtype_sassessment". The latest source code appears to be for Moodle 4.x and resides here:
https://github.com/e-rasvet/moodle-qtype_sassessment4

Paul, was using the question type, perhaps until Moodle 4.1, but now we are on Moodle 4.5, and this questions type has stopped working. Specifically, when pressing "STOP" after an open response, the transcription and score is never receieved back from the Google API.

Which of these plugins are you hoping to use ofter the update to Moodle 4.5?