diff --git a/admin/report/capability/index.php b/admin/report/capability/index.php
index 41220d2ca22..42d88afa2e5 100644
--- a/admin/report/capability/index.php
+++ b/admin/report/capability/index.php
@@ -70,24 +70,15 @@ if (count($cleanedroleids) == count($allroles)) {
 
 // Print the settings form.
 echo $OUTPUT->box_start('generalbox boxwidthwide boxaligncenter centerpara');
-echo '<form method="get" action="." id="settingsform">';
+echo '<form method="get" action="." id="settingsform"><div>';
 echo $OUTPUT->heading(get_string('reportsettings', 'report_capability'));
 echo '<p id="intro">', get_string('intro', 'report_capability') , '</p>';
 echo '<p><label for="menucapability"> ' . get_string('capabilitylabel', 'report_capability') . '</label></p>';
-$select = html_select::make($capabilitychoices, 'capability', $capability);
-$select->nothingvalue = '';
-$select->listbox = true;
-$select->tabindex = 0;
-echo $OUTPUT->select($select);
+echo  html_writer::input_select($capabilitychoices, 'capability', $capability, array(''=>'choose'), array('size'=>10));
 echo '<p><label for="menuroles"> ' . get_string('roleslabel', 'report_capability') . '</label></p>';
-$select = html_select::make($rolechoices, 'roles[]', $selectedroleids, false);
-$select->nothingvalue = '';
-$select->listbox = true;
-$select->multiple = true;
-$select->tabindex = 0;
-echo $OUTPUT->select($select);
+echo  html_writer::input_select($rolechoices, 'roles[]', $selectedroleids, false, array('size'=>10, 'multiple'=>'multiple'));
 echo '<p><input type="submit" id="settingssubmit" value="' . get_string('getreport', 'report_capability') . '" /></p>';
-echo '</form>';
+echo '</div></form>';
 echo $OUTPUT->box_end();
 
 // If we have a capability, generate the report.
diff --git a/lib/outputcomponents.php b/lib/outputcomponents.php
index 53aa48b858d..8593eabb62d 100644
--- a/lib/outputcomponents.php
+++ b/lib/outputcomponents.php
@@ -428,6 +428,65 @@ class html_writer {
         $attributes['href']  = $url;
         return self::tag('a', $attributes, $text);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generates a simple select form field
+     * @param array $options associative array value=>label
+     * @param string $name name of select element
+     * @param string|array $selected value or arary of values depending on multiple attribute
+     * @param array|bool $nothing, add nothing selected option, or false of not added
+     * @param array $attributes - html select element attributes
+     * @return string HRML fragment
+     */
+    public static function input_select(array $options, $name, $selected = '', $nothing = array(''=>'choose'), array $attributes = null) {
+        $attributes = (array)$attributes;
+        if (is_array($nothing)) {
+            foreach ($nothing as $k=>$v) {
+                if ($v === 'choose') {
+                    $nothing[$k] = get_string('choosedots');
+                }
+            }
+            $options = $nothing + $options; // keep keys, do not override
+        }
+
+        // we may accept more values if multiple attribute specified
+        $selected = (array)$selected;
+        foreach ($selected as $k=>$v) {
+            $selected[$k] = (string)$v;
+        }
+
+        if (!isset($attributes['id'])) {
+            $id = 'menu'.$name;
+            // name may contaion [], which would make an invalid id. e.g. numeric question type editing form, assignment quickgrading
+            $id = str_replace('[', '', $id);
+            $id = str_replace(']', '', $id);
+            $attributes['id'] = $id;
+        }
+
+        if (!isset($attributes['class'])) {
+            $class = 'menu'.$name;
+            // name may contaion [], which would make an invalid class. e.g. numeric question type editing form, assignment quickgrading
+            $class = str_replace('[', '', $class);
+            $class = str_replace(']', '', $class);
+            $attributes['class'] = $class;
+        }
+        $attributes['class'] = 'select ' . $attributes['class']; /// Add 'select' selector always
+
+        $attributes['name'] = $name;
+
+        $output = '';
+        foreach ($options as $value=>$label) {
+            $ias = array();
+            $value = (string)$value; //TODO: add support for opt groups as nested arrays
+            if (in_array($value, $selected, true)) {
+                $ias['selected'] = 'selected';
+            }
+            $ias['value'] = $value;
+            $output .= self::tag('option', $ias, $label);
+        }
+
+        return self::tag('select', $attributes, $output);
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/mod/glossary/formats.php b/mod/glossary/formats.php
index 538deb5f589..5f101609c55 100644
--- a/mod/glossary/formats.php
+++ b/mod/glossary/formats.php
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ echo '<table width="90%" align="center" class="generalbox">';
     //Sort it
     asort($formats);
 
-    echo $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($formats,'popupformatname',$displayformat->popupformatname));
+    echo html_writer::input_select($formats, 'popupformatname', $displayformat->popupformatname, false);
  ?>
     </td>
     <td width="60%">
diff --git a/tag/manage.php b/tag/manage.php
index 526926c6b11..678d067750e 100644
--- a/tag/manage.php
+++ b/tag/manage.php
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ if ($tagrecords = $DB->get_records_sql($query, $params, $table->get_page_start()
         $timemodified   =   format_time(time() - $tag->timemodified);
         $checkbox       =   '<input type="checkbox" name="tagschecked[]" value="'.$tag->id.'" />';
         $text           =   '<input type="text" name="newname['.$tag->id.']" />';
-        $tagtype        =   $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($existing_tagtypes, 'tagtypes['.$tag->id.']', $tag->tagtype, false));
+        $tagtype        =   html_writer::input_select($existing_tagtypes, 'tagtypes['.$tag->id.']', $tag->tagtype, false);
 
         //if the tag if flagged, highlight it
         if ($tag->flag > 0) {
diff --git a/user/addnote.php b/user/addnote.php
index d8510d50132..22bed79c0ee 100644
--- a/user/addnote.php
+++ b/user/addnote.php
@@ -31,17 +31,7 @@ $users = optional_param('userid', array(), PARAM_INT); // array of user id
 $contents = optional_param('contents', array(), PARAM_RAW); // array of user notes
 $states = optional_param('states', array(), PARAM_ALPHA); // array of notes states
 
-$url = new moodle_url('/user/addnote.php', array('id'=>$id));
-if ($users !== 0) {
-    $url->param('userid', $users);
-}
-if ($contents !== 0) {
-    $url->param('contents', $contents);
-}
-if ($states !== 0) {
-    $url->param('states', $states);
-}
-$PAGE->set_url($url);
+$PAGE->set_url('/user/addnote.php', array('id'=>$id));
 
 if (! $course = $DB->get_record('course', array('id'=>$id))) {
     print_error('invalidcourseid');
@@ -119,7 +109,7 @@ foreach ($users as $k => $v) {
     if(!$user = $DB->get_record('user', array('id'=>$v))) {
         continue;
     }
-    $checkbox = $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($state_names, 'states[' . $k . ']', empty($states[$k]) ? NOTES_STATE_PUBLIC : $states[$k], false));
+    $checkbox = html_writer::input_select($state_names, 'states[' . $k . ']', empty($states[$k]) ? NOTES_STATE_PUBLIC : $states[$k], false);
     $table->data[] = array(
         '<input type="hidden" name="userid['.$k.']" value="'.$v.'" />'. fullname($user, true),
         '<textarea name="contents['. $k . ']" rows="2" cols="40">' . strip_tags(@$contents[$k]) . '</textarea>',
diff --git a/user/extendenrol.php b/user/extendenrol.php
index 408f6da3aea..2cb66aa5b1a 100644
--- a/user/extendenrol.php
+++ b/user/extendenrol.php
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ foreach ($_POST as $k => $v) {
             unset($userbasemenu[2]);
         }
 
-        $checkbox = $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($periodmenu, "extendperiod[{$m[1]}]", "0", $nochange));
-        $checkbox2 = $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($userbasemenu, "extendbase[{$m[1]}]", "2", false));
+        $checkbox = html_writer::input_select($periodmenu, "extendperiod[{$m[1]}]", "0", array('0'=>$nochange));
+        $checkbox2 = html_writer::input_select($userbasemenu, "extendbase[{$m[1]}]", "2", false);
         $table->data[] = array(
                 fullname($user, true),
                 $timestart,
diff --git a/user/groupaddnote.php b/user/groupaddnote.php
index d89f7360c91..5881f988c01 100644
--- a/user/groupaddnote.php
+++ b/user/groupaddnote.php
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ echo '<br /><textarea name="content" rows="5" cols="50">' . strip_tags(@$content
 
 echo '<p>' . $strpublishstate;
 echo $OUTPUT->help_icon('status', $strpublishstate, 'notes');
-echo $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($state_names, 'state', empty($state) ? NOTES_STATE_PUBLIC : $state, false));
+echo html_writer::input_select($state_names, 'state', empty($state) ? NOTES_STATE_PUBLIC : $state, false);
 echo '</p>';
 
 echo '<input type="submit" value="' . get_string('savechanges'). '" /></div></form>';
diff --git a/user/groupextendenrol.php b/user/groupextendenrol.php
index 83fd412d27c..7b98615e334 100755
--- a/user/groupextendenrol.php
+++ b/user/groupextendenrol.php
@@ -174,9 +174,9 @@ foreach ($_POST as $k => $v) {
 echo $OUTPUT->table($table);
 echo '<div style="width:100%;text-align:center;"><strong>';
 echo get_string('extendperiod') . ' ';
-echo $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($periodmenu, 'extendperiod'));
+echo html_writer::input_select($periodmenu, 'extendperiod');
 echo ' ' . get_string('startingfrom') . ' ';
-echo $OUTPUT->select(html_select::make($basemenu, 'extendbase', '2', false));
+echo html_writer::input_select($basemenu, 'extendbase', '2', false);
 echo '</strong><br />';
 echo '<input type="submit" value="'.get_string('savechanges').'" />';
 echo '</div></form>';