use the YAML style parameter passing

playbooks/roles/edxapp/tasks/python_sandbox_env.yml

+---
 # Set the alternatives this way for blas and lapack to work correctly for the
 # MITx 6.341x course.
 - name: code sandbox | Check which `libblas` to use
-  # The `libblas.so.3gf` exists only in 12.04
-  stat: path=/usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3gf
+  stat:
+    path: /usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3gf
   register: libblas_file
 
-- name: code sandbox | Use libblas.so.3gf in Ubuntu 12.04
-  alternatives: name=libblas.so.3gf path=/usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3gf
+- name: code sandbox | Use libblas.so.3gf in Ubuntu
+  alternatives:
+    name: libblas.so.3gf
+    path: /usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3gf
   when: libblas_file.stat.exists
 
-- name: code sandbox | Use libblas.so.3 in Ubuntu 14.04
-  alternatives: name=libblas.so.3 path=/usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3
+- name: code sandbox | Use libblas.so.3 in Ubuntu
+  alternatives:
+    name: libblas.so.3
+    path: /usr/lib/libblas/libblas.so.3
   when: not libblas_file.stat.exists
 
-
 - name: code sandbox | Check which `liblapac` to use
-  # The `liblapack.so.3gf` exists only in 12.04
-  stat: path=/usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3gf
+  stat:
+    path: /usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3gf
   register: liblapack_file
 
-- name: code sandbox | Use liblapack.so.3gf in Ubuntu 12.04
-  alternatives: name=liblapack.so.3gf path=/usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3gf
+- name: code sandbox | Use liblapack.so.3gf in Ubuntu
+  alternatives:
+    name: liblapack.so.3gf
+    path: /usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3gf
   when: liblapack_file.stat.exists
 
-- name: code sandbox | Use liblapack.so.3 in Ubuntu 14.04
-  alternatives: name=liblapack.so.3 path=/usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3
+- name: code sandbox | Use liblapack.so.3 in Ubuntu
+  alternatives:
+    name: liblapack.so.3
+    path: /usr/lib/lapack/liblapack.so.3
   when: not liblapack_file.stat.exists
 
 
 - name: code sandbox | Create edxapp sandbox user
-  user: name={{ edxapp_sandbox_user }} shell=/bin/false home={{ edxapp_sandbox_venv_dir }}
+  user:
+    name: "{{ edxapp_sandbox_user }}"
+    shell: /bin/false
+    home: "{{ edxapp_sandbox_venv_dir }}"
   tags:
     - edxapp-sandbox
 
 - name: code sandbox | Install apparmor utils system pkg
-  apt: pkg=apparmor-utils state=present
+  apt:
+    name: apparmor-utils
+    state: present
   tags:
     - edxapp-sandbox
 
 - name: code sandbox | write out apparmor code sandbox config
-  template: src=code.sandbox.j2 dest=/etc/apparmor.d/code.sandbox mode=0644 owner=root group=root
+  template:
+    src: code.sandbox.j2
+    dest: /etc/apparmor.d/code.sandbox
+    mode: 0644
+    owner: root
+    group: root
   tags:
     - edxapp-sandbox
 
 - name: code sandbox | write out sandbox user sudoers config
-  template: src=95-sandbox-sudoer.j2 dest=/etc/sudoers.d/95-{{ edxapp_sandbox_user }} mode=0440 owner=root group=root validate='visudo -c -f %s'
+  template:
+    src: 95-sandbox-sudoer.j2
+    dest: "/etc/sudoers.d/95-{{ edxapp_sandbox_user }}"
+    mode: 0440
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    validate: 'visudo -c -f %s'
   tags:
     - edxapp-sandbox
 
-# we boostrap and enable the apparmor service here.  in deploy.yml we disable, deploy, then re-enable
+# we boostrap and enable the apparmor service here. In deploy.yml we disable, deploy, then re-enable
 # so we need to enable it in main.yml
 - name: code sandbox | start apparmor service
-  service: name=apparmor state=started
+  service:
+    name: apparmor
+    state: started
   tags:
     - edxapp-sandbox
 

playbooks/roles/edxapp/tasks/tag_ec2.yml

 ---
-
 - name: get instance information
   action: ec2_facts
 
 - name: tag instance with edx_platform version
-  ec2_tag: resource={{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }} region={{ ansible_ec2_placement_region }}
-  args:
+  ec2_tag:
+    resource: "{{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }}"
+    region: "{{ ansible_ec2_placement_region }}"
     tags:
       "version:edx_platform" : "{{ edx_platform_repo }} {{ edxapp_platform_checkout.after|truncate(7,True,'') }}"
   when: edxapp_platform_checkout.after is defined
 
 - name: tag instance with edxapp theme version
-  ec2_tag: resource={{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }} region={{ ansible_ec2_placement_region }}
-  args:
+  ec2_tag:
+    resource: "{{ ansible_ec2_instance_id }}"
+    region: "{{ ansible_ec2_placement_region }}"
     tags:
       "version:edxapp_theme" : "{{ edxapp_theme_source_repo }} {{ edxapp_theme_checkout.after|truncate(7,True,'') }}"
   when: edxapp_theme_checkout.after is defined