OSP Working Group Meeting Notes April 10, 2008 at La Guardia Community College
Working up enhancements requirements list for OSP 2.6 - time to provide inputs
Confluence site: http://jira.sakaiproject.org/confluence/display/OSP/Home
1. Lynn Ward reviewed changes in new version of OSP
Matrix Changes:
- We've implemented concept of defaults in matrices - can define viewers on cell-by-cell basis
- can select forms now in Matrix properties - no longer have to set forms for each cell - instead select default forms for the Matrix
- can designate reviewers who have capability to provide feedback on all cells
- can designate evaluators for all cells as well
- demo of how to override defaults - can select via check box
- wanted to elliminate ability for evaluator to go into every cell - due to shifting roles over time - protecting student privacy - when you assign evaluator rights to an individual cell, then that person has access to that cell - provides more granular control
- No inputs or concerns from group on matrix changes
Goal Management Changes
- Assignments can be linked back to goals
- can associate matrix with assignments tool in that course so that you can link any assignment for a course to a matrix cell for that course
- behavior of the linking process is less than ideal at the moment (understatement - but it does work - very clumsy though to set multiple cells in a session due to the way the screen refreshes
- Functionality can be turned off by Server Administrator (flag settings)
- When turned off, assignments function will work as it should
- Once links have been made, assignments should appear in the evidence area of the students' matrix
- will include instructions for assignment as well as assignment itself
- Subnote: This was a apparently a resolved jira ticket in 2005 - comment that it looks a lot like Noah's work at Saginaw State
- This is linked to providing a tool to make it easy for faculty to link mastery assignments to particular cells in their course matrices - easing evidence collection and documentation
Want to make it easier for peer reviewer work by other students
- When students go into a portfolio cell - students will have a button that will enable them to invite anyone to be a reviewer for them.
- Can share cell for peer review with pretty much anyone.
Other Features discussion
When you click "Add other Evidence" link in a cell it's possible to upload directly a local file (don't have to add to your workspace) or add an artifact directly
- Allows students to link to content that was previously inaccessible once it was locked as part of a course matrix - by uploading a copy of the locked document.
2. Gayle Stein - Rutgers - discussed enhancements in usability that Rutgers team has done to improve usability
- Rutgers and OSP co-hosting an OSP training event in June - weeklong program - pretty good price - info up on the rSmart website - seats are still available
- Sakai@Rutgers
- They have changed much of the technical jargon in the screens into practical and descriptive English
- Wizards are organized logically and made more accessible in their new interface design
- Add Documents Matrix - part of matrix designed about the resume builder functionality - designed by rSmart for Rutgers
- Create Portfolio Wizard - support needs for multiple ePortfolios for students - students can be associated with several different schools at the University and they all have differing ePortfolio requirements
3. Hacking OSP Presentation - (Erica Ackerman)
- Problem 1: Poor Authoring Experience
- User experience of authoring in OSP is "unsatisfactory"
- Protfolio templates are not scalable if you have to develop a template for each site
- No auto-save, so users can lose work
- Hard for unsophisticated users to get the FCKEditor to do what they want
- Solution was to give user a "canvas" for the editor - themes with a theme -switcher - and to embed the FCKEditor within each theme.
- Uses "forms" - to do this. XSD
- Auto-saves every 30 seconds - to an SWF flash file - basically a Flash movie - client side save? - solution does work though
- Have created one UROP - universal template
- Solution: Reflection vs. Presentation
- We've gotten out of the portfolio template creation business - radically different sites can now use the same portfolio template
- We provide two kinds of matrices - Reflection and Presentation
- Presentation matrix has only two kinds of forms - Basic page and Example Page
- All done in java script
4. Sean - Sakai workflow and use cases - Multiple evaluator Work flow-related requirements
- Sean reviewed a number of the developed use-cases and work flows for evaluations
- Request that folks go and review use cases before Monday meeting
5. Brief update on some new reports to support teachers and administrators - Steven Foehr - RINET - Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology -
- reports designed to help assess how staff is doing and where students are.
- Have developed set of functional reports, operating within Sakai and OSP - that can be used by students, faculty and administrators to track progress