 | Work in Progress These details will be finalized by code freeze. It's likely that some portions mentioned below will not be accomplished for 2.4 |
The Resources tool for Sakai 2.4 will include the following changes:
- Content Handlers to mount external resources in CHS and navigate into packaged resources (details)
- Resource "Type" Registry
- Move implementation of "Form Items" out of "content" project and use type registry to maintain their presence in Resource tool
- Add support for Citations and/or Citation Lists in Resources tool (as a new type registered in the registry)
From the UI point of view, there are two core changes.
- the UI of the 'add' link has been revised, in order to support the increasing number of types of resources that can be added to the Resources tool, and to deal with one of the major issues identified with the tool (users unsure how to add new resources)
- the UI of the 'add' screen has been revised, to give a clearer, more task-oriented interface.
The 'add' link now appears to be a button, with a drop-down list of choices of types of resources to add that appears when a user clicks on the button. This menu-button is in fact a styled list, and is accessible to users using, e.g. Jaws. The menu-button was inspired by the YUI library, but has been redesigned for accessibility. Users have reacted extremely positively to this in user-testing.
The initial 'add' screen now hides the properties for files, folders and URLs, to give a clearer interface. Properties can be set by clicking an 'add details for this file' link, which will cause a properties div to appear.
To create more than one resource at once, the user clicks on a link titled 'add another file'.
Text has been altered for accuracy and clarity throughout. For example, 'created by' has been altered to 'added by', since 'created by' has caused some confusion with regard to people uploading PDFs of articles by other scholars, for example.
Full details of the changes are given below.
The Resources team are very aware of the problems caused by repeated UI changes to core tools - help text must be re-written or videos re-recorded, translations of text produced, and users may need retraining. In the Resources 2.4 design, we have therefore erred on the side of caution, which means that some UI issues that people have raised have not been addressed. For Sakai 2.5, we plan to carry out consultation and testing with as many Sakai institutions as possible, in order to get a wide input into the design and functionality of this core tool.
User testing with users at 3 Universities in the UK and US suggests strongly that the new interface will not necessitate re-training of current Sakai users, and that, on the contrary, both current and new users will find the 2.4 version of the tool easier to use.
If you would like to get involved in the research of the functionality and design for the 2.5 Resources tool, please contact Harriet Truscott (more details will be posted on confluence soon).
Home Page (Resources Listing)
In order to support the increasing number of types of resource that can be added to the Resources tool, the 'Add' functionality has been revised.
In previous versions of Resources, users have clicked on an 'add' link which takes them through to a generic add screen, where they then select the type of resource to add.
In 2.4, clicking on the 'add' button displays an overlaid list of resource types. Clicking on a resource type takes the user through to the specific screen for that resource.
Please note that for accessibility reasons, the 'add' button and drop-down are in fact a styled list.
- The location of the 'remove', 'move' and 'copy' buttons remains the same.
- The 'Size' column now states the number of files within a folder.
- The 'Available to' column has the value 'hidden' for a timed resource which is not currently visible.
- The name of the site within the table is no longer a link.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
- 'Created by' now reads 'Added by'
- 'Last modified' now reads 'Last updated'
- 'Access' now reads 'Available to'.
- 'Upload-Download Multiple Resources' now reads 'Webdav: multiple upload/download instructions'
- 'Show other sites' now reads 'Show resources from my other sites'
- 'Site Resources' now reads 'Resources Home'
Upload file screen
The screen has been simplified, though no functionality has been lost.
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
- File details and settings are initially hidden. They can be revealed and set by clicking the 'Add details for this file' link.
- To add more than one file, users click on a link entitled 'Add Another File'. Another file upload box will be displayed after the existing files.
- If a user changes their mind about uploading one of a number of files, they can click a 'remove this file' link beside the file name.
- To clarify the action of the email notification, 'Email notification' has been changed to 'Send an email notification about these files to'.
Add web link screen
As with the other 'add' screens, this screen has been simplified, though no functionality has been lost.
- The inappropriate 'copyright status' have been removed. (Copyright on a resource which is not inside Sakai would probably not be known and does not need to be stated.)
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- Details and settings are initially hidden. They can be revealed and set by clicking the 'Add details for this web link' link.
- To add more than one web link, users click on a link entitled 'Add Another web link'. Another input box will be displayed after the existing files.
- If a user changes their mind about adding one of a number of addresses, they can click a 'remove this web link' link beside the file name.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
- To clarify the action of the email notification, 'Email notification' has been changed to 'Send an email notification about these web links to'.
Add folder screen
As with the other 'add' screens, this screen has been simplified, though no functionality has been lost.
- The inappropriate 'copyright status' have been removed. (Copyright cannot be asserted on a folder.)
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- Details and settings are initially hidden. They can be revealed and set by clicking the 'Add details for this folder' link.
- To add more than one web link, users click on a link entitled 'Add Another folder'. Another input box will be displayed after the existing folder.
- If a user changes their mind about adding one of a number of folder, they can click a 'remove this folder' link beside the folder name.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
- To clarify the action of the email notification, 'Email notification' has been changed to 'Send an email notification about these folders to'.
Student info screen
Information on this screen has been reordered, though no functionality has been lost or added.
- This screen now contains name of file, description, copyright, original uploader, date of upload, author and date of any changes, URL, file type, file size and file access.
- Optional properties can be viewed by clicking on a link 'show optional properties'.
Revise file screen
Information on this screen has been reordered, and headings added. No functionality has been lost.
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
Revise folder screen
Information on this screen has been reordered, and headings added. No functionality has been lost.
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- The folder details now state the number of files within a folder.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.
Revise URL screen
Information on this screen has been reordered, and headings added. No functionality has been lost.
- The new 'show' and 'hide' feature for timed release of resources is now incorporated.
- The wording of some text has been altered for accuracy or clarity. This should not need re-translation into other languages.