next generation courseware integrating teaching, learning, research and collaboration carl berger...

Next Generation Next Generation CoursewareCoursewareIntegrating Teaching, Integrating Teaching, Learning, Research Learning, Research and Collaborationand Collaboration

Carl Berger and Kim Bayer

MERLOT September 2002

http://chefproject.org

Carl Berger & Kim Bayer http://chefproject.org

CourseTools BackgroundCourseTools Background

• Built on tests at UM-AA, Dearborn, Ford/UAW• Released in Fall 1999 - over 6,000 users• Growth exceeds expectations – 11,000 users in

Winter 2000• Then over 16,000 users – Fall 2000• Currently about 50,000 users on 3 campuses • Over 12,000 unique users in a peak day - Fall

2002


Growth curve looks like thisGrowth curve looks like this

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

IntroductionFall 1999

Fall 2000 Spring 2001 Fall 2001 Fall 2002


Unique users per day*Unique users per day*

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Fall 2000 Winter 2001 Fall 2001 Fall 2002

*Peak day seems to be always a Tuesday


Why Next Generation?Why Next Generation?• CourseTools “Classic”

– First capabilities focus on administrative efficiency for faculty and standard navigation for students

– Faculty deliver their material online

– Course sites integrated with registration

– Students view all courses separately

– Built on Lotus Notes and Domino

• CourseTools.NG– First capabilities to match

“Classic” but quickly move to making sites interactive and customizable

– Faculty customize learning experience using easily configurable modules

– Course sites integrated with many services

– Students have both a portal for courses and “My workspace” for portfolio

– Built on open source model using OKI specs


CT.NG FeaturesCT.NG Features

• Person centric. User feedback, campus surveys, user centered design driving the process

• Focus on both instruction and research, at multiple levels

• Courses are viewed together in a portal which incorporates a personal workspace and notion of “presence”

• Broader definition of roles so more flexibility in levels and types of access and customization

• All resources are addressable (have a URL)


CHEF Architecture: GoalsCHEF Architecture: Goals

• Collaborative development with other schools. Build here, use there and vice versa

• Plan is to use open source, home built, AND off the shelf (commercial) software

• New model of development and integration with campus departments. New modules can be developed by others and plugged in easily

• Focus on integration with campus-wide systems. Integrates campus legacy (even new) systems


CHEF Architecture: CHEF Architecture: ImplementationImplementation

• Client/server• Model View Controller practice• Separation of concerns introduces

metaphors for– Tools– Services– Interface technology– Portals


Moving from here to the futureMoving from here to the future

• Old– Administrative

efficiency is the driver

– Ability to form community is limited

– Pedagogically limited and limiting

• New– User centered

design and pedagogy is driving

– Learning and research communities are possible

– Pedagogical flexibility


So… this Next Generation is a So… this Next Generation is a new way of thinking in regard to new way of thinking in regard to

• Pedagogy

• Technology

• Goals

• Infrastructure


A paradigm shift….if it works!A paradigm shift….if it works!

• Open source, collaborative development• Customizable, personalizable environment

for faculty and for students• Broad integration with campus systems

and new ways of working with departments

• Potential for research on learning within the tool


What don’t we knowWhat don’t we know

• How will they really use it if they can– Select from a broad menu of choices: design

entire pages, incorporate any module, see who else is active on the site

– Reap benefits of everything connecting seamlessly: registration, library, grades, financials, calendars, etc.

– Extend use beyond class, school, university …universe!


More of what we don’t knowMore of what we don’t know

• What are the implications of:– Unintended connectivity– Changing loyalty model of students from

class to building their own portfolio– Use across many schools causing changes

to our U structure– Change for students to tracking, portfolio,

opportunity to take and get resources, courses elsewhere


Unanswered questionsUnanswered questions

• What’s the model for collaborative development work?

• Who owns the source code?• What does open source mean and how far

does open source go?• How do you handle upgrades, version

control?• If something goes wrong, who do you call?


So… NG changes the model of So… NG changes the model of

• Who is responsible for what

• The role of student and of faculty

• Support role

• Developer role

• Top administration support needed


But the potential payoff is hugeBut the potential payoff is huge

• Able to take our core competency in teaching and learning and apply it

• Can share the cost, work together to build something better than any one can build alone

• Shared standards let us share content, students and more

• End frustration and costs with getting vendors to provide what we need, when we need it

• Not held hostage to vendor pricing structures


Soooo, what does the Soooo, what does the prototype look like?prototype look like?

• Idea is to make it very similar to tools people already know to smooth the transition process

• Initial goal is to match basic functionality of CourseTools Classic plus a few “delighters”

• Underlying technology is completely changed but invisible to the user

• We are in our second semester of pilot use. Full rollout to campus expected Fall 2003


CT.NGInformation

Page


Use Kerberos

OrNativeCHEF

passwd


Menus

UserPresent list

User’s personalworkspace

Once you’ve logged in, this isWhat you’ll see

Class and Research

Sites


The Announcement “teamlet”Inside a pilot course site


Same tool named differently for different applications


1

2

3

4

Adding a resource


Apache

Tomcat

Turbine Velocity

Jetspeed

CHEFGroups, Awareness, Tools, Administration

Portal EngineUI Templating Engine

Web Application Framework

Servlet and JSP

HTTP Server

Teamlet-Based Ed/Research Apps


Apache

Tomcat

Turbine Velocity

Jetspeed

Teamlet-Based Ed/Research Apps

CHEF

OKI/API’s Net-BasedServices(Grid)

Teamletsare toolsbuilt for the portal environment

We are building the OKI APIsand GRID servicesinto the portal environment


CourseTools/WorkTools Next CourseTools/WorkTools Next GenerationGeneration

• Built on a Portal model. Aggregates Courses and My.Workspace for each student and faculty

• Access control for teams or groups, not just individuals

• A Portlet (page) can aggregate Teamlets (tools that understand groups) and is configurable– A Teamlet is a tool that displays on a page – Teamlets can be mixed/matched on a page– Combine or not according to a Team’s/User’s needs


Watch what happensWatch what happens

• Example of how to add a teamlet


For any page, choose which teamlets to display…


Teamlets (tools) can be added or taken away(access is controlled to level of individual or group)

Portfolio

Grade sheet

Group & role assignment

Event Recorder (dt)

Library

Critique

Assessment

Online video (live)

Mail

Trail map (class or student)

MERLOT (site)

Wisconsin Colab Class

Chat

Discussion


Adding selected teamletsAdding selected teamlets


Often interop….Often interop….


In SummaryIn Summary

• Next generation is a quantum leap ahead of next version - are we ready?

• This is going to create new synergies - what are the possibilities?

• We have the opportunity finally to improve learning outcomes by using data and research generated within the tool - will we use these to iterate instructional design?


http://chefproject.org

next generation courseware integrating teaching, learning, research and collaboration carl berger...

Documents

collaboration carl berger

kim bayer merlot

url slide

introduction fall

users growth

new systems

new modules

students faculty