Linking Melete to Resources: A helper tool for migration

Kara StilesSenior Functional Consultant

rSmart

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A migration story that ends with the development of a helper tool

‣ Migration Assessment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore

‣ Write a tool map

‣ Develop the migration process

‣ Train course developers

‣ Identify challenges

‣ Consult with developers and community

‣ Write a new tool

Tool MapBlackboard SakaiStaff Information (Content Area)

Resources/Web Content

Everything from the course cartridge

Resources

Course Materials (Content Areas)

Resources and Melete (other options were Resources and Resources/Web Content)

Quizzes Tests & QuizzesDrop Box Assignments (Change

name to Drop Box and stealth the real drop box tool)

Migration Process

‣ Mostly manual, used Zach Thomas’s Bb import tools from contrib to import course cartridge.

‣ Clean up your stuff!

‣ Export the Course from Bb

‣ Import the Course into Sakai

‣ Clean up your Tests & Quizzes (or just delete them and use Respondus)

‣ Link Melete (Course Materials) to Resource content for sequencing

But there was a problem…

The challenge

‣ Their instructors are confused by Melete's use of content hosting.  Users expect to see their 'resources‘ when linking from Melete, and are frustrated when their content doesn't appear as it does when linking from other Sakai tools.

‣ Another issue is just the ability to view all the files/folders in oneplace.  They cannot do this if some of their content is in Meleteprivatedocs and the rest is in resources.

‣ There IS a way to get into resources from Melete (involves a few extraclicks), but those users who build content are accustomed to theconsistency with which the other tools use resources.

‣ We initially tried to treat this as a training issue, and worked toeducate our clients on how to properly build and manage their Meletecontent.  They did not accept.

Linking Melete to Resources

‣ Asked the developers for advice

‣ Offered workarounds/training

‣ Asked the community

‣ Asked the developers again

‣ Developed requirements for helper tool

Requirement #1

‣ When linking to an image, embedding flash or when creating a link from the text editor in Melete (we are using FCK), provide immediate access to the site's Resources folder rather than accessing the Melete /private/ directory.  The users will still be able to access /private/ but the default directory will be the site's resources.  SysAdmins can activate this new default with a property setting.

Requirement #2

‣ Build a helper tool into Melete, whereby users will have an additional (5th) option when creating content for a module section.  The option will read "Upload or link to a file in Resources".  Selecting this option will show user the resources file picker display for that site. The resource will open in a new window  SysAdmins can activate this default with a property setting.

Turns on and off via property setting

‣ Ensured that import from site and duplicate site tools still worked

‣ Built into the rSmart CLE, turned off by default

‣ Email John Ellis for code: john.ellis@rsmart.com

‣ Email Kara Stiles with additional questions: kara.stiles@rsmart.com

‣ Demo

Question And Answer