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This presentation (delivered in Las Vegas in July 2011 at the Blackboard Developers Conference) reflects on the work of 3 students who spent a summer learning and developing building blocks. Their project topics were provided by faculty. The experience highlights problems faced by novice building block developers and how to overcome these. It also provides suggestions for suitable and unsuitable test environments and ends with pointers for what constitutes a realistic (deliverable and maintainable) project, some of which come directly from the mouths of the students.
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Dr Malcolm Murray
Letting the lunatics run the asylum - students developing code for
the production environment
Dr Malcolm MurrayDurham University, UK
12th
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Slides freely available…
http://www.slideshare.net/malcolmmurray
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This session is being recorded…
http://www.audioh.com/projects/recorded_delivery.html
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Letting the lunatics run the asylum
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:County_Insane_Asylum,_Milwaukee.jpg
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Students developing code for the production environment
http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/shop/item/510008517750895.aspx
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Sound pedagogy
Learning by doing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_jones/3302564430
Biggs’ 3 Levels of Teaching
http://www.johnbiggs.com.au/
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Projects
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Selecting Projects
Previous trial allowed students to design their own projects – not very successful
This time faculty submitted bids for student time via an open competition
Students could choose from the list of bids which met the criteria
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Aims of the Development Fund
To enhance the learning and teaching experiences of Durham students
To develop high quality electronic learning objects which enhance the learning experience of students in the University
To enhance the employability of students by providing opportunities for summer placements working with staff to design and develop the ELOs
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Potential Developers
2nd & 3rd Year Computer Science undergraduates
Seeking Summer Employment
Some Java Experience
Only used Bb as a Student
Never written a Building Block
Limited Supervisor Availability
http://www.zazzle.co.uk/no_crying_in_computer_science_mug-168267831934931190
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The “Inmates”
Matthew Chris Daniel
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Successful Projects
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Functional Specs
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Learning from the Students
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Initial Issues with the Projects
Required iterative/agile development
Some projects very ambitious
Threat of scope creep
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What faculty are asking for…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/penguinbush/2768719983
…vs. what we can realistically build
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=235422146882
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Test Environment
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Test Environment
Gave each student a clean test server
- virtual installs (on VMWare)
Need Blackboard Sys Admin accounts
Next time, may try VirtualBox
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Security Concerns
Totally isolated from production
Ensure you use different passwords! Remember config files store these in plain text
Server and database only accessible on-site
Clean server – no “real” users or courses
Forbid the creation of accounts for friends
Draw their attention to the weblogs
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Access all Areas?
Definitely Not Root access – use sudo
Didn’t but would next time Command line access to server
• Logs, config and property files, etc.• Restarting the server
Still considering Database access – more need in 9.1?
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Think pink…
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IDE
Mix of Netbeans and Eclipse
Gave them the SDK and JARs
Used the devcon webinars to set it up
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Supporting Novice Developers
Provided a series of demo building blocks Portal Module Course Tool Custom Content Type
Team work (peer support)
Project Management
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Documentation
// TODO: DEVELOPER INPUT NEEDED HERE
http://www.spreadshirt.co.uk/access-denied-2c-underwear-C4408A14152441
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Dropbox was invaluable
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New to Blackboard Development
Do you speak Manual/TagLib?
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/m0php/3862856338
Output
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Expanding Content
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How It Works
Icon Title (and Title Colour)
Body Text
JavaScriptHidden DIV
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Production Robustness
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Support for Future Versions
Taking advantage of Blackboard 9.1 CSS
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More Complex Examples
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Using the bbNG Tag Library
Steep learning curve
Few quirks with inventoryLists
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Entitlement & Persistence
Course Photo Roster
Staff Info
Who can see the photos? Course Role and Institutional Role Checks
Persisting User Preferences User Registry
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Scalability
Load photos from Campus Card database Time-out Risk?
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Implementation Issues
Confusion – availability & row status
Each photo took 0.3 seconds to load
Copy them nightly as Avatar images
Discovered these were insecure
Not resolved until after project had ended
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FlashCards: Coming Unstuck
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Clash of the Libraries
JavaScript libraries – jQuery & ProtoType
Developed initially outside Blackboard
Browser Compatibility Issues
Scope Creep – Guilty!
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Reflection
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Students’ Reflections
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Recommendations
Success requires staff commitment & planning
Select projects and students carefully
Early steps need extensive scaffolding
Gets students familiar with thinking in Blackboard
Try it: very rewarding, we will do it again!
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Thank You
To you – for attending this talk
To Matthew, Chris & Daniel – for being fun to work with
To all the staff in the Learning Technologies Team and the Technology Enhanced Learning Group - who provided support, time & advice
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Questions?
Get in touch:
@learntechdurham
@malcolmmurray
http://www.dur.ac.uk/lt.team/blog/
http://building-blocks-developer.com/
Dr Malcolm Murray
Please provide feedback for this session on the back of used dollar bills sent to the author or by emailing
The title of this session is:
Letting the lunatics run the asylum
