LON-CAPA 3.0Sneak Preview

Gerd KortemeyerApril 2011

OverviewGuiding ideas for new releaseThings already (almost) workingThings to be doneQuestions

Guiding ideas for new releaseTwo design ideas:Idea 1: Move basic course

management to the foregroundIdea 2: “Flight Management”

Idea 1 - BackgroundHistory: CAPA started as a pure

assessment system◦Course Management added later◦Currently still reflected in the

interface9900 individual

students1/4th of MSU’s undergraduate

population actively uses LON-CAPA

Idea 1 - BackgroundUsed to be just natural science

◦Not anymoreRequirements

beyondgeeky homework

Bring basic course management up front

Idea 1 - Design

Idea 2 - BackgroundMore features than most systems

… but faculty don’t know about them◦Enormous number of parameters,

settings, configurations … sometimes hard to keep track – “Discoverability”

Very powerful system: “We make the scissors, you do the running.”◦Move to the foreground what is

important at the time when it’s needed

Idea 2 - Background

DC 10

Idea 2 - Design

Airbus

Idea 2 - Design “Flight Management”

What you need when you need it

2.9

3.0

2.1

0

Who is or will be working on that? MSU:

◦ “Flight management”◦ Grading◦ Overall coordination

Ostfalia/Wolfenbüttel:◦ Design◦ Look and feel◦ Discoverability

MIT:◦ Social networking◦ Student support and signaling

Purdue:◦ Flight management◦ Signaling

UIUC◦ Hiring additional programmer

… with input by

Things already (almost) workingIn the developer version of LON-

CAPA, several of these concepts have already been implemented

Still need◦finishing touches◦testing

… but they will bein 3.0 for sure

MenusThe “old” LON-

CAPARemote ControlRIP

Menus2.9

2.10

3.0

MenusClear contextsConsistent positions

Always

Content

Course

Homework

Menus

2.10MainMenu

Menus

3.0 Hierarchical MenuAction-oriented top-levelStandard course management

actions

Menus

3.0 Hierarchical MenuNext level tabs

Should be intuitive for “old” usersLess learning curve for new usersLess clicks

Contextualization“Flight

Management”Items and

messages clickableC

lickabl

e

Direct jump to

modification interface

Contextualization

… of course depends on the privileges of the user

click

ContextualizationWhat’s New screen

◦Essays anddrop boxes

click andgrade

GradingCategory-based grading mode

added

Content EditorLess scrolling and clearer

categories on Content Editor

NavigationNew automatically generated

index

… and yes, homework …We could not have a new release

without some enhancements to homework

Dynamic graphing

Homework

i>Clicker2Fully compatible with numerical

and alphanumeric input of i>Clicker2

And always:Bugs and enhancementsActually catching up!

Things to be doneThings that are still left to doCurrently in concept stageWarning: going from actual

screen shots to mockups

New Home ScreenHome screen shows what is

going on across courses, communities, …

Replaces Roles screen

New What’s New“Flight management”Will be available for all users in

all roles

New Contextualization“Flight management”Display pertinent information

when needed

!High

degree of difficulty

Generally: Open ChangeNot open for section 003 ChangeGenerally: Due May 17, 2010 Change

4 Messages regarding this problem Read

Extend due dateIncrease maximum number of tries

New HelpersMore helpers

to accomplish tasks

“I want to turn this folder into an exam”◦hiding◦dates◦exam mode◦etc

New SearchRecommender system based on

dynamic metadataShopping cart metaphor for

importing resources

New AlertsIntegrate Purdue’s alert system

for students-at-risk into LON-CAPA

New LearnerResources

Content “Assets”◦FAQ◦Recommende

d resources

New Import ToolsAutomated ANGEL import

More on this

Thank you!

Questions and maybe answers?

Gerd Kortemeyerkortemey@msu.eduhttp://www.lon-capa.org/