Project Directory Service: Supporting Courses Through Network Storage

J. Richard McFerron

Director, Academic Technology Services

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA 

(724) 357-5769

jr.mcferron@iup.edu

Nancy J. Yost Associate ProfessorIndiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA (724) 357-5678 njyost@iup.edu

Educause Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference

January 13-15, 2004

Baltimore, MD

Why PDS to begin with . . .

Additional network disk space for faculty and students

It allows Instructors to store materials Students to access, submit, and store

materials Collaboration student-student and student-

instructor Equity of access

Project Directory Service Summary (PDS)

PDS provides “project” disk space for each individual course-section being offered in the current academic semester

PDS provides access to the entire project root directory through a single “share point”

PDS provides a fully automated initial creation mechanism based on production Banner (student record system) data sources  

PDS automates initial security permissions for each course-section based on data sources

Project Directory Service Summary (PDS)

PDS provides security through the use of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server 

PDS provides automated directory updates on a nightly basis

PDS provides an initial course-section quota of 2MB 

PDS permits instructor-initiated quota increases. A 10MB and 250 MB quota increase option are available via http://www.project.iup.edu/support

Background

Campus Technology Committees: Academic Computing Policy and Advisory

Committee (ACPAC) Technology Utilities Council (TUC) Academic Operations Group (AOG)

Concept put forth Work group created TUC issued specifications:

http://www.iup.edu/tsc/iuponly/utilities/pds-requirements.doc

TUC issued plan: http://www.iup.edu/tsc/iuponly/utilities/tuc-pds-implementation.doc

Project Directory Structure

Accessing the PDS

Faculty and students may access the PDS through: a mapped drive – P: ftp http

Permissions to Folders

Much discussion Who Names of folders

Permissions available on PDS folders Full Add Read Change

Instructor-Only Folder

instructor has FULL access

students have no access contains a class list that

is updated nightly

Information Folder

instructor has FULL access

students have READ access

Scratch Folder

instructor has FULL access students have READ and

CHANGE access

Student Folders

instructor has FULL access students have READ and

CHANGE access to their individual folder only

Each student has an individual subfolder within the student folder identified by their username in which only the student and the instructor can access, allowing them to work on course-related projects and assignments.

Hand-in Folder

instructor has FULL access students have ADD access file cannot be changed or deleted

not even by the owner of the file

Dropped Folder instructor has FULL access students have no access contains folders and content

for students that have dropped the course

updated daily 

World-Read Folder

instructor has FULL access

everyone has READ access

folder may be accessed by any individual with an IUPMSD network account

Documents Availablehttp://www.iup.edu/ats/helpdesk/Documentation/pds/index.shtmhttp://www.iup.edu/ats/sts/project/menu.htm

Advantages to Instruction

lower learning curve for instructor not as involved as WebCT looks like a computer drive

access on and off campus organization of materials student and faculty work areas

Disadvantages to Instruction instructor must teach functions and use to

students – for some instructors this may discourage use

consistency issues with the technology students don’t follow directions permission over-rides difficulties

Benefits to Institution

collaborative work space course file storage and access increased faculty and student confidence in technology

usage increased faculty and student confidence in their technology

management skills increased confidence on the part of the technology

managers gained through building the structure and their capability to develop such a project

Future Enhancements

improve archiving seek feedback from faculty support student use of service continue to promote use of service coordinate timing with other university

services

Questions

J. Richard McFerron

Director, Academic Technology Services

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA  (724) 357-5769 jr.mcferron@iup.edu

Nancy J. Yost Associate ProfessorIndiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA (724) 357-5678 njyost@iup.edu