Download - iSyllabus: A One-Stop-Shopping Portal for Students

iSyllabus: A “One-Stop-Shopping” Portal for Students

Yitna Firdyiwek, Faculty Consultant in IT at UVa

Trisha Gordon, User Support Manager, UVaCollab

Gail Hunger, Director of Instructional Design, UVa SCPS

Introduction

*Richards, Sylvie L. (2003) The Interactive Syllabus: A

Resource-based, Constructivist Approach to Learning

The Technology Source, July/August

…the “i(nteractive) syllabus”*

212th Sakai Conference – Los Angeles, California – June 14-16

Introduction

• Q1: Is the syllabus the best place to focus technology integration in teaching and learning?


Introduction

• Q1: Is the syllabus the best place to focus technology integration in teaching and learning?

• Q2: How can we implement such an idea in the current Sakai 2.x environment?


The iSyllabus…

• …an online document with links to resources and activities


The iSyllabus…

• …is a single portal for students to access course information and materials.


Typical Online Syllabus


iSyllabus Site


iSyllabus: Workflow


iSyllabus: Tools


iSyllabus: Templates


iSyllabus: Template


iSyllabus: Links


iSyllabus: Links

Activities

uploaded files


iSyllabus: Tools

ARCHITECTURE


Resource Browser

FC

K C

onnec

tor

(XM

L/J

SO

N)

(Javascript code added to Resource

Browser plugin for FCKEditor)

EntityBroker/EntityProvider

Resources

Assignments

Tests & Quizzes

Forums

Oth

er A

pplic

atio

ns

Ext

erna

l to

Sak

ai

(XM

L/J

SO

NP

)


Resource Browser

FC

K C

onnec

tor

(XM

L/J

SO

N)




Resources

Assignments

Tests & Quizzes

Forums

Oth

er A

pplic

atio

ns

Ext

erna

l to

Sak

ai

(XM

L/J

SO

NP

)Supplies direct connection to

activity items


Extends the Resource

Browser to show activities

Resource Browser

FC

K C

onnec

tor

(XM

L/J

SO

N)




Resources

Assignments

Tests & Quizzes

Forums

Oth

er A

pplic

atio

ns

Ext

erna

l to

Sak

ai

(XM

L/J

SO

NP

)


Resource Browser

FC

K C

onnec

tor

(XM

L/J

SO

N)




Resources

Assignments

Tests & Quizzes

Forums

Oth

er A

pplic

atio

ns

Ext

erna

l to

Sak

ai

(XM

L/J

SO

NP

)

Extends the item links to

external applications 2712th Sakai Conference – Los Angeles, California – June 14-16

Why Use the iSyllabus?

• Value for students:• clarity; efficiency; positive student experience




• Value for instructors:• site can reflect teacher purpose• workload reduction (when porting is completed)




• Value for instructors:• site can reflect teacher purpose• workload reduction (when porting is completed)

• Value for institution:• minimal cost (leveraging existing Sakai tools)• works with legacy/external applications


• EntityProvider not available for all Sakai tools

Pending Issues



• Sites not completely portable (yet)

Pending Issues



• Sites not completely portable (yet)

• Steep learning cure for effective use

Pending Issues


SITE TEMPLATES AND DISSEMINATION

12th Sakai Conference – Los Angeles, California – June 14-16 34

Site Templates


2.6 Site Templates

• Using Sites tool, create a published site

with a site id that starts with “template”

• In sakai.properties, add a comma-

separated list of template site IDs to

site.template property

• For more details see:https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/WSSI/Home


https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/WSSI/Home

2.7 Site Templates

In the Sites

tool, set a

template=true property to any

site that will

function as a

site template.


2.7 Site Templates

A new option will

appear during

Worksite Setup to

Create site from

template.


2.7 Site Templates

Select the iSyllabus site template from

the drop-down menu.


Site Templates

A syllabus item (included

in the template) displays a

set of brief instructions for

faculty in Draft mode.

Links to documentation.


Dissemination to Faculty

iSyllabus User Guide


https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/docs/iSyllabus.pdf

https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/docs/iSyllabus.pdf


iSyllabus Video

https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/docs/videos/iSyllabus/iSyllabus.html


One-on-one sessions to help faculty get started

Announcement to

all instructors

who use

UVaCollab.

Workshops scheduled just

before each semester


SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION


Individual Examples

• Activities grid example


Individual Examples

Free form


Next Steps

• Departmental/school site templates

• Branding

• Pre-selected tools

• Pre-loaded content


Additional Sessions

• What is the Role of the Syllabus in a Course Management System? 1:45 Wednesday, Beaudry A

• Tech Demo – Wednesday evening at 5 PM

• Word-based iSyllabus via WebDAV

• Confluence and WordPress integration via “The Bridge” tool


Contact Information

• Yitna Firdyiwek, [email protected]

• Trisha Gordon, [email protected]

• Gail Hunger, [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



THANK YOU!
