Sousa Page Layout

Currently, the Content Sequencer allows items (resources) currently residing in a content collection to be included in a sequence. For text files (including rich text), images, videos, and audio clips, this works fine. However, there is a strong need for more expressive combinations in an item, including the ability to capture input from the user (student), when viewed.

This document describes a means to created, included, and use interactive learning elements in a sequence.

Use Case

Prof. Smith wants his students to review a series of images selected by him and record their impressions of each image. When viewed by a student, the page would look something like this:

The student enters her answer in the space provided and presses "next". If she presses previous or exit, she is given the opportunity to save whatever was entered. If no text is entered, and "next is pressed, she is given a reminder that the question must be answered and either return to this page, or move on leaving the question unanswered.

The student progresses through all sequenced content, interactiing with it and answering questions as presented. On completion, a summary report is optionally available. This report includes points given for qeustions that can be auto-scored and an indication on which questions await gradinging. Total grade is associated wtih an entry in the gradebook for this course.

Analysis

In the current design, each sequence item refers to a resource managed by theContent Hosting service. This leads to a diagram for sequences that might look like this:

Items 6 and 7 are simple graphic images and Item 9 is a video. Item 8, however, is more interesting. it is description of the page viewed by the student above that includes:

1. An image
2. Some instructional text
3. A question to be answered.

There are several ways that is could be accomplished. Note that all of this information could be expressed in a single Samigo (or Mneme) question. Or it could be described directly using IMS-QTI. Finally, some kind of proprietary representation form could be developed.

If there was an easy way to get at stored Samigo questions, its creation and editing capabilities could be leveraged (though it would mean another, major dependency). Ask the Samigo and Resource groups if there are plans to create standalone tests, quizzes or assignments that can show up in a Content Collection and started by the student from the Resources tool.

Representing the question or activity as a QTI question(s) has merits as well. Additional UI would be needed create, edit, and save questions/quizzes. The biggest plus here is that QTI documents could be imported from other sources and used directly in a sequence. It also facilitates standards based export.
Look into what's involved with creating simple QTI questions and quizzes. Steve Lon at CARET may even have code. Also echeck to see what Samigo output to QTI looks like.

Finally, a simple proprietary solution could be developed that would allow simple question types to be used (multiple choice, true/false, choose a word, matching/drag-n-drop, etc.

Note that the sequencer really only cares that it be an interpretable resource. As such, all of the above approaches could be included and used.

Look into tool registration in the Resources tool. This was added in Sakai 2.4 and creates a basis for launching tools directly from the Resources Tool.

Page Layout

Once complex pages are introduced into the design, pages with single content items become simple edge cases. Pages can then be uniform, ie. all pages have structure and markup. This doesn't precluded the possibility of templated pages, either. If a page layout editor allows structured pages to be created, a button can be provided to "save as template". A "copy page" function can be provided that copies content as well as the structure.

Page layouts are selected from a limited set of set of layouts including several, pre-defined ones:

Within each cell of the basic layout, a sequence of content elements can be defined, using pretty much the same controls and functions as sequence editing. As useful page templates are identified by users, they can be added to the page layout selection list. Other users for template bears thought as well.

XML Repesentation of Page Layouts

Layout tags contain one or more tile tags based on the layout type. Tiles then contain ordered item tags that are included in the title.

<layout type="B">
    <tile>
        <item>oiwuelksdjfoiweurlk</item>
        <item>woiurzlxdmfoiuerlsd</item>
    </tile>
    <tile>
        <item>pwpeiovalirweopilkf</item>
    </tile>
</layout>

Given that Layout type A is the same as having one set of content elements on the screen (no layout formatting), it might be best to force all sequence pages into this form. On the other hand, if pages could be saved in Content Hosting separately, they could be easily re-used in other sequences.

Editing View

General page layout is selected from one of eight icons across the top. Sections are display slightly separated with links to edit or clear each section:

Shift to another page layout causes the view to change immediately. If shifting from a layout with more panels to one with less, any content in the extra panels is kept hidden, to be revealed if called for. Perhaps an icon showing the presences of hidden panels could be displayed.

Clicking on one of the edit links shifts the view to a panel edit mode. In panel edit mode, content elements are sequenced vertically, using controls similar to the page sequencer.

Content Elements

See Content Notes.