[Announcements] Sakai Newsletter June 28, 2012
Margaret Wagner
mwagner at umich.edu
Mon Jul 2 06:46:47 PDT 2012
Sakai Newsletter
June 28, 2012
1. From the Executive Director
Change of Officers
Changes in the Sakai-Jasig Joint Working Group
Notice of Bylaw Amendment
2. Sakai OAE 1.3.0 Release Now Available
3. Sakai OAE 1.4.0 Near Completion
4. Sakai CLE 2.8.2 Release Now Available
5. New Enhanced Features for Sakai CLE Textbook Tool
6. Novel Use of WebLearn’s Sign-up Tool by NPEU
7. Unicon Upgrades Learning Environment Test Drive to Sakai 2.8
8. LMS (Sakai) System Support Position at Pomona College
9. Events
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1. From the Executive Director
Change of Officers
Following the resignation of Maggie Lynch as Foundation Board Chair, David
Ackerman, Associate Vice President for .edu Services at NYU, has been
elected Chair of the Board of the Sakai Foundation. Ian Boston, of CARET at
the University of Cambridge, was elected Vice-Chair. Maggie is focusing her
future activities on Open Educational Resources. We thank her for her
service to the Foundation, and wish her all the best for the future.
--------
Changes in the Sakai-Jasig Joint Working Group
Following changes in Foundation officers, here are the representatives on
the Sakai-Jasig Joint Working Group:
David Ackerman, NYU
Nate Angell, RSmart
Steve Swinsburg, ANU
Josh Baron, Marist College
---------
Notice of Bylaw Amendment
Having discussed the following amendment to the bylaws of the Sakai
Foundation at its meeting of the 9th June 2012, the Sakai Foundation Board
of Directors wishes to provide notice of its intent to vote on the
amendment at the Board meeting of 17 July 2012. This announcement
constitutes notice of a bylaw amendment under s10.1 of the Foundation
bylaws. The Foundation bylaws may be found at:
http://www.sakaiproject.org/sites/default/files/Sakai%20Foundation%20Official%20bylaws%20v%202.0.pdf
Add new section 15
XV. Balloting
1. At least twenty-one calendar days before the deadline for
completion of voting, a designated foundation representative shall provide
to each eligible institutional representative, through the mail or
electronically, either a mail ballot or instructions for voting
electronically. This should be accompanied by all relevant texts, where
necessary, or an electronic pointer to such texts, together with a
timetable for the ballot, including the deadline for the return of the
ballots or for electronic voting.
The purpose of this provision is to expressly authorize voting by
electronic transmission, pursuant to Section 441(1) of the Michigan
Nonprofit Corporation Act, which defines “electronic transmission” as “any
form of communication that meets all of the following:
(a) It does not directly involve the physical transmission of paper;
(b) It creates a record that may be retained and retrieved by the recipient;
(c) It may be directly reproduced in paper form by the recipient through an
automated process.
2. In the case of mail ballots, each voter shall receive a plain envelope
in which to enclose a marked ballot, and a second envelope addressed to a
designated foundation representative, to be used for the return of the
sealed ballot. The envelope addressed to the designated foundation
representative shall have a space for the signature of the voter. Ballots
lacking this validating signature shall be deemed void.
3. In the case of electronic ballots, the designated foundation
representative shall utilize a system that verifies each voter’s identity
and which maintains security.
4. The designated foundation representative shall deliver the results of
the ballot to foundation officers within 24 hours of the ballot closing.
5. The designated foundation representative, in certifying the results,
shall give the tally of votes, including invalid ballots.
6. Throughout these bylaws the term "ballot" shall denote either a mail or
electronic ballot.
If any Foundation member has a question or concern regarding this
amendment, please contact me.
Regards,
Ian Dolphin
Executive Director, Sakai Foundation
iandolphin at sakaifoundation.org
----------------------------------------------
2. Sakai OAE 1.3.0 Release Now Available
On June 1, 2012, the Sakai Community announced the release of the Sakai OAE
version 1.3.0. OAE (Sakai Open Academic Environment) is an open-source
platform that promotes collaboration and sharing between users and
interoperability between systems. It embraces a new vision for academic
collaboration informed by the needs of learners, teachers and researchers.
OAE provides academic networking capabilities that encourage people to
connect and participate in communities that span beyond the traditional
boundaries of classroom and institution. Powerful content authoring
capabilities permit mash-ups and remixable experiences of ideas, dialog and
media. Enhanced search capabilities aid discovery of people and content. A
widget-based architecture simplifies both development and integration with
external systems.
WHAT'S NEW
OAE 1.3.0 introduces the following new features:
- A new permission option for Sakai OAE documents is now available. People
can be invited to edit without surrendering ownership and the power to
delete. Ideal for participatory learning environments or collaboration
between colleagues.
- A new configuration setting is now available that allows institutions to
configure who is allowed to share content in the system, based on the
visibility setting of the content
- A password strength indicator has been added to the Sign Up page
- Improved indicators of read/unread status of messages in mailboxes
- We've added an extension to the Sakai Basic LTI consumer/provider and
provided a set of default skins for designated Sakai CLE tools such as
assignments, gradebook and Tests & Quizzes.
- we also fixed some bugs, see
https://jira.sakaiproject.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=13236
DOWNLOADS
OAE 1.3.0 Web Start (one-click download/run for Demos)
http://source.sakaiproject.org/release/oae/1.3.0/webstart/sakaioae.jnlp
If you previously sampled our web start, be sure to check your /home
directory and remove the /sling folder and, if desired, the /store folder
if you previously added content and want to start fresh.
OAE 1.3.0 Binary (org.sakaiproject.nakamura.app-1.3.0.jar)
http://source.sakaiproject.org/maven2/org/sakaiproject/nakamura/org.sakaiproject.nakamura.app/1.3.0/
command line example: java -Xms512m -Xmx1024m -XX:MaxPermSize=256m -jar
org.sakaiproject.nakamura.app-1.3.0.jar 1> run.log 2>&1 &
OAE 1.3.0 Source
Front-end:
https://github.com/sakaiproject/3akai-ux/tree/org.sakaiproject.nakamura.uxloader-1.3.0
Back-end (Nakamura):
https://github.com/sakaiproject/nakamura/tree/org.sakaiproject.nakamura-1.3.0
sparsemapcontent:
https://github.com/sakaiproject/sparsemapcontent/tree/org.sakaiproject.nakamura.core-1.3.5
solr:
https://github.com/sakaiproject/solr/tree/org.sakaiproject.nakamura.solr-1.4.2
Sakai CLE 2.8 Hybrid Integration Module
Tag: https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/hybrid/tags/hybrid-1.1.5
Tomcat zip overlay:
http://source.sakaiproject.org/maven2/org/sakaiproject/hybrid/hybrid-assembly/1.1.5/
Sakai CLE "OAE" skins
2.8.x:
https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/reference/branches/sakai-2.8.x/library/src/webapp/skin/oae/
2.9.x:
https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/reference/branches/sakai-2.9.x/library/src/webapp/skin/oae/
CHANGE LOG
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/OAEREL/oae-1.3.0+change+log
KNOWN ISSUES
Below is a highlighted list of issues not addressed in the 1.3.0 release.
SAKIII-5412: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/SAKIII-5412 - Content
Authoring has numerous accessibility issues for user of screen reading
software and keyboard only users
SAKIII-5061: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/SAKIII-5061 - Group
library permissions set to members cannot edit still allows member to
upload content.
SAKIIIDESIGN-251: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/SAKIIIDESIGN-251 -
Deleting a course does not delete the Course website that was created as
part of it.
SAKIII-4493: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/SAKIII-4493 - Collection
added to a group appears in My Library and can't be removed.
SAKIII-4266: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/SAKIII-4266 - After
creator removes content from their library, it remains in the system with
no ability to remove it.
KERN-2773: https://jira.sakaiproject.org/browse/KERN-2773 - Content count
can be temporarily incorrect when adding or deleting multiple pieces of
content at once - IN
PROGRESS
See our issue tracking system for a complete list of OAE known issues:
https://jira.sakaiproject.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?mode=hide&requestId=13017
UPGRADING
Upgrading to oae-1.3.0 from an earlier version (e.g., oae-1.1.0) involves a
number of steps that MUST be followed in order to avoid dropping your
existing data.
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/dqmCB
INSTALL GUIDES
OAE Demo Web Start Guide: https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/oxNJB
OAE Configuration and Deployment Guide:
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/n4_CB
OAE/CLE Hybrid Deployment Guide:
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/pIaCB
Deploying OAE: University of Cambridge deployment notes:
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/3AK/University+of+Cambridge+Institutional+Deployment+Details
DEVELOPER DOCUMENTATION
OAE Widget SDK and Library: http://oae-widgets.sakaiproject.org/
OAE Nakamura: https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/HoDzAQ
MAIL LISTS
Subscribe at http://collab.sakaiproject.org/mailman/listinfo
Deployers: oae-production at collab.sakaiproject.org
Developers: oae-dev at collab.sakaiproject.org
Technical Reference Group: oae-trg at collab.sakaiproject.org
User Reference Group: oae-urg at collab.sakaiproject.org
LICENSE
Sakai OAE is released under the Apache license, version 2.0
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
Anthony Whyte
arwhyte at umich.edu
----------------------------------------------
3. Sakai OAE 1.4.0 Near Completion
The next release of OAE 1.x is nearing completion and quick update is in
order. This release provides a set of UI performance optimizations,
caching improvements, as well as fixes to a number of slow queries. A key
goal is to reduce page load times along with the number of requests
currently required to assemble a page. We've also made a number of other
minor improvements. We hope too to include a number of accessibility fixes
that are currently pending merge and being reviewed.
Assuming QA proceeds as planned we should be in a position to produce
a release candidate in the next week or so, with a final release slated for
mid-July.
For more information, see:
http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.cms.sakai.oae.devel/554
Anthony Whyte
arwhyte at umich.edu
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4. Sakai CLE 2.8.2 Released
The release of the Sakai CLE, version 2.8.2 was announced on June 10, 2012.
CLE 2.8.2 is a maintenance release and builds on previous releases by
refining and stabilizing the 2.x feature set.
A full list of features can be found in the release documentation:
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/xQl6B
Obtaining the 2.8.2 Release
- Release artifacts are available at
http://source.sakaiproject.org/release/
- Release documentation, including install guides, is available at
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/x/xQl6B
Licensing
Sakai 2.8.2 is licensed under the Educational Community License, version
2.0.
Older Releases
With the release of the Sakai 2.8 series, official Community support for
Sakai 2.6 ceased. Organizations running Sakai 2.6 (or earlier versions) are
strongly encouraged to upgrade to the latest versions of Sakai 2.7
or 2.8 in order to take advantage of continued maintenance support.
Our thanks go out to the dedicated Sakai Community volunteers from around
the world for their tireless work on this release.
Regards,
Steve Swinsburg
steve.swinsburg at gmail.com
----------------------------------------------
5. New Enhanced Features for Sakai CLE Textbook Tool
Columbia University is pleased to announce a set of enhanced features for
the Sakai CLE Textbook tool, originally developed by the University of
Michigan. These new features allow instructors and administrators to upload
textbook information into courses and allow students to easily access the
information.
Using the enhanced tool, course instructors are able to:
- Search for textbooks by ISBN against an external service (e.g., WorldCat)
- Save search results as "required" or "recommended" textbooks for a course
- Add textbook information manually if a search yields no results or if
the ISBN is not available
- Import textbook information from a CSV file or previously taught course
Administrators and support staff are able to:
- Upload textbook information for multiple courses/sections at one time
- Send reminders to instructors who need to post textbook information
- Monitor courses for institutional compliance
These features were originally developed for Columbia's legacy Prometheus
course-management system and have been very well received by the local
community. Details of Columbia's enhanced features are available at:
https://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/TXB/Enhanced+Features
Regards,
Maneesha Aggarwal PhD
Director, Teaching and Learning Applications
Maneesha at columbia.edu
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6. Novel Use of WebLearn's Sign-up Tool by NPEU
The Clinical Trials Unit at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU
CTU) recently decided to use WebLearn (Oxford's Sakai implementation) to
help streamline the administration of follow-up in a clinical trial. They
commissioned a small amount of development of the web services interface to
the Sign-up tool to provide integration with their appointments database.
NPEU CTU contacted an external consultant to do this work for them.
To read the complete article and see the clinic, go to:
http://blogs.oucs.ox.ac.uk/adamweblearn/2012/05/novel-use-of-weblearns-sign-up-tool-by-npeu/
Adam Marshall
adam.marshall at oucs.ox.ac.uk
----------------------------------------------
7. Unicon Upgrades Learning Environment Test Drive to Sakai 2.8
Unicon developed this test configuration to help users freely explore the
features and benefits of Sakai through online tutorials and sample courses.
Test Drive Sakai uses a branded, native community-source version of Sakai
and provides users with a variety of course sites (including Biology 101,
Business 315, and the Astronomy Club) as well as their own personal
worksite (labeled "course shell"). Test Drive Sakai can be accessed at
http://www.testdrivesakai.com.
Lisa Di Pietro
ldipietro at unicon.net
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8. LMS (Sakai) System Support Position at Pomona College
Regular, full-time, 12-month position
Salary: Dependent upon qualifications
Pomona College is looking for a talented individual to join our
service-oriented department of Information Technology Services as a Senior
Academic Technology Specialist: Learning Management Systems. This position
has primary responsibility for the support and administration of the
Learning Management System (LMS) used by the member institutions of the
Claremont University Consortium (currently Sakai). This position provides
software application systems administration and systems administration
services focused on the operation, maintenance and improvement of the
consortial Learning Management System; provides administrative support for
the Learning Management System (LMS), mostly focused on tier 3 level
support; works with the LMS vendor as technical liaison to maintain the LMS
and manage the upgrade/patch process; plans and implements tools to monitor
production systems in support of LMS applications and services; performs
performance tuning and troubleshooting of the LMS system; builds and
maintains test systems to support application evaluation, troubleshooting
and testing; collects and assesses requirements and translates them into
technical implementation plans; documents server topographies, information
systems, process flows, data flows for the LMS system; designs and develops
automated approaches to systems management and maintenance.
The ideal candidate will have: a Bachelor's degree, a minimum of 4 years in
technical system support responsibilities in a higher education
environment; a minimum of 2 years experience with the administration and
support of a learning management system (Sakai preferred); an employment
history or educational background that reflects proficiency with various
software systems including LINUX, SQL and Apache; extensive professional
experience with Java and/or Javascript best practices and professional
experience developing web applications with Java and related technologies;
exemplary communication and interpersonal skills that enable effective
leadership, team membership and proactive initiative.
Review of applications began 15 May 2012 and the position will remain open
until filled. Please send cover letter, résumé, salary history, and a list
of references to Pomona College, Attn: Human Resources, 150 E. Eighth St.
Claremont, CA 91711. Documents may also be submitted via email
tostaffjobs at pomona.edu or by fax at (909) 607-1726.
Mary McMahon
Director of Instructional Services
Pomona College ITS
mary.mcmahon at pomona.edu
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9. Events
AuSakai 2012
18 - 19 September
Bathurst Campus NSW, Australia
Charles Sturt University
www.ausakai2012.com.au
I Congreso Iberoamericano de Sakai
16th and 18th October, 2012
Rio de Janeiro
http://sakai.ucam.edu/
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