[DG: Teaching & Learning] User Experience] Interesting blog post on CMS user interfaces

Wed Nov 4 08:30:12 PST 2009

I found this discourse very interesting. The main topic is the way in 
which LMSes promote a traditional model of instruction and how Sakai 
(and other LMS) can be more flexible, yet the language is revealing: the 
instructor defines (everything), organises content and course,  
coordinates with TA in a covert way, unknown to the student. Students 
are driven, organised, and pack together so they can socialise.

What about taking advantage of the facilities provided by Sakai to 
define project sites and customise roles, so that students can have a 
say in the course design, provide their own content, and choose their 
interaction channels and organisations?

Regards,
Rafael

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Rafael Morales Gamboa. IGCAAV @ UDGVirtual, Universidad de 
Guadalajara. Escuela Militar de Aviación #16, Col. Ladrón de Guevara, 
44600 Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. Tel +52 (33) 3540-3020 ext. 8823. 
Fax +52 (33) 3630-0934. Coe rmorales at udgvirtual.udg.mx 
<mailto:rmorales at udgvirtual.udg.mx>. Web investigacion. 
udgvirtual.udg.mx/personal/rmorales 
<http://investigacion.udgvirtual.udg.mx/personal/rmorales/>.

Ward, Lynn E. escribió:
> I completely agree that other views and features are needed to allow instructors and students to effectively manage their time and tasks.  
>
> I think of the container as a sort of workspace, the purpose of which is defined by the instructor.  So, for example, regardless of how the instructor organizes the content in the course (by week, topic, tool, etc), there might also be a container or space, hidden from students, where the instructor and TAs can communicate and share resources with one another-- the instructor might even include a blog there and encourage each TA to blog about their teaching experiences. Or in a fully online course, there might be a virtual lounge to foster community building where students can get to know one another and discuss issues outside the scope of the course.  
>
> The value of this approach is that it doesn't require us to identify and document every possible organizational framework up front on order to support it.
>
>
> Lynn
>
> ==========================
> Lynn Ward, Principal Systems Analyst, Academic and Faculty Services
> University Information Technology Services
> Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
> Information Technology and Communications Complex (IT 218R)
> 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
> Phone: 317-278-5713  E-mail: leward at iupui.edu  
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Luke Fernandez [mailto:luke.fernandez at gmail.com] 
> Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:15 AM
> To: Ward, Lynn E.
> Cc: Daphne Ogle; Mathieu' 'Plourde; pedagogy at collab.sakaiproject.org Learning; Sakai UX; Michael Korcuska
> Subject: Re: [DG: Teaching & Learning] User Experience] Interesting blog post on CMS user interfaces
>
> The container metaphor Lynn describes below makes sense; one sees it
> used in Moodle and Blackboard as well.  The caution here  is that if
> one is putting content and activities into "weekly containers"  one
> also needs to present the content and activities in ways that allow
> the student to easily discern what needs to be completed for the
> entire semester.  The weekly container approach, so often used by
> instructors in Moodle and Blackboard, doesn't provide this aggregate
> view as well as it could.
>
> Luke
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 5:22 AM, Lynn E. Ward <leward at iupui.edu> wrote:
>   
>> I think we can probably identify the most common models.  But, the system
>> should be flexible enough to allow innovators to push the envelope.  I think
>> approach that Angel uses is quite interesting-it's basically modeled on a
>> file system.  The instructor can create folders and place any number of
>>  objects inside each folder.  Object types include discussion forums, html
>> pages, assessments, wiki, survey, blog, SCORM package, another folder, etc.
>> Every object can be associated with specific learning objectives and
>> outcomes.  And, in advanced mode, the instructor can create agents that
>> enable conditional release, branching, and other types of triggers and
>> relationships among objects.
>>
>>
>>
>> The file system metaphor allows the instructor to organize the course in
>> whatever way she pleases: by time, topic, project, group, or even by tool
>> type if you happen to like the Sakai 2.x way of doing things.  I'm not
>> necessarily advocating a file system as the visual metaphor.  But an
>> object-oriented approach in which there are containers (things that hold
>> other things) and learning objects (think content and activities-not
>> necessarily traditional notion of LO's) that can be easily organized and
>>  grouped in a way that visually represents the instructor's mental model of
>> the course could be very powerful.
>>
>>
>>
>> Lynn
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ==========================
>>
>> Lynn Ward, Principal Systems Analyst, Academic and Faculty Services
>>
>> University Information Technology Services
>> Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
>> Information Technology and Communications Complex (IT 218R)
>> 535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
>> Phone: 317-278-5713  E-mail: leward at iupui.edu
>>
>>
>>
>> From: pedagogy-bounces at collab.sakaiproject.org
>> [mailto:pedagogy-bounces at collab.sakaiproject.org] On Behalf Of Daphne Ogle
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 1:17 PM
>> To: Plourde, Mathieu
>> Cc: Michael Korcuska; pedagogy at collab.sakaiproject.org Learning; Sakai UX
>> Subject: Re: [DG: Teaching & Learning] User Experience] Interesting blog
>> post on CMS user interfaces
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes, thanks for sharing Michael.  Mathieu's post makes me wonder if we have
>> a good understanding of the multiple types of course/activity structures we
>> need to support in Sakai 3?  It seems Moodle handles the syllabus/time-based
>> and topic-based structures which make sense.  Are there others?
>>  Understanding these will be key to creating the right context, cues, flows
>> to help faculty build there course space in ways that match their mental
>> models and then represent the course in ways that make sense to students.
>>
>>
>>
>> -Daphne
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 3, 2009, at 6:21 AM, Plourde, Mathieu wrote:
>>
>> Funny that this thing has come to a full circle. Anyone remember VirtualU?
>> The default course was a long table organized as a list of event with links
>> to discussions and resources.
>>
>>
>>
>> I think the goal of that article was not to say that organizing your content
>> in a calendar was the best way to think, but that the defaults are what most
>> faculty will select.
>>
>>
>>
>> If Sakai 3's default is to present multiple options in terms of
>> course/activity structure, and can support faculty in choosing an
>> appropriate one to start with, half the battle will be won.
>>
>>
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>>
>>
>> =================================
>>
>>
>>
>> Mathieu Plourde, MBA
>>
>> Project Leader, LMS/Instructional Designer
>>
>> IT-Client Support & Services
>>
>> mathieu at udel.edu
>>
>>
>>
>> =================================
>>
>>
>>
>> TOP LINKS:
>>
>>
>>
>> Technology Troubleshooting: http://www.udel.edu/help
>>
>> Sakai at UD Support and Training: http://www.udel.edu/sakai/training
>>
>>
>>
>> =================================
>>
>>
>>
>> From: sakai-ux-bounces at collab.sakaiproject.org [mailto:sakai-ux-bounces at collab.sakaiproject.org] On
>> Behalf Of Jacques Raynauld
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 8:51 AM
>> To: Sakai UX
>> Cc: Michael Korcuska; pedagogy at collab.sakaiproject.org Learning
>> Subject: Re: User Experience] Interesting blog post on CMS user interfaces
>>
>>
>>
>> I also agree.  It is a very interesting article. I have always been struck
>> by the Moodle first page template that naturally leads to a week or theme
>> interpretation by users.  I think it is one of the important factor that
>> explains Moodle popularity. This is the kind of need we wanted to adress in
>> Sakai/Open Syllabus ... but in a more semantic way than Moodle.
>>
>> Jacques Raynauld
>> HEC Montréal
>>
>> -------- Message original --------
>> Sujet : Re: [DG: User Experience] Interesting blog post on CMS user
>>  interfaces
>> De : harriet at caret.cam.ac.uk
>> Pour : Michael Korcuska <mkorcuska at sakaifoundation.org>
>> Copie à : "pedagogy at collab.sakaiproject.org
>> Learning" <pedagogy at collab.sakaiproject.org>, Sakai
>> UX <sakai-ux at collab.sakaiproject.org>
>> Date : 2009-11-03 04:58
>>
>>
>> Very interesting - thanks Michael!
>>
>>
>>
>> There were a couple of paras that struck me particularly as relating to the
>>
>> possibilities for the new Sakai 3:
>>
>>
>>
>> "The buttons link to pages that simply provide a place to upload a document,
>>
>> which is exactly what most instructors do: upload word-processed files of
>> their
>>
>> classroom materials. They are encouraged to "plug in" their content under
>> the
>>
>> appropriate category instead of envisioning a translation of their
>> individual
>>
>> pedagogical style into an online environment. Blackboard "tends to encourage
>> a
>>
>> linear pathway through the content" [3], and its default is to support easy
>>
>> uploading and text entry to achieve that goal.
>>
>> The construction of the course syllabus is a familiar beginning point for
>> most
>>
>> instructors, yet few CMSs consider this. It would be natural and useful for
>>
>> novice instructors to see a blank schedule into which they could create each
>>
>> week's or unit's activities, rather than a selection of pre-set buttons or
>>
>> links. Most professors think in terms of the semester, and how their
>>
>> pedagogical goals can be achieved within the context of time, rather than
>>
>> space. Some think in terms of topics they want to cover. Blackboard/WebCT's
>>
>> default organization accepts neither of these approaches in its initial
>>
>> interface. It forces the instructor to think in terms of content types
>> instead,
>>
>> breaking the natural structure of the semester, or of a list of topics.
>> Again,
>>
>> we know that the setup can be customized with relative ease, by going to the
>>
>> Control Panel and selecting Manage Course Menu, then using Modify buttons.
>> You
>>
>> could change all the course menu buttons into "Week 1", "Week 2", or
>> organize
>>
>> by topic instead of content type. But few professors try that, or they
>> assume
>>
>> that they can't do it. Blackboard can be highly intimidating to learn, and
>> may
>>
>> "seriously hinder" choices the faculty member makes while using the tool
>> [4].
>>
>> Faculty are led by the interface of a CMS not only because they do not
>>
>> immediately see an alternative, but because the familiar signposts (the
>>
>> Syllabus button) imply a single way of completing the task (upload a
>> document).
>>
>> Only the Moodle system provides a default setup that looks like a
>> calendar-style
>>
>> syllabus ..."
>>
>>
>>
>> I'd agree very strongly with this statement about pedagogies, and the
>> initial
>>
>> presentation of potential course structures, rather than tools, to the
>>
>> lecturer, seems to be something that Sakai 3 has the potential to support
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Although it is an oversimplification, it is useful to separate course
>>
>> management systems into two types: Opt-In and Opt-Out. In an Opt-Out system
>>
>> (such as Blackboard) all the features are available by default and must be
>>
>> excluded to avoid confusing students. Opt-Out systems are most likely to
>>
>> overwhelm Web novices, because they present an array of tools, and the
>> tendency
>>
>> is to reduce cognitive load by using the defaults. In an Opt-In system (such
>> as
>>
>> Moodle), the instructor selects each activity and presentation factor from a
>>
>> menu list, effectively designing much of the interface for students. Fewer
>>
>> defaults are pre-set, forcing the instructor to think holistically about the
>>
>> class structure. Features such as chat, polls, and interactive lessons as
>>
>> options presented with the same weight as more traditional text-based
>>
>> resources. Thus there is less of an implication that presentation is key,
>> and
>>
>> more of an implication that interactivity is important. In an Opt-In
>>
>> environment, the instructor makes choices about context on a macro level,
>> and
>>
>> choices about features and tools on a micro level. This makes it possible to
>>
>> explore pedagogical options more freely"
>>
>>
>>
>> Again, perhaps a future strength of Sakai 3?
>>
>>
>>
>> Harriet
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Michael Korcuska <mkorcuska at sakaifoundation.org>:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> It's worth a read....
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2530/2303
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Korcuska
>>
>> Executive Director, Sakai Foundation
>>
>> mkorcuska at sakaifoundation.org
>>
>> phone: +1 510-859-4247 (google voice)
>>
>> skype: mkorcuska
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>> Daphne Ogle
>>
>> Senior Interaction Designer
>>
>> University of California, Berkeley
>>
>> Educational Technology Services
>>
>> daphne at media.berkeley.edu
>>
>> cell (925)348-4372
>>
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