[Using Sakai] Timed Courses

[Hedrick Charles]

Lesson Builder could be made to do this. It was on our list of requirements at one time, but we're trying to avoid having to implement it. It seems a pretty strange approach. We can't tell whether a user is actually reading something or just sitting there waiting for the timer to expire. The latter seems more likely. We do actually have a certification program where the State wants us to give a certain number of hours of instruction. But that's clearly a requirement intended for the classroom. We don't think it makes sense to try and enforce it in that form for the online version. But if the agency is silly enough to require it we might end up having to implement this yet. My concern is that the students would certainly see this as an unfriendly service. I sort of hate to be put in the position of delivering something that is intentionally unfriendly to users.

Lesson Builder does not use conditional release. It can control access to resources, tests and assignments. Adding another type wouldn't be hard. The resource access isn't entirely tight. It assumes that users won't know the URL until lesson builder gets them to it. Tests and assignments are done using groups. Resources could do that as well, or use the same ACLs that conditional release uses; it just didn't seem necessary.

We currently provide access on the basis of having passed all prerequisites. Adding another criterion such as time would be straightforward.

So doing what you want would be a pretty straightforward extension, but would take some programming.


On Oct 11, 2010, at 11:19:56 AM, Nicola Monat-Jacobs wrote:

> Unfortunately, Conditional Release only controls the release of items in the Resources area (not tests or other courses), and the rules that control whether or not a resource is released are based on actions rather than time (e.g., "If the student took this test, or got a certain grade or higher on a test, then show this Resource.")
> 
> I don't think that there's anything in Sakai OOTB that can do what you'd like, but Steve is right that Conditional Release could be the framework that you could build on top of to develop your solution. I was curious to hear if anyone else had tackled the need for custom time-based self-paced courses, but it sounds like no one has yet. 
> 
> - Nicola
> 
> On Oct 10, 2010, at  2:20 PM, Steve Swinsburg wrote:
> 
>> I haven't looked into capabilities, but this sounds like a task for the Conditional Release Service. 
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Steve
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On 11/10/2010, at 7:13, Justin Swanson <jtlswanson at me.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Need to time a course. Meaning, you need to read and review the course  
>>> for a total of 100 minutes before you can move on to take that  
>>> particular courses test and then also move on to the next course.
>>> 
>>> For example:
>>> - Course 1 is 100 minutes. After the 100 minutes is up, course 1's  
>>> test is "unlocked" for you to take (you can take as long as you need  
>>> for the test - no time limit). You have 2 tries to pass the test. If  
>>> not, then you must call us to retake test.
>>> 
>>> - After you pass course 1's test, then course 2 is "unlocked". You  
>>> have to take course 2 for 100 minutes before you can can course 2's  
>>> test. After you pass course 2's test, you can move on to course 3.  
>>> etc. etc. etc.
>>> 
>>> Does Sakai offer this option or maybe as a module or plugin option?
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