[Using Sakai] Requesting Help In Copying Courses from One Semester to Another (without breaking links)
Beth Kiggins
kiggins at uindy.edu
Tue Jan 17 12:07:32 PST 2012
We've only been using Sakai for two academic years. We've continue to
experience this problem. I used the Import from Site to copy an old
course site to a dummy site earlier today. The URLs in Resources changed
while those in Lessons were the same as the original course. We, too,
would appreciate a resolution.
What we've done thus far: (in either instance we set the top level
folder to Public)
* Recommend faculty use course specific folders in their MyWorkspace
to house files they link to from Lessons (this also keeps them
from copying many of the same files each semester)
* Recommend faculty who team teach use a Project site to store
course-related files
We only use Course Resources for files that change from semester to
semester (like the syllabus). So far, this is working for us.
Question - what experiences do you have with the Export option in
Modules? I haven't had a chance to test it.
Beth Kiggins
On 1/6/12 2:30 PM, Valenti, Andrew P. wrote:
>
> Hi Sakai Colleagues!
>
> Happy New Year!
>
> I am writing to solicit ideas, suggestions, and solutions to problems
> that occur when links to tools & content in one course site are
> created using the Import from Site tool to bring content into a new
> course site.
>
> *The Problem*
>
> In the Tufts instance of rSmart Sakai CLE 2.7 (which we call Trunk),
> we do not use Sakai Course Management. A new course is created each
> semester, automatically triggered by the appropriate SIS information;
> under our course management process, course shells are not reused from
> semester to semester. In some schools, it is a common practice that
> instructors create a syllabus using an HTML page in which they insert
> links to their course materials using the FCK editor and these links
> will be "absolute" meaning they point to the resources contained in
> the original course site. The first time the course is created
> there's no problem as the instructor/site owner has permission to
> access them. Let's suppose that in a subsequent semester a new
> instance of the course is created and the instructor decides to
> populate it using the /Import from Site/ tool. If the instructor
> selects the check box for importing Resources (along with whatever
> else is needed), the tool will bring in the syllabus and the course
> materials. If no further action is taken to modify the links that are
> in the copied syllabus, the following will happen.
>
> To the instructor clicking on a link in the copied syllabus, the
> instructor is able to access the content and everything appears to be
> working. To a student, confronted by an HTTP access error message,
> the links appear "broken"; what has happened? The "absolute" link in
> the copied syllabus points to the course material in the instructor's
> original course site for which the student does not have permission to
> access. Thus, the instructor can see it but not the student.
> Interestingly, the course material copied from the original site is
> "orphaned" with no links pointing to it. Emerging from discussions
> with our internal support team and our Sakai vendor, rSmart, were
> three alternatives:
>
> *Option 1 -- Use a non-production site as a Sakai "content repository"*
>
> a.Create a root site that serves as a content repository and make the
> content "public".
>
> b.In the original course design, ensure that the syllabus uses links
> pointing to the desired content in the repository site
>
> c.When the course is copied over, the links in the syllabus will work
> because they correctly point to content that has been made public.
> Since no actual course material has been copied to the new course
> site, there is no "orphaned" content.
>
> Advantages:
>
> * Instructors don't have to be aware of "relative" vs. "absolute"
> addressing
> * Maintains single copy of course materials in a repository
>
> Disadvantages
>
> * Requires thinking though an "information architecture" design
> for content stored in Sakai in order to oversee and maintain
> protection of copyrighted information
> * Difficult to prevent multiple repository sites from
> proliferating which adds to content management woes
>
> ·Ultimately, we'd like content to be stored in a repository outside of
> Sakai which will allow us to provide more sophisticated content
> management services such as, access control, capacity planning, and
> more sophisticated search capabilities
>
> *Option 2 -- Copy content/fix addressing*
>
> 1. Change the FCK editor so that the instructor creates "relative"
> links to course material when initially creating the syllabus.
> 2. When the course is copied using the /Import from Site/ tool, the
> relative links correctly point to the course material copied
> into the new site.
>
> Advantages:
>
> * Material is kept in course sites which simplifies the management
> of copyrighted information
> * Doesn't require instructors to be too aware of "relative" vs.
> "absolute" address and doesn't require them to set up a
> non-production repository site.
>
> Disadvantages
>
> * Changing a pervasive tool such as the FCK editor can have
> unintended consequences which even thorough testing may not
> surface. It also creates a fork in the application code tree
> that we'd have to maintain.
> * Course material is duplicated from site to site, gradually
> consuming file storage
> * Moving to an external content repository will be require
> scooping up information from individual sites
>
> *Option 3 -- Use Duplicate Site tool *
>
> Advantages
>
> * The tool maintains the proper link addressing and might be the
> simplest solution.
>
> Disadvantages
>
> * In our current design, the duplicates sites would not be
> automatically populated from our feed. We'd have to undertake a
> manual process to populate them with the roster.
> * Currently instructors don't have access to this tool. We'd need
> to think through this workflow.
> * Continues the duplication of course material.
>
> *Why we need your help*
>
> Each solution has advantages and disadvantages which might be balanced
> differently based on an institution's LMS strategy and course
> management process. Since the course duplication seems like it would
> be a fairly common process across the higher education Sakai
> community, we'd like to know what approach your institution has taken
> to populate new instances of a course and how you've overcome the
> aforementioned problems. If there are additional options that we've
> not identified, we'd certainly like to hear about them!
>
> Thanks in advance for the time you've taken to help a fellow peer
> institution!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Andy
>
> Andy Valenti, MSc., PMP
>
> LMS Project Manager
>
> Educational & Scholarly Technology Services
>
> University Information Technology (UIT)
>
> Tufts University
>
> 108 Bromfield Road
>
> Somerville, MA 02144
>
> Tel 617.627.3814
>
> Email andrew.valenti at tufts.edu
>
>
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--
Elizabeth A. Kiggins
Assistant Professor and Director,
Learning Technology
University of Indianapolis
1400 E. Hanna Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46227
(317) 788-6154
"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." Chinese Proverb
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