Object related user data (progress/tracking) for linked objects

1 Description

Some ILIAS objects store user data that is related to their learning progress or to other tracked user events, e.g. test results, SCORM tracking data, exercise uploads and so on. If these kind of objects are linked multiple time in the repository, this kind of data is presented to the user (having write permission) combined for all links/instances in one view. E.g. if a test is linked in two courses, tutors see the results and participants of both courses in one list/view.
 
Learning progress views currently filter the data depending on the membership of users to the current parent course, ie. the tutor only sees data related to users which are member in his/her course.
 
We need to clarify this situation somehow. We are unsure whether linking of tests, surveys and exercise is a good idea at all. So one part of the solution could be to disable this in the future.
 
But especially for SCORM learning modules the feature to link them in multiple repository locations, is highly used by some users. See also bug 8745.

2 Status

• Scheduled for: not scheduled yet (has been scheduled for v. 4.3 but postponed due to missing funding)
• Funding: Required
• Development: Feature is to be developed by tbd

3 Additional Information

• If you want to know more about this feature, its implementation or funding, please contact: alex.killing (at) gmx.de

4 Discussion

JF 2 Apr 2012: We schedule this issue for 4.3. Please participate in the discussion.

Florian Suittenpointner, 10 April 2012:
I can see four approaches:

• Disable linking for test, surveys, and exercises
  Problems:
  • Migration problem:
    What about objects that have aleady been linked - keep them or transform them to copies?If creating copies, then what data are adopted by the single copy?If keeping them, then how to explan users that there are references but you cannot create more references?
  • How to offer facilities of central administation:
    As soon as questions also for Tests can be managed centrally in pools, you could use the advantages of linking at least on the level of the single questions. Regarding settings, there are nice solutions with templates, personal ones as well as administrative ones, that allow some kind of central administation.However, the entire package of a test that has been developed with some effort, can then not be "rolled out" to several courses at once and in an easy way.
  • Inconsistency with other object types:
    If the criterion to disable linking is to protect data arising from user activity, then also other object types should be considered here: Forums, chats, booking pools (and database objects in the future).
• Filtering data like it's done with the LP data
  Problems:
  • Complicated realization?
  • Performance disimprovements?
• Making access to object/user data a separate permission
  This way, access could be restricted to the LP data which are already filtered in the desired way.
  Problems:
  • At least in some situations, there will be need access to the object/user data like with manual assessment of test questions.
  • With surveys and exercises, this solution isn't practicable as access to the data is needed in any case.
• Offering access to data in parent object instead
  (ie, as soon as an object is inside a container like course or group, it doesn't offer any more the tabs presenting object/user data but access is somehow offered via the container, eg, the "Members" or the LP tab)
  Problems:
  • Large conceptual innovation
  • Complicated realization?
  • In object references outside of courses/groups, this way you cannot prevent users with edit permission from viewing data of course/group members.

Zenzen, Enrico [ezenzen], 24 AUG 2022: This request no longer fulfills the requirements of the Feature Wiki. In consultation with the maintainer I change the status of the feature request to "Redundant / outdated". If the request is still relevant, please update template and mockups.

5 Follow-Up