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Arrange and Replay Learning Resources

1 Initial Problem

We want to make it easy to arrange existing learning resources and other ILIAS objects for individual learner requirements. We want to make it easy for learners to walk through these arrangements.

ILIAS systems sometimes host a huge amount of different ILIAS objects that are resources for learning material to users: SCORM-modules, ILIAS Learning Modules, Glossaries, Wikis, ... These resource like objects are complemented by objects, that allow the user to assess their learning progress on their own, by some other people or give feedback to each other or course creators: Tests, Surveys, Exercises, ...
The standard means to connect these objects to form pathes that individual learners could tread are preconditions and/or putting these objects in proximity in the repository e.g. in a course or category.

Using these means poses different challenges and problems.
For Learners it might be hard to follow the path. Instead of getting a proposal by the system which object they should visit next they have to search for objects they unlocked after they completed some object.

For tutors it is hard or even impossible to create an individual learning path for a small group or even individual learners. They need to grasp some rather intricate concepts of ILIAS, e.g. preconditions, links and maybe even RBAC. Instead of being able to say: "after object they should visit object B" they need to define that pathed in a backward way similar to the problem of the learners.

The resulting pathes cannot be replayed in a way that visually connects them. They have no representation in the system that allows learners to revisit a path the left in the future or allows tutors or admins to collect information about the learners on the path.
An easy to use mechanism (for learners and tutors) to connect existing learning resources could greatly enhance the usage of learning resources and would open new ways for tutors to respond to the needs of their learners.

2 Conceptual Summary

The general idea is, that the Learning Sequence will be...

• a container object, containing other ILIAS object. a learning sequence must not contain otehr containers like courses or groups
• page object: To implement pages that are presented to the user at the beginning, in the end or in between the other ILIAS-objects, a new Page Object should be created. these pages function as didactical prompts or motivational messages or for other instructional purposes
• kiosk mode: The new container object will have a new Kiosk mode that leads the users through the sequence of ILIAS objects, triggered by the learning progess "completed". objects that should be played back, need to have a kiosk mode themselves.
• minimal tracking data: Since privacy concerns arise in some contexts due to the current learning progress tab that mixes settings and presentation of lp-data, these two concerns should be split into different views.
• container controls availability: The current handling of the availability poses a problem to the new container object, since it cannot control its subobjects in that regard and users might make weird settings, that make it impossible to replay the desired learning sequence. Thus, containers should be given the power to control the availability settings for their sub objects.
• learner overview screen: To guide the users to their learning sequences and to give them an idea of where they stand, a new overview screen needs to be created that is close to the content that the user is working on (i.e. slate, popover, ).
• learning objectives / skills / metadata: learning sequences should be enrichied by metadata taht enables users to find a sequences that fits their need or that allows ILIAs to propose a learning sequence to a learning in some way or form. Thus next to advanced metadata, learning qequences should be able to manage adresses skills and / or leanring objectives
• management screen for tutors: each learning sequence should have a screen that allows the tutors to see which user is currently stadning at what stage in the sequence in the sense of a "participant" management. a special focus should lie on enabling the tutors to see if users are stuck in unfulfilled preconditions. The learning progress might be a good starting point (and might even be sufficient).

The feature should be implemented as a new container object, a new page object and some behavioral changes regarding existing ILIAS features, outlined in separate Feature-Requests:

• Introducing Learning Sequence Object
• Introducing Content Page Object
• Split Learning Progress Settings from Tracking Data Presentation
• Let Containers decide on Availability for Sub-Objects
• View for "My Learning Sequences"
• Integrate Competencies into Learning Sequence Object
• General Kiosk-Mode

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

{Please list all views (screens) of ILIAS that should be modified, newly introduced or removed.}

3.2 User Interface Details

{For each of these views please list all user interface elements that should be modified, added or removed. Please provide the textual appearance of the UI elements and their interactive behaviour.}

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

{If the proposal introduces any completely new user interface elements, you might consult UI Kitchen Sink in order to find the necessary information to propose new UI-Concepts. Note that any maintainer might gladly assist you with this.}

4 Technical Information

{The maintainer has to provide necessary technical information, e.g. dependencies on other ILIAS components, necessary modifications in general services/architecture, potential security or performance issues.}

5 Competitors

6 Contact

• Author of the Request: Richard Klees
• Maintainer: {Please add your name before applying for an initial workshop or a Jour Fixe meeting.}
• Implementation of the feature is done by: {The maintainer must add the name of the implementing developer.}

7 Funding

If you are interest in funding this feature, please add your name and institution to this list.

• CaT Concepts and Training GmbH

8 Discussion

Klees, Richard [rklees], 2017-09-22: I'm well aware of the this FW-page and consider both ideas to be very similar but still having different emphasis. I'm also well aware of other ideas  in the community to make something like a learning path with different features happen. I still created this page to have a place where we, CaT, can write down our ideas. We'll do our best to find a way that every interested group in the community can voice their requirements and have a chance to collaborate to find a common solution.

Klees, Richard [rklees], 2017-10-26: We had a workshop regarding this topic on 2017-10-24. Overall agreement was to continue working on the issue of how to arrange learning ressources together. However, we discovered two quite distinct problem spaces in the topic. One problem space is how learning resources can be arranged in a way that allows the system to lead or guide or force the user through a sequence or graph of these resources. The other problem space is how user could document their individual learning pathes, maybe annotate them with additional material and view their achievements on that path. Although the second problem space was deemed worth some thoughts in the meeting, the group decided to focus on the first problem space in the future.

Other achievements were that the requirements of the group members have been discussed in detail and grouped in must-have and nice-to-have requirements. Features of ILIAS that relate to the problem at hand have been identified collected. Ideas for the learners view of the sequence have been generated. The question whether the new feature should be implemented as an ILIAS container object, an ILIAS object that only points to other objects or even a setting for an existing object was identified as a core question.

Photos of the material generated in the workshop can be found in the following zip-archive.

9 Implementation

{The maintainer has to give a description of the final implementation and add screenshots if possible.}

Test Cases

Test cases completed at {date} by {user}

• {Test case number linked to Testrail} : {test case title}

Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.