Allow OER Harvester to collect export files

1 Initial Problem

The OER Harvester of ILIAS is already a helpful tool to push the publication of Open Educational Resources (OER) and to ease the process of publication. But the OER Harvester can currently only harvest file objects and no other object types that are licensed under one of the selected CC licences.

If I want to provide a ILIAS Learning Module under a CC licence for users on other (ILIAS) installations, I have to go through the following workflow:

1. Create an XML export file of the ILIAS LM (or of another object) in the Export tab of the LM
2. Download the XML file to my local computer.
3. Upload this export file back on the ILIAS installation as a new File object.
4. Go to the Metadata tab of the file and select the preferred CC licence, maybe add additional metadata.
5. Waiting till the OER Harvester comes by and creates a reference of my file and place it in the defined OER category.

It would be great if we could ease this process - and avoid the diversions via my computer.

2 Conceptual Summary

The aim of this feature request is to ease the publication of export files as OER and prevent the download and upload of the files - only to provide an object that can be harvested by the OER Harvester cronjob.

Preconditions of this workflow are:

• Creative Commons support is enabled.
• The OER Harvester is activated.
• In the Metadata of the object, a CC licence is selected – and the OER Harvester is configurated to harvest objects with such a licence.

A suitable workflow could be as follows:

1. User creates an export file of the object she/he wants to publish as OER. This happens in the tab 'Export' of this object.
2. The export file can be selected in the list of export files and the action 'Publish as OER' be performed.
3. Next time when the OER Harvester comes by, ILIAS detects a new OER and creates a file object in the defined OER category with the content of the export file.
4. Metadata for this file object are taken from the original object (from which the export file is made).
5. The list of export files of an object show if such an OER file exist.

Another technical precondition is the migration of export files to the IRSS to handle and provide such export files easily.

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

• 'Export' tab (of supported object types)
• 'Metadata' tab

3.2 User Interface Details

Export Tab

• Introduction of 'Actions' button and new action 'Publish as OER'

Metadata Tab

• Sub-option 'Ignored by OER Harvester' for selected copyright licences (similar to implementation in file object)
  • Modified byline (in case of export file): 'Export file will not be listed automatically as Open Educational Resource (OER)

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

None

3.4 Accessibility Implications

{ If the proposal contains potential accessibility issues that are neither covered by existing UI components nor clarified by guidelines, please list them here. For every potential issue please either propose a solution or write down a short risk assessment about potential fallout if there would be no solution for the issue. }

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 Privacy

{ Please list all personal data that will need to be stored or processed to implement this feature. For each date give a short explanation why it is necessary to use that date. }

6 Security

{ Does the feature include any special security relevant changes, e.g. the introducion of new endpoints or other new possible attack vectors. If yes, please explain these implications and include a commitment to deliver a written security concept as part of the feature development. This concept will need an additional approvement by the JourFixe. }

7 Contact

• Author of the Request: Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel]
• Maintainer: Meyer, Stefan [smeyer] for Export and OER Harvester / Metadata and Schmid, Fabian [fschmid] for File object / IRSS
• Implementation of the feature is done by: {The maintainer must add the name of the implementing developer.}

8 Discussion

Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel], 23 OCT 2024: In the meantime, a new FR has been created that tackles the same issue: OER-Harvester automatically creates Exports. Therefore, I set this FR to 'outdated'.