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INTERNET-BASED EDUCATION SUPPORT SYSTEM, METHOD AND MEDIUM
PROVIDING SECURITY ATTRIBUTES IN MODULAR, EXTENSIBLE
COMPONENTS
10 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the
exchange of
information between instructors and students in an educational context. More
specifically, the present
invention relates to systems and methods in which an educational instructor
interacts with one or more
non-collocated students by transmitting course lectures, textbooks,
literature, and other course
materials, receiving student questions and input, and conducting participatory
class discussions using
an electronic network such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Metropolitan Area
Network (MAN), a
Wide Area Network (WAN), the Internet and/or the World Wide Web (WWW). The
present
invention also relates to the provision of an infrastructure that allows for
on-line registration and
tuition payment of educational courses.
In addition, the present invention relates to systems and methods that may be
used by system
users at various levels for the distribution and use of information over a
network. More specifically,
the present invention relates to interactive systems and methods that
incorporate a second type of text
editor in addition to a primary text editor, and that will optionally render
text and/or symbols
associated with the secondary text editor on a display.
Further, the present invention relates to systems and for providing core
system extensibility
by using a set of files installed on a system server in a manner that is
structured so the server has
predefined entry points to call upon the functionality of the extension. The
entry points may be
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that are tracked in a system database, and
associated with key
entities such as content handlers and navigation items.
BACKGROUND ART
The ability of educators, including educational institutions, private
corporations, and
institutions of higher learning, to reach potential students has generally
been limited by geography. In
most instances, a potential student must physically move to within commuting
distance or onto a
campus in order to have access to course instructors, classes, and materials.
Furthermore, potential
students and persons seeking knowledge of all sorts are generally limited to
proximate sources of
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courses of instruction, tutoring, or training. Due to these limitations, a
prospective student must either
seek to learn a given subject from whatever local means of instruction is
available to her or move her
household in order to be able to access her preferred sources of instruction.
Many prospective students
are deprived of receiving instruction from other, possibly better-qualified
instructors or institutions
located outside of their immediate locale. Similarly, educational institutions
have been limited to
serving only those students located within commutable distance of their
campuses. This applies
whether the student(s) and/or instructors(s) are in the United States, Japan,
Kenya, Germany, or India.
The advent of networked computers and communications has afforded a partial
solution to
these limitations. In particular, the widespread use and availability of
electronic networks such as the
Internet and the World-Wide Web ("WWW") have made it possible for students and
educators to
overcome geographic separation as a barrier to education or training. Using
this electronic medium,
students and instructors are able to exchange information including live or
transcribed classroom
lectures, homework assignments, texts and materials, grading, live or
transcribed question and answer
interaction sessions, and other related information to effect a traditional
learning or educational
experience regardless of physical location.
However, electronic networks, including the Internet, are complex
technological systems
requiring the user to have or acquire specialized knowledge in order to use
them effectively. Even
graphical user interfaces (GUIs) designed to enhance simplicity of use, such
as that provided by the
WWW, may require specialized knowledge of network terminology and technical
aspects. For
example, an Internet user's ability to access information using that medium is
significantly reduced if
the user lacks understanding of how to use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to
navigate web
pages. Slow adoption of new technology and lack of technological
sophistication have a chilling
effect on the widespread use of the medium in general. Applied specifically in
an educational context,
these chilling factors apply to instructors who, while possessing high
expertise in their respective
intellectual or educational fields, would be required to further attain
technological knowledge
necessary to effectively use the Internet to educate non-collocated students.
Furthermore, the complexity of using the Internet for educational purposes is
compounded as
the number of user choices required at the user interface increases because
not only must the
instructor and students acquire technological competency in the use of the
medium, but they must in
addition understand the presentation and consequences of large number of
choices required by a
particular user interface such as a web page. The design of the user
interface, therefore, can be critical
in enabling widespread use of the medium in an educational context. Solutions
other than the present
invention may be characterized as having relatively complicated and confusing
user interfaces. Users,
including students and instructors, of these other solutions are confronted
with one or more web pages
that typically require the user to review and select a subsequent web page or
function from among a
large array of potential user choices, thereby complicating the user's task of
interacting with the
system.
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Further, many educational institutions have existing or legacy network-based
systems that
students access to obtain various types of information (e.g., class
schedules). The addition of yet
another network-based system requires the host or sponsoring institution to
incur implementation and
maintenance costs associated with the installation, integration,
administration, and maintenance of a
new network-based system. These costs place limits on the achieving the
widespread use of the
medium for educational purposes.
The exception has been so-called virtual schools. Virtual schools
traditionally charge an
enrollment fee, and then offer free courses. In lieu of paying for each course
taken, a student is
subjected to advertising while viewing on-line course material. While such
billing and income
generation methods may be acceptable for companies providing on-line training,
such methods are
inconsistent with traditional college and university billing practices.
Colleges and universities
typically charge a low enrollment fee and bill students on a per-credit or per
course basis.
Known systems exist for distributing and using information over a network that
permit
activities by system users according to the level of the user. Such systems
have not, however, reached
a level where standards have evolved so that there is consistency in
nomenclature, structure, or
interfacing to such systems. Each system is technologically complex and
specialized to what system
developers believe are important. Therefore, the system users, regardless of
level, may find it difficult
to use without, in many cases, very specialized training as to the
particularized interworkings of that
specific system. Most of these systems do not lend themselves to rapid use
after a brief introduction.
Although the general populus in various countries are becoming increasingly
"computer literate," this
does not mean that the worldwide society that could make use of these non-
geographically limited
educational or training systems would not have difficulty using them because
of their nonuser-friendly
nature. This is magnified given the number of user types that will access and
use the system, e.g.,
instructors, students, and individuals receiving instruction, system providers
and everything or
everyone that may be a hybrid of each of these groups, and potential language
barriers without very
specialized conversion of the systems.
To the extent that current networked educational or training systems exist,
they are configured
from the institution or company perspective and not to that of the user.
Further, these systems are not
readily adaptable to the individual user's perspective(s). The student or
individual receiving
instruction is inextricably tied to the institution's configuration without
the ability to tailor his/her
experience that would better fit his/her individual style in obtaining, using,
processing, and
contributing information.
In a typical conventional system, the student or individual receiving
instruction will access
different locations or web pages of the institution's or company's network
system to obtain the
information that he/she desires or post with the institution or company. In
order to gain such access,
the student or individual may be required to logon a number of networks to
obtain the desired
information or upload it. This can be frustrating to students or individuals
because small errors in the
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process can greatly increase the time to perform activities on the system. At
some point, the frustrated
student or individual may give up or be required to seek help. The alternative
of consolidating all the
activities at one web-site may itself cause problems given the institution's
or company's purposeful
segregation of the activities at the various network system sites since the
main idea is to make the
system more institutional or company-centric rather than student- or
individual-centric.
Current networked systems that are used for education or training will require
the instructor to
make lecture and textual information available to the students or individuals.
As can be imagined,
various instructors, whether the educational or company setting, will have
very different teaching
styles. Present-day systems that typically are institution- or company-
centric are not readily adaptable
to accommodate these differences in teaching styles. The best description of
these systems would be
to refer to them as "one size fits all" types of systems. Therefore, there
will exist a constant struggle
between the instructors, and institutions or companies to derive system
refinements and
customizations to meet the instructors' needs. This creates difficulties for
institutions and companies
from the maintenance and management standpoint.
With regard to maintenance, the institution or company must continue to
provide support for
the ever changing nature of the system, which is very expensive and time
consuming. And, with
regard to management, the institution or company must create customizations on
demand and attend
to the development and testing processes associated with these new and varied
customizations. This
again is expensive and time consuming.
Current LAN, MAN, WAN, intranet, Internet or WWW-based systems that may
accommodate the educational or corporate systems that have been discussed,
slow significantly as the
increasing numbers of students or trainees utilize the systems/network to
obtain information or use the
system for its intended purposes. This adds to user frustration and system
dissatisfaction. If this is one
of the major initiatives of the educational or company training system, it
will reflect badly on the
institution or company.
Current educational and company-based training systems have difficulty
presenting multiple
functions and/or on-line activities. For example, there are problems in
providing on-line registration
for educational courses along with providing tuition payments. This is due in
part to the
incompatibility of billing practices and the ongoing customization of the
integration of the registration
for courses and payment techniques.
In addition, web-based applications often present forms in HyperText Markup
Language
(HTML) for users to provide information and data. Popular browsers typically
provide form fields for
such text entries. However, these form fields are generally limited to the
entry of plain text
information and data, and/or allowing the user to enter codes for one or more
markup languages
depending on the server or application processing the input data.
Two techniques that have been used to create richer information and data
inputs are Dynamic
HyperText Markup Language (DHTML), and Applets (or other browser plug-ins).
DHTML may be
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used to make web pages more dynamic by changing their look or content after
the page has been
completely interpreted by the browser, a feature not available for HTML. DHTML
may be
programmed into the system to be activated by user activity or automatically.
Examples of DHTML
include roll-overs (changing SRC property of an image object), and using
layers to show and hide
5 menus. Applets (or other browser plug-ins) enable browser editing and
other capabilities beyond those
of provided DHTML. However, these techniques have not provided a data
structure and/or
Application Program Interface (API) that would allow the logic in a text
editor component of a system
to utilize a Text Tool that is associated with application specific data.
In addition, many systems support dynamic extensions to system functionality.
For example,
operating systems and user applications employ dynamic link libraries (DLLs),
and web-based
applications may employ related techniques, such as Java Web Applications.
However, these dynamic
extensions do not incorporate security and/or user permission features.
The present invention overcomes the problems of conventional systems, and
provides a
system that is user friendly and easy to use through a user interface.
One or more embodiments of the present invention also provide enhanced text
editing,
extensibility, and security capabilities of the system.
Therefore, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a system
and methods that
allow users to interact with a computer network-based education support system
through means of a
simplified, easy-to-use user interface.
A further general object of the present invention is to provide a system that
can be easily
integrated with existing computer network and backend systems with minimal
disruption to existing
operations and systems.
A still further general object of the present invention is to provide a system
that is scalable in
order to accommodate increasing numbers of users, such that system
responsiveness is not materially
degraded as the number of users of the system grows to an increasingly large
number.
A still further general object of the present invention is to provide a system
and methods that
can accommodate a variety of diverse teaching modes without requiring
substantial modifications to
the system.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system that allows multiple
types of users to
access the features of the system as a function of their predefined role
within the framework of the
system, such as, a student, a teacher, or an administrator.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system that
integrates with the
education platform so that there will be provided therein value added services
and control such as
calendar, task, contact and communication functions.
It is another object of the invention to support multiple locales, and have
multiple locales
display in a user's browser based on an administrative configuration.
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An even still further object of the present invention is to provide a system
and method that is
accessible according to the access level of the system user.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a network-
based interactive
system that is readily adaptable to accommodate multiple languages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a data structure
and/or Application
Program Interface (API) that allows the logic in a text editor component to be
expanded to utilize text
tools that are associated with application specific data.
It is an object of the present invention to allow for arbitrary or
substantially arbitrary
extensions and data formats that can be utilized in, for example, a web based
text editor.
It is another object of the present invention to minimize or substantially
minimize rendering
processing by, for example, substantially avoiding or minimizing requirements
on run-time rendering
negotiation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to separate or substantially
separate
presentation data such as HTML from structured, provider-specific data.
These as well as other objects of the present invention are apparent upon
inspection of the
specification and drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with these and other objects, provided is a system for providing
to a community
of users access to a plurality of on-line courses, comprising a plurality of
user computers and a server
computer in communication with each of the user computers over a network that
includes LANs,
MANs, WANs, the Internet, intranet, and/or the WWW. Each user computer is
associated with a user
of the system having predefined characteristics indicative of a predetermined
access level to the
system. Each level of access to data files is associated with a course, and a
level of control over data
files associated with a course. The preferred server computer is capable of
storing data files associated
with a course assigning a level of access to each file, determining an access
level of a user requesting
access to a file, and allowing access to a file associated with a course as a
function of the access level
of the user. Accordingly, the level of access preferably is associated with
the ability of a user to access
the file.
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the user level
associated
with a student user, an instructor level is associated with an instructor
user, and an administrator level
is associated with an administrator user. However, multiple levels may be
associated particular users.
For example an instructor of one course may also be a student in another
course.
The instructor user is provided with an access level to enable the creation
and editing of a
plurality of course files associated with a course. The course files may
include an announcement file,
a course information file, a staff information file, a course documents file,
an assignments file, a
dropbox file, an asynchronous communication file, and a synchronous
communication file.
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The student user is provided with an access level to enable reading of course
files associated
with a course. The student user is also provided with an access level to
enable modification of some of
the files associated with a course. Also, the user may be provided with an
access level to enable
creation of a student file associated with a file for which the student user
is able to read. The file that
the student is able to read may be an assessment file created by the
instructor user, and the student file
created by the student user is a response to the assessment file. The
assessment file may be a plurality
of examination questions selected by the instructor user to assess the
learning level of the student user.
The examination questions may be selected by the instructor user from a
predetermined pool of
available examination questions. The examination questions also may be created
by the instructor user
substantially at the time of the creation of the assessment file and
optionally added to the pool. The
student file may be reviewed by the instructor user and assigned a grade,
which would be made
available on-line to the student user. The instructor user may collate the
grades obtained from
reviewing a number of student files, and the collated grades may be made
available on-line to all
student users associated with the course.
The "digital dropbox" may contain a plurality of files transferred to the
server computer from
one or more student users associated with the course. The instructor user may
be provided with access
to the files in the dropbox file. The instructor user may download, edit and
upload the files in the
dropbox.
A user may be required to enter a logon sequence into a user computer in order
to be provided
with access to course files associated with that user. The user is then
provided with access to all
courses with which the he/she is associated after entry of the logon sequence.
The user is provided
with a web page that may include a plurality of course hyperlinks. These
course hyperlinks preferably
will be associated with each course that the user has been enrolled either as
an instructor or as a
student. Selection of a course hyperlink will provide the user with a web page
associated with the
selected course. This web page will have content hyperlinks and buttons to
various content areas
associated with the course. The content hyperlinks and/or buttons may include,
for example, an
announcement area hyperlink, a course information hyperlink, a staff
information hyperlink, a course
documents hyperlink, an assignments hyperlink, a communications hyperlink, and
a student tools
hyperlink.
Selection of the announcement area hyperlink provides a web page including a
group of
course announcements. Selection of the course information hyperlink provides a
web page including
information regarding the associated course. Selection of the staff
information hyperlink provides a
web page including data regarding the instructors of the associated course.
Selection of the course
documents hyperlink provides a web page including a listing of documents
associated with the course,
which may be active hyperlinks to the documents. Selection of the assignments
hyperlink provides a
web page including a group of course assignments. Selection of the
communications hyperlink
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provides a web page including hyperlinks to a group of communication tools
including an
asynchronous communication tool and a synchronous communication tool.
In another aspect of the present invention, the system and method provide a
community of
users access to on-line courses that will include a server computer in
communication with user
computers over a network. The server computer preferably will be capable of
creating course user
accounts from a file of existing user accounts associated with an external
computer. In this manner,
existing legacy systems that have a large number of user accounts stored in
memory may be
integrated with this system without having to re-enter user data which is
referred to as "batch
enrollment."
The present invention also includes a method for providing on-line education
that further may
include the steps of establishing a course to be offered on-line, offering the
course to be taken on-line
to a group of student users, and providing access over the network to the
course files to student users
who have enrolled in the course. The establishment of the course includes an
instructor user
generating a set of course files for use in teaching the course, then
transferring the course files to a
server computer for storage. The stored files will be accessible by a
predefined community of student
users having access to the server computer over a network.
Preferably, at least one of the course files may include a course assignment.
The student user
creates a student file in response to the course assignment and transfers the
student file to the server
computer. The instructor user accesses the student file from the server
computer, reviews the student
file to determine compliance with the course assignment, and assigns a grade
to the student file as a
function of the determination of compliance with the course assignment. The
instructor user also may
post the grade to a file on the server computer accessible only by the student
user with which the
grade is associated. The instructor user may repeat this process for a number
of student users that are
enrolled in a course, and then perform a statistical analysis on the grades
assigned to the student users.
The results of the statistical analysis may be made available to the student
users enrolled in the course.
An asynchronous communication tool accessible to student users enrolled in the
course may
be provided for enabling asynchronous communication amongst the student users.
Likewise, a
synchronous communication tool accessible to student users enrolled in the
course may be provided
for enabling synchronous communication amongst the student users.
The present invention also provides a flexible infrastructure for colleges,
universities, and
other institutions desiring to facilitate on-line registration and tuition
payment. Further, the present
invention can accommodate different billing methods, including, but not
limited to, billing on a per-
credit-hour basis, and billing on a per registrant basis. Tuition may be paid
by credit card, debit card,
check, or other verifiable payment method. Payment verification may be
performed by the present
invention, or the present invention may interface with third-parties providing
payment verification
services. In addition, the present invention allows on-line billing
information to easily interface with a
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college, university, or other institution's standard billing practices.
Integrating with existing billing
practices simplifies transition to automated systems.
The present invention may be configured as an open system to which anyone can
connect to a
server over the Internet or WWW, and create a course on-line that may be taken
by anyone else
connected over the network. Thus, anyone may create a virtual classroom
available to anyone else,
regardless of whether they are affiliated with a particular institution. For
example, a lawyer may
create a course in patent law on-line, and configure the system to require
entry of a password to
enroll. The lawyer may then disseminate the passwords to students who desire
to enroll in the course.
Alternately, the lawyer can request the system to require payment to enroll in
the course, such as by
credit card.
One or more embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a three-
tier
structure. The "first tier" functionality that incorporates the basic system,
referred to as the Course
Manager. The Course Manager provides course management system tools to enable
instructors to
provide their students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat,
on-line assessments, and
a dedicated academic resource center on the Web. As used herein tools are the
additional features that
system 100 offers for students and instructors beyond content delivery, such
as e-mail, student
homepages, a gradebook, and the like.
As explained further below, the Course Manager includes personal information
management
tools, course content management tools, course communication and collaboration
tools, assessment
tools, academic Web resources, course management tools, and system management
tools.
The "second tier" can incorporate all of the functionality of the basic
embodiment in an
epicentric or portal model, also known as the Course & Portal Manager. The
second tier provides
customized institution-wide portals for faculty, students, staff, and alumni
with access to numerous
personalized news and information services from across the Web. The platform
can be customized
with institutional branding and a tailored look and feel. It enables
institutions to develop on-line
communities, Web-based e-mail, calendar, announcements and tasks. It also
allows for a central
access point to all of the institution's on-line services. In addition to the
features of the Course
Manager, the Course & Portal Manager includes enterprise database support,
customizable portal
modules and information services, web-based e-mail system, community
management, institutional
services management, extended customization for institutional branding,
institution-wide content
sharing and management, and course e-commerce management.
The "third tier" can be called the Advanced Course & Portal Manager. This tier
incorporates
the complete end-to-end "e-Learning" solution. In addition to the Course and
Portal Manager, this
third tier provides advanced Java-based APIs for unifying diverse on-line
campus systems into one
integrated platform allowing for user-driven single log-in service delivery,
as well as capabilities that
allow each school, department or campus within the institution to maintain its
own customized
environment. Thus, this is the fully functional embodiment that includes all
the features and
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functionality of the first and second tiers and adds certain integration
technologies that allow
integration of the present invention with existing enterprise systems, such as
for downloading student
databases, etc., as defined subsequently. This includes a snapshot user
management API, an event-
driven (real-time) user management API, an end user authentication (security)
API, and a network
5 protocol for passing user authentication data.
An embodiment of the invention that utilizes the three tier structure can be
operated as a
publicly available web site on the Internet or WWW, that may be accessed by
anyone, whether they
are affiliated with an institution or not. In this embodiment, anyone on the
web can create a course, or
enroll in a public course as explained subsequently. This provides for
widespread dissemination of
10 tools and utilities that enable anyone to generate his own course that
can be taken by virtually any
student.
The course management tools of the present invention allow instructors to
monitor, control
and customize their course web sites from a web browser interface. The
secondary text editor of the
present invention may be implemented as a tool useful for customization of
course web sites. The
Course Control Panel provides a robust and easy-to-use interface for such
course management. The
system allows instructors to customize the names of course web site navigation
buttons to suit their
needs and requirements. The system also allows the instructor to add or drop
individuals or groups of
students from a course as required. The system features extended student
enrollment option, such as a
limited-time self-enrollment, e.g., certain dates only for the self-enroll
feature, password-protected
enrollment, and defined course duration. This will allow self-paced study.
Courses may be recycled
between academic terms by automatically resetting discussion boards,
assessment, and other content
areas. In addition, the instructor can track student progress, grades and
content usage through the
system.
As further explained herein, the content management tools featured in the
present invention
allow instructors to post course documents, staff information, and
assignments. Text may be typed
directly into a form, or existing files may be accessed and uploaded
automatically. Documents, such
as word processing files, spreadsheets, slide presentations, graphics, audio
and video clips, may be
uploaded in this manner. Streaming multimedia may be provided interactivity
between the student and
the course. Pop-up maps provide easy course site navigation that enriches the
teaching and learning
experiences.
The communication and collaboration tools enhance the interaction between the
students and
instructors with asynchronous discussion boards as well as synchronous chat
tools. On-line
discussions may be managed wherein messages are sortable by date, author,
title and may be archived
and printed. A digital dropbox is a file sharing utility that allows sharing
of documents between users.
Virtual office hours may be held and even field trips conducted on-line with
these tools.
The assessment tools in the present invention increase student preparedness,
measure student
progress, and customize lessons by creating and administering quizzes and
surveys. As such, there is
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an easy to use, step by step process to create the quizzes and surveys. The
instructor, as desired, may
mix and match multiple question types, such as multiple choice, multiple
correct, true/false, matching,
ordering, fill in the blank, and essays. Multimedia or other attachments may
easily be included with
the assessment questions. Questions may be randomized and re-used from
assessment pools. Tests
provided to students may be password protected and timed, and may provide
instant feedback to
students. Advantageously, statistical reports may be created from the
assessments and student
answers.
The personal information management tools in the present invention allow
students,
instructors, administrators and all other users to access basic course,
personal, and institutional data
through a user-centric "My Institution" screen. The user may view
announcements from multiple
courses in one central location, and maintain personal calendar, address book,
user directory and to-do
lists.
The present invention also provides for access to a great number of academic
resources that
supplement the student's on-line education experience. The user may browse
discipline-specific
information, resources, and communities linked to each course web-site. These
academic resources
may be customized and personalized to fit the users' needs.
The system management tools available with the present invention allow system
administrators to monitor, control and customize an institution's on-line
teaching and learning
environment from a web browser. The system administrator may control security
permissions and
enable/disable features for numerous user access levels. Batch user enrollment
and unenrollment may
be performed system wide. Preferences and options may be managed on multiple
courses from within
a central system administrator panel. The system administrator may (i) track
and report faculty,
student, and course statistics, (ii) plan and manage system hardware
requirements by assigning
instructors with pre-assigned disk quotas for content storage, and (iii)
employ system-wide
announcements to broadcast messages to users about system maintenance or
institutional
announcements.
In the Course & Portal Manager embodiment, enterprise database support
provides support
for tens of thousands of users across an entire institution or network of
institutions. User and course
data may be managed efficiently and effectively. Moreover, large volumes of
transactions may be
managed efficiently and effectively. The "My Institution" interface includes
portal and community
functionality along with quick access to web e-mail, course and institutional
announcements, and
links to other campus departments. Administrators may enable or disable portal
modules and establish
required and optional modules from the portal options menu bar. Administrators
may also assign
different portal default settings to different user access levels, e.g.
students get different portals than
instructors.
Course e-commerce management functionality allows institutions to set prices
and charge
fees for course enrollment directly through the "e-Learning" platform.
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In the Advanced Course & Portal Manager embodiment, the snapshot user
management tool
allows scheduling of one-time or periodic (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly) data
integration from existing
student information systems, automating course population and keeping the "e-
Learning"
environment is synchronized with administrative and student data. Moreover,
the end-user
authentication enables a single logon environment for the institution portal
for all students, instructors,
administrators and staff. This streamlines all campus services into a single
web portal environment.
In an embodiment of the invention, the system is capable of utilizing DHTML,
Applets or
their equivalents to provide an extensible framework that can be used, for
example, with a web-based
Text Editor to substantially increase its capabilities. The Text Editor can be
implemented in a
technology independent manner and across a range of web-based browsers.
One or more embodiments of the present invention also provide a mechanism to
extend
system functionality by including security attributes for the hyperlinks. More
particularly, one or more
embodiments of the present invention can be deployed in a web-based
environment, in which
administrators (or others) may remotely upload (or otherwise provide) system
package(s) that contain
a descriptor, called a manifest. As known to those skilled in the Java
programming language, a
manifest is a member file inside a Java Archive File (JAR) file that describes
the contents of the JAR
archive.
One or more embodiments of the present invention utilize, for example, a
standard manifest to
include (or contain) information about the hyperlinks available within the
package provided to the
system. Once the manifest is installed, the system can utilize those
requirements provided in the
manifest by, for example, evaluating the role of the user accessing a
particular hyperlink.
In one or more embodiments, each link entry in a manifest can contain
information about user
roles that determine whether the user has access to a hyperlink. The overall
design can utilize and
install "plug-ins" that are either pre-installed or installed after-market to
extend or enhance system
functionality.
One or more embodiments of the present invention can utilize pre-existing
platform
infrastructure such as navigation items and/or application program interfaces
(APIs), and generalize
extension hooks that can be used with communication, tools, content and
support aspects of the
system.
By defining the installation infrastructure separately from the integration
products, one or
more embodiments of the present invention advantageously allow development of
plug-ins or
extensions to occur separately and independently from development of the
underlying software.
Accordingly, development of a given plug-in is not bound to development cycles
associated with the
underlying software.
The system and method of the present invention will be described in further
detail in the
remainder of the specification, including the claims, referring to the
attached drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. IA shows an overall block diagram of the system.
FIG. 1B shows an exemplary high level diagram of the system architecture,
indicating a
logical relationship between various system components.
FIG. 1C shows a more detailed architectural block diagram of an embodiment of
an education
support system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an architectural diagram of an embodiment of the present
invention
implementing load balancing to achieve scalability.
FIG. 3 shows the interaction of an embodiment of an engine/registry model
according to the
present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a segmentation of a user interface according to the present
invention.
FIG. 5 shows a screen display of the home page according to the present
invention that a user
will view.
FIG. 6 is a screen display of a web page according to the present invention
that shows a
course list and course catalog that are available to student users.
FIG. 7 is a screen display of a default view for a course web site according
to the present
invention.
FIG. 8 is a screen display of an announcement web page provided to a student
user according
to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a screen display of a course contents window according to the
present invention.
FIG. 10 is a screen display of an assignment web page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 11 is a screen display of a course documents web page according to the
present
invention.
FIG. 12 is a screen display of a communication center web page according to
the present
invention.
FIG. 13 is a screen display of an asynchronous discussion board web page
according to the
present invention.
FIG. 14 is a screen display of a student tools web page according to the
present invention.
FIG. 15 is a screen display of a student drop box web page according to the
present invention.
FIG. 16 is a screen display of an instructor's control panel web page
according to the present
invention.
FIG. 17 is a screen display of a second announcement web page according to the
present
invention.
FIG. 18 is a screen display of a course information web page according to the
present
invention.
FIG. 19 is a screen display of a course tasks web page according to the
present invention.
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FIG. 20 is a screen display of an instructor library web page according to the
present
invention.
FIG. 21 is a screen display of a digital dropbox web page according to the
present invention.
FIG. 22 is a screen display of a course gradebook web page according to the
present
invention.
FIGs. 23A and 23B are screen displays of the course statistics web page
according to the
present invention.
FIG. 24 is a screen display of an advanced course and portal manager web page
according to
the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a screen display of a community web page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 26 is a screen display of a services web page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 27 is a screen display of a calendar web page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 28 is a screen display of an E-mail web page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 29 is a screen display of a create a course web page according to the
present invention.
FIGs. 30A and 30B are screen displays of create user web pages according to
the present
invention.
FIG. 31 is a screen display of a web resource web page according to the
present invention.
FIG. 32 is a further screen display of a web resource web page according to
the present
invention.
FIGs. 33a and 33B are screen displays of the chat web page according to the
present
invention.
FIG. 34 is a diagram showing information passed from a course registration
server to a
payment server according to the present invention.
FIG. 35 is a sample of a payment form according to the present invention.
FIG. 36 is a diagram showing the interaction between a payment server and a
payment
validation server according to the present invention.
FIG. 37 is a sample of a payment information page according to the present
invention.
FIG. 38 is a diagram showing post-order processing according to the present
invention.
FIG. 39 shows an exemplary text editor with template that can be used in
connection with the
present invention.
FIG. 40 shows an exemplary sample text tool that can be used in connection
with the present
invention.
FIG. 41 shows an exemplary screen display of rendered data.
FIG. 42 shows the exemplary text editor with another template.
FIG. 43 shows an exemplary data layout format that can be used in accordance
with the
present invention.
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FIG. 44 shows a flow diagram for effecting use of a secondary text tool in
accordance with
the present invention.
FIG. 45 shows an embodiment of data entities that can be used to provide
system extensibility
in accordance one or more embodiments of the present invention.
5 FIG. 46 shows an exemplary data structure that can be used to store user
names, and their
associated role(s) and system entitlement(s).
FIG. 47 is a flow diagram that can be used to provide system extensibility.
FIG. 48 is a system extensions administration screen display before a plug-in
is installed in
the system.
10 FIG. 49 is an install system extensions screen display that enables a
plug-in to be installed in
the system.
FIG. 50 is the administration screen display shown FIG. 24, subsequent to
installation of a
plug-in.
FIG. 51 is the system extensions administration screen display shown FIG. 48,
subsequent to
15 installation of a plug-in.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
General System Architecture
Referring to FIG. 1A, generally at 50, the present invention comprises a
system and methods
for the exchange of course content and related information between non-
collocated instructor users
and student or trainee users. An instructor user, such as at 52, 54, interacts
with one or more non-
collocated student or trainee users, such as at 56, 58, 60, by using the
system and methods of the
present invention to, without limitation, transmit course files including
course lectures, textbooks,
literature, and other course materials, receive student questions and input,
and conduct participatory
class discussions using an electronic network such as a LAN, a MAN, a WAN, the
Internet and/or the
WWW, of which 62 is representative. Access to the course file is controlled by
access levels assigned
to system users and control logic, which helps ensure the integrity and
security of the system. Also,
administrator users, such as at 64, 66, have access to the system to perform
administrative tasks as
defined herein. Web resources 68 connect to the system to provide additional
services and or
functionality. Finally system 100 also connects to the network 62. As shown at
70, a system user may
have multiple access levels. Here, the user is an instructor/student user.
Figure 1B at 1000 is a further detailed view of Figure IA and shows an
exemplary component
architecture that (i) indicates logical relationships between various
components, and (ii) can be used to
implement multiple locales in a web -based implementation. FIG. 1B shows a
three tier architecture.
These tiers are user interface tier 1002, platform tier 1003, and data tier
1005. Other numbers of tiers
can also be used and are encompassed within the scope of the present
invention.
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User interface tier 1002 includes components from an end user perspective.
They may be
used, for example, for a user to logon to server 1040 and conduct subsequent
interactions. User
interface tier 1002 will permit the system user to access, interact with, and
retrieve information. For
example, user interface layer 1002 can generally be used to create, revise,
and/or delete content from
system 1000. A secondary text editor of the present invention, which can be
used in connection with a
primary or native text editor, may be implemented through the system server
platform tier 1003 of the
user interface tier 1002.
At user interface layer 1002, system 1000 can generate, access, retrieve
and/or receive HTML
pages, optionally in an extensible mark-up language (XML) environment. Applets
1006 can be used
in a conventional manner to enhance browser 1008 functionality. The secondary
text editor can reside
on or be associated with server 1040. The secondary text editor using dynamic
hypertext mark-up
language (DHTML) may be associated with the HTML pages and applets to increase
the systems'
capabilities for user-based editing of content.
Portal unit 1010 can utilize portal classes 1016, for example, to render
and/or aggregate the
actual data displayed on portal pages, such as shown in FIGs. 5, 6, 12, 24,
25, 26 and/or 28. Portal
classes 1016 represent software code that can be used to rendered data that
can be displayed by or at
user interface 1008. The portal classes are preferably implemented as object-
oriented code, e.g., Java.
Authentication user interface 1012 can be used to verify user credentials, for
example, at
logon to determine if access to system 1000 will be granted. Plug-in manager
1014 can be used as a
run time component, for example, to add and/or delete extensions to system
1000. Plug-in manager
1014 can thus be used to integrate new features and/or functionality,
optionally made available from
or by third party vendors. Plug-in manager 1014 can utilize, for example, Java
*.war files to
accommodate system 1000 extensibility. In addition, programming developed that
could be viewed as
a standard programming component could be uploaded to system 1000 via plug-in
manager 1014.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Directory Server 1048 can
optionally be used to
provide centralized authentication services, optionally as a platform tier
1003 component.
Learning Management System (LMS) classes 1017, persistence classes 1018, and
snapshot
classes 1024 can optionally be considered a fourth tier. LMS classes 1017 can
include code
components that define the semantic structure of the application. LMS classes
1017 can be
implemented as object-oriented code, organized around concepts that "map" to
real world objects. In
an educational context, real world objects can be a course, identification of
the course, the date(s) of
the course, and/or a description of the course.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the system provides a
framework for
developing external applications and "hooking" them directly into system 1000.
More specifically, the
APIs 1040e provide application program interfaces for packaging and deploying
extensions 1040d
within system 1000. The APIs 1040e allow, for example, third-party vendors,
developers, and
institutions to build extensions 1040d, such as new applications, extend
existing technologies, and
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integrate them into system 1000. In one or more embodiments of the present
invention, APIs 1040e
can allow, for example, third parties to develop extensions 1040d that extend
system 1000
functionality. The API's can be utilized by developers to provide system 1000
functionality with
regard to course announcements, documents and membership, security, calendars,
announcements,
gradebooks, and the like, as will be subsequently discussed. An extension
1040d can be developed
utilizing the Java Servlet 2.2.x specification, which is incorporated herein
by reference.
Persistence classes 1018 can be used to store data in database 1020. As shown,
plug-in
manager 1014 can utilize persistence classes 1018 to provide various user
interfaces and APIs.
Examples of persistence classes 1018 is a set of objects, classes and/or
methods that third party
developers can use.
Snapshot 1024 can be implemented to utilize event APIs 1026 in a conventional
manner to
import data into system 1000. Snapshot 1024 can interface with persistence
classes 1018. For
example, if system 1000 is utilized by a university, there may be a large
amount of information stored
pertaining to various students. Conventional systems can run programs,
databases, and the like with
regard to enrollment, staff assignments, room scheduling, etc. Snapshot 1024
can generate data files
from the captured information for use in conjunction with system 1000.
Snapshot 1024 can
advantageously create data and/or sets of data grouped in a particular way. As
such, data may be
grouped semantically around terms or types of data. Snapshot 1024 can
optionally be run from, for
example, an operating system, e.g., DOS and/or Unix, command line and/or
shell. This will permit a
user to write programs that can be processed as application tier data.
An embodiment of platform tier 1003 can include and/or utilize, for example,
server 1038,
server 1040, LDAP server 1048, and/or associated scripting or interfaces 1030,
1032, 1034, 1036,
1046, 1016, 1018 and/or 1042. PerlEx 1030 (a known plug-in for Windows NT Web
servers), and
ActivePerl 1032 (JScript or ActiveState can also be used in lieu of
ActivePerl) are used in connection
with scripting services. ActivePerl 1032 also utilize database interface (DBI)
1034, which can
interface e.g., locate and load, Database Driver-Open Database Connectivity
(DBD-ODBC) 1036
which, in turn, can communicate with database 1020. DBD-ODBC 1036 is a known
set of APIs,
created by Microsoft, Inc. that defines how to move information in and out of
a personal computer
database. A different DBD-ODBC can be utilized for each different database.
PerlEx 1030, ActivePerl
1032, DBI 1034, and DBD-ODBC 1036 can reside in or run on server 1038. In an
embodiment, server
1038 can be a conventional Internet Information Server (IS) (Microsoft
Corporation, Redmond, WA)
that is used to implement server-side scripting.
Server 1040 centralizes application services, such as web server
functionality, and provides
access to data tier 1005. Server 1040 can also optionally provide enterprise-
level security. Java
Database Connectivity (JDBC) 1046 is a standard API that consists of a set of
classes and interfaces
written in the Java programming language. JDBC 1046 can be used to write
database applications and
execute System Query Language (SQL) statements for use in connection with
database 1040, which
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can store various locales. Accordingly, various views 1054 and stored
procedures 1056 can be utilized
and associated with database 1020 to associate and/or store locales with
respective web pages. In an
embodiment of the present invention, database 1040 can also utilize a separate
server (not shown).
Server 1040 can optionally be integrated with existing back-office systems
(not shown), and provide
authentication, security services and/or data integration functionality with
respect thereto.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, server 1040 can include a
learning
system 1040a that offers course management, and preferably utilizes an open
architecture for
customization, and a scalable design that allows for integration with student
information systems and
authentication protocols. As will be discussed herein, learning system 1040a
can provide course
content, communication capabilities, and tools such as digital drop boxes and
calendars.
Portal system 1040b can optionally be provided as a logical extension of
learning system
1040a, to provide an optionally customizable community portal environment that
substantially unifies
academics, commerce, communities, and administrative services online through
one integrated
interface. An exemplary portal page is shown in FIG. 5, which will be
discussed in detail herein.
Transaction system 1040c can be utilized to make financial transactions with
dining services,
bookstore sales, campus commerce such as vending, laundry and copying,
building access, as well as
business with off-campus merchants. Application Serial No. 10/373,924, filed
on February 25, 2003,
and entitled Method And System For Conducting Online Transactions, describes
transaction system
1040c in greater detail, and is incorporated herein by reference. Triggers
1050, e.g., procedures, can
be used to interface database 1020 with an epicentric database 1052, which can
be used to store,
various views, data and/or procedures used to render portal pages, such as
shown in FIGs. 5, 6, 12, 24,
25, 26 and/or 28. Accordingly, various views 1054 and stored procedures 1056
can also be utilized
and associated with database 1052. Although FIG. 24 shows that there are six
portal modules, i.e.,
"My Institution" tab 2422, "Course" tab 2424, "Academic Web" tab, "Community"
tab 2426,
"Services" tab 2428, and "The Web" tab 2429, in Portal Areas 2406, system 1000
may include other
numbers of portal modules.
Preferably, Chameleon 1058 is a Java-based import/export utility that can
translate a course
created on one server 1040 to an intermediate format such as an FIMS Content &
Packaging format
(IMS Global Learning Consortium, Burlington, MA) which can be XML 1060 format,
so it can be
exported to another server (not shown).
System and Architecture of Figure IC
The system architecture shown at FIG. 1C, generally at 100, represents an
embodiment of the
present invention relating to the web browser, web server, application and
database components.
What is shown in FIG. 1C may be incorporated as part of FIG. IA. Moreover, it
is also an
embodiment that may utilize the components described in Figure 1B.
Referring now to FIG. 1C, system 100 comprises application subsystems 110, a
web browser
120, a web host server 130, a database subsystem 140, and core subsystems 150.
Application
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subsystems 110 and core subsystems 150 can reside on server 161. Web host
server 130 further
includes a shell service 131. Applications subsystems 110 further includes a
content registry Ill, a
tool registry 112, a course registry 113, one or more content engines 114, one
or more tool engines
115, and one or more course engines 116. Core subsystems 150 further includes
a core engine 151, an
access manager 152, a user interface (UI) manager 153, a user manager 154, a
group manager 155, an
event manager 156, a log manager 157, and a connection manager 158.
In an embodiment of the present invention, system 100 is implemented in a
client-server
network topology. Users who may have one or several roles, such as a student,
instructor, teaching
assistant (TA), or administrator, access and interact with system 100 via web
browser 120. More
specifically, a user accesses application subsystems 110 and core subsystems
150 through shell
service 131 servlet providing a standard Internet interface including, but not
limited to, Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), HyperText Transport Protocol
(HTTP), Simple Mail
Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and File Tranfer Protocol (FTP) to the user via web
browser 120 running
on a standard computing platform such as a personal computer or workstation.
Specifically, shell
service 131 servlet uses the URL-encoded information contained in HTTP
requests received from web
browser 120 clients to invoke the corresponding requested application
subsystem 110 or core
subsystem 150. Shell service 131 servlet also provides user authentication and
session management.
Application subsystems 110 function in conformance with an engine/registry
model 300 as
described in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG 3, engine/registry model 300 includes
one or more engines 301,
a registry 302, and a context factory 303. Context factory 303 contains
information mapping a user to
one or more courses associated with that user.
Engines 301 include, but are not limited to, content engine(s) 114, tool
engine(s) 115, course
engine(s) 116, and core engine 151, shown in FIG. 1C. Registries 302 include,
but are not limited to,
content registry 111, tool registry 112, and course registry 113, shown in
FIG. IC. Course engine(s)
116 creates a course by associating a set of educational materials to which a
student user has access,
by organizing references to these informational items as contained in content
registry 111. Course
engine(s) 116 queries content registry 111 for an index of content engine 114
associated with a
particular resource being requested by a user.
Content engine(s) 111 includes an assessment engine that generates quizzes to
assist and
instruct users in the use of system 100. For example, one such quiz provided
by an assessment engine
of system 100 provides step-by-step instructions to an instructor for building
a course. The quiz is
then administered on-line to the instructor to allow him to build a customized
course to be provided
using system 100.
Unlike content engines 111, which represent actual course content, tool
engine(s) 115
generally includes installable programs that provide capabilities available
for use with a plurality of
courses and not permanently associated with any particular course or courses.
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Instructors have different modes of teaching. Further, the same instructor may
emphasize
different modes of teaching depending upon the subject being taught. For
example, some instructors
emphasize individual homework while others prefer a group or collaborative
approach. System 100
supports a variety of teaching methods. By invoking a particular set of tool
engines 115 during
5 interaction with the assessment engine, an instructor can customize a
course offering to conform to
his/her preferred mode of teaching. An example of a tool engine 115 is a
chat/whiteboard
communication tools (synchronous and/or asynchronous) provided by system 100
that allows for
student group interaction and collaboration associated with a given course.
Other tools include, but
are not limited to, announcements for broadcast of group oriented messaging, a
calendar mechanism
10 for storing date related events and information, a discussion board for
posting questions and answers
in a threaded discussion format, notes-editing, group pages, and e-mail
services. Further capabilities
provided by system 100 include, but are not limited to:
(i) a catalog listing of all courses available,
(ii) a method for student users to enroll in either open enrollment or
closed enrollment
15 situations,
(iii) a method for course creation including course templates and course
themes, a course/page
editor and viewer, a site page editor and viewer,
(iv) a method for making and disseminating announcements, a calendar function,
a chat board
in the nature of an on-line discussion, a white board allowing group
interaction and display of free-
20 form information using, for example, Microsoft PaintTM,
(v) a method for sending e-mail between instructors and students and groups of
students, a list
of course members and links to their web pages, a list of groups and links to
their web pages, a file
sharing area, means for providing assignments to student users,
(vi) a method for conducting a variety of types of student assessments (e.g.,
testing),
(vii) a method for providing lesson material in sequential format, means for
adding and
removing users, help documents, maintaining a grade book and progress
tracking, links to personal
web pages or home pages, and a resource library containing references to all
uploaded content.
Course templates allow instructors to easily reuse a course structure for
subsequent courses.
Course themes allow the instructor to affect the look and feel of the course
site. The secondary text
editor which resides on system 100 as an application subsystem as a system
tool permits instructors
and students to have an enhanced ability to edit content provided by the
system. Referring now to
FIG. 1C, the secondary text editor, in connection with browser 120, may be
implemented at tool
engine 115, as will be described in greater detail subsequently.
Access control manager 152 creates an access control list (ACL) for one or
more subsystems
in response to a request from a subsystem to have its resources protected
through adherence to an
ACL. System 100 provides multiple levels of access restrictions to enable
different types of users to
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effectively interact with the system, such as, access web pages, upload or
download files, view grade
information, while preserving confidentiality of information.
User manager 154 integrates the student-centric information with existing
network-based
systems of an associated educational institution. In an embodiment of the
present invention, user
manager 154 includes a runtime component and a batch component that
periodically access and
extract information contained in external institution databases in order to
maintain current student-
centric information. User manager 154 facilitates integration of system 100
with existing or legacy
network-based systems, including proprietary institutional electronic networks
and systems related to
grades, registration, course schedules, financial aid, etc., without requiring
modifications to existing
systems or security procedures.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, application subsystems
110 and core
subsystems 150 interface with database subsystem 140 using, for example, the
Java Database
Connectivity (JDBC) standard interface to allow use of any relational database
including, but not
limited to, SQL and DB2 Universal Database standards.
Scalability is provided by the modular system architecture described in FIG.
1A, and, in an
embodiment of the present invention, through use of a load balancing server
200 as shown in FIG. 2.
As users are added to the system and access the system as web browser 120
clients, additional web
server hosts 130 may be added to the overall system to provide a matching
increase in system
capacity. Load balancing server 200 allocates new web browser clients 120 to
the least-busy web
server host 130 for servicing. By balancing the load across all web server
hosts 130, system 100
prevents response times from become unacceptably long for any one given user.
In an embodiment of
the present invention, load balancing server 200 maintains one or more metrics
concerning the percent
utilization for each web server host 130 and selects the least-busy web server
host 130 based upon
application of a load balancing algorithm to these utilization metrics.
In an embodiment of the present invention, upon logging onto system 100, shell
service 131
servlet renders and presents to the user via web browser 120 a personalized
web page that includes a
student-centric aggregation of data that may include, without limitation,
personal class schedules,
grades, a rolled-up or consolidated calendar, links to related tools, student
group events for groups of
which a particular student is a member, and class announcements.
System 100 executes on a variety of computing platforms including, but not
limited to,
UNIXTM servers, NTrm servers, SolarisTm, HPTM, and LinuxTM. System 100
supports popular web
browsers including, but not limited to, Netscape NavigatorTM and Microsoft
Internet ExplorerTM, and,
in an embodiment, does not require plug-ins at the web browser client.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, an automated upload or
import
capability is provided in which a user may upload a file to the system and
system presents or displays
the information contained in the uploaded file in a manner that preserves the
grouping of the
information, including fields and other categorization, based on the file
type. System 100 provides a
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standard import file format to accomplish this preservation of native grouping
of information. In one
or more embodiments of the present invention, an automated upload capability
imports an uploaded
file in both native and HTML formats, maintaining the file formats associated
with the native format
for the native formatted file and converting the native format into HTML
formats for the HTML
formatted file.
System 100 supports a variety of business model. For example, an institution
may charge
each student for courses taken via system 100, or an instructor may use system
100 to process
individual student tuition payments by providing links to e-commerce
facilities.
Referring to FIG. 4, one or more embodiments of system 100 supports a
plurality of
environments 400 in a single application. Examples of different environments
400 supported include a
personalized web page of student -centric information accessed by a student
user and the
administrator's environment used for maintenance of the system. Certain parts
of the system 100
application are consistent across all supported environments 400, while the
appearance to the user
may vary for different environments 400. An environment 400 is defined by
console frames that
surround the application areas. An example of an environment 400 defined by a
four-frame page is
shown in FIG. 4. The environment includes console navbar 401, and console top
402, a toolbar 403,
and content 404. Console navbar 401 and console top 402 may be controlled by a
console frameset,
while toolbar 403 and content 404 may be controlled by a separate frameset.
For example, toolbar 403
"buttons" are generally located in the top frame of an application area. This
approach allows users,
and especially instructors, the ability to customize their course offerings
while conforming to
consistent user interface features that allow application areas to be shared
across environments 400.
Student users and instructors interact with system 100 via the same basic
environment 400 format.
FIG. 5 shows a screen display of the home page 500 that a user will view. This
view is
customizable in accordance with the requirements and desires of any user. The
home page may also
be institutionally branded, so that the "My Institution" logo 504 shown in
FIG. 5 would display the
name of the institution that has licensed the product. The home page also
provides the user with direct
access to personal, course, and institutional tools. As an added feature, the
system enables each user to
select from a large number of news and information services, so that everyone
who uses the system
will have access to the most recent and relevant information for them. All of
this functionality is
provided in one place, the home page, so that the institution can provide a
sense of community on
campus, with courses, and with a view to the external information sources.
One or more embodiments of the present invention include Community tab 508 and
Services
tab 510. Community tab 508 provides a community common area that lists
organizations specific to
each user, the organization catalog for the institution, and an institution-
wide discussion board.
Organization Web sites, accessed through Community tab 508, allow organization
members to view
information about the organization, such as announcements, calendar events,
discussion boards and
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rosters. Discussion boards allow user to communicate with fellow organization
members and
classmates by posting messages on particular topics.
Community tab 508 provides a common areas and the ability to create common
areas. For
example, online areas dedicated to clubs, organizations, and other
extracurricular activities may be
created using community tab 508.
Using Services tab 510, a services common area may be presented that contains
links to other
institutional offerings outside of system 100. The links may be set by the
system administrator, using
System Admin tab 506. For example, links can be provided for users to report
any security issues to
the institution, connect to the card catalog, pay for classes, and register
for classes.
By selecting the "Courses" tab 502, the user will be linked to a Course page
600 as shown in
FIG. 6. Course page 600 provides direct links to the courses that they teach
(602, 604) and/or are
enrolled in (606, 608, 610). To access the course web-site, the user will
click on the course title, such
as at 602, 604, 606, 608 or 610, and he/she will be automatically linked to a
web page associated with
that course. The user also has the opportunity to browse the course catalog
612 by selecting the links
on the right side of the page 600, where courses are listed according to
category. The user may also
search through the course search engine by selecting the Browse Course Catalog
Link 614.
For example, by selecting the link 602 for the Introduction to Music course,
which the user in
this example is teaching, the user is shown the web page 700 illustrated in
FIG. 7. The default view
for the course web site 700 in this embodiment is the Announcements page 702,
as shown in FIGs. 7
and 8. As seen at the lower part of the screen in FIG. 8, the user has the
option of selecting various
types of views by filtering out certain time-based announcements, i.e., today,
last 2 weeks, last month,
or all, by selecting button 802. The Announcements section can also be linked
to, after the user has
left that page, by simply clicking the Announcements button 804 on the
navigation toolbar 806 on the
left of the web page.
Within the course web-site environment, the user is able to access all of the
relevant course
material and communication features as shown herein. The entire course outline
may be displayed in a
separate browser window 900, as shown in FIG. 9. At the browser window, the
course contents are
available for perusal and hyperlinking as desired. FIG. 8 shows the entire web
page for Introduction to
Music in two parts: an upper part and a lower part, which is scrollable as
desired. One of the function
buttons provided is labeled "Course Map" 808, which upon being clicked will
pop-up the Course
Contents window 900. The user will be able to expand or collapse the various
headings provided in
order to drill down into the entire course contents as currently configured.
So, for example, the user
can expand the Assignments section 902 and get a linkable list of all the
assignments that have been
created for the course to date. Any of the assignments may then be clicked for
easy access. This
separate window 900 is especially advantageous since it allows users to browse
the entire course,
regardless of their current location in the web-site.
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By selecting any of the Assignments links 902, the user would be linked to the
web page 1070
set forth in FIG. 10. This web page lists each assignment that has been
compiled for the course, each
of which can be linked to web pages that contain the full details of the
particular assignment. The
assignment page 1070 shown in FIG. 10 may be viewed by clicking the
"Assignments" button 804 on
the toolbar at the left of the course home page shown in FIG. 8. In general,
any of the functions that
are provided by toolbar buttons on the navigation bar at the left of the
course home page will be
available in any page accessed for that site, so that easy navigation may be
had and the user may jump
around and visit any desired portion of the course web site no matter where
the user is currently
located. Likewise, the Course Contents window provides similar functionality
as described above.
As shown in FIG. 10, folders that have quizzes and surveys may be linked to by
viewing the
assignments web page. Clicking on these folders will present the student
and/or instructor with a quiz
that may be taken on-line. The answers may be graded automatically, in real
time, as soon as the
student has finished the quiz. This assessment functionality will be explained
in greater detail
subsequently.
In general, assignments may be provided in virtually any type of media that he
instructor has
at his disposal. For example, shown in FIG. 10 is a link 1072 to a multimedia
presentation for
"Physics in Music" that will give the student a content-enriched lesson that
will be useful prior to the
next lesson. Assignments may also be as simple as a text -based file that the
student would read in
preparation for the required class session.
In addition to selecting the Assignments page 1070 or the Announcements page
700, the user
may select the Course Information button 1074 on the toolbar. This will link
the user to a web page
that will list information provided by the instructor that is useful to the
student, such as an
introductory welcome message or links to helpful resources. Resources
otherwise found on other parts
of the course web site may also be shown here if desired by the course web
site developer. Links may
be in the form of URLs to other web pages or resources or to folders that
include groups of logically
related resources.
Selection of the Staff Information navigation button 1076 will provide the
user with a web
page that will list each instructor, TA, or professor, along with an abstract
listing office hours,
address, telephone number for each, as well as a link that be clicked to send
an e-mail. This gives the
student with quick, easy access to any instructor as may be desired throughout
the course. Images and
other types of multimedia files may also be made available at this page for
enhanced content viewing.
The user may select the "Course Documents" link 1078 shown in the navigational
toolbar,
= after which the web page 1100 on FIG. 11 is provided for that course.
This provides the user with
immediate access to all documents relevant to the course. As a student, the
user has access to all of the
course materials, including additional links to information on the web that
will enhance the
instructional experience. As an instructor, the user has the ability to post
documents of numerous file
formats and from disparate locations.
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By selecting the "Communication" tab 1080 shown in FIG. 10, the student is
provided with
the Communication Center web page 1200 as shown in FIG. 12. In this area, the
user has at his/her
disposal many different ways of establishing communications with other users
of the system as well
as accessing other areas of the system for various types of information. The
user has access to an e-
5 mail utility 1202, a student roster list 1204, a list of student
homepages 1206, a discussion board 1208,
a virtual classroom chat 1210, and a group pages link 1212.
Selection of the Send E-Mail link 1202 loads a web page with various links
that allow the
user to send e-mail to individuals registered for the course, or to students
only, or to instructors only.
The e-mail function is accomplished via web-based e-mail and allows for users
to send attachments,
10 as in many existing e-mail packages available today. Selection of the
Student Roster link 1204
displays a web page that lists all of the students registered for the course,
along with contact
information if allowed by the student, such as phone number, address, and e-
mail address. Selection
of the Student Pages link 1206 provides a web page with links to the homepage
for each student in the
class.
15 Another very effective communication tool is the asynchronous Discussion
Board 1300, as
shown in FIG. 13, which is displayed by the student selecting the Discussion
Board link 1208.
Students can access this for threaded discussions that are archived for easy
retrieval. By using the
discussion board, students can help each other learn even more easily outside
of regular class hours. It
can also be used as an effective method for instructors and TAs to provide a
tutorial tool for out-of
20 class questions and discussions that need to be saved for the purpose of
sharing with the rest of that
class. This utility operates in accordance with techniques well known in the
art.
By clicking on the Virtual Chat link 1210, the student is provided with a web
page 3300 as
shown in FIG. 33A, labeled "Collaboration Sessions". Each course has its
unique chat area built into
the course site. Students can engage in chats about the course, collaborate on
assignments, and share
25 information beyond the boundaries of the classroom or posted materials.
The instructor can monitor
the chats or actively engage in discussions. This real-time virtual chat is a
feature that can also
accommodate a whiteboard mode.
Selection of the Group Pages link 1212 displays a web page that lists various
groups of users
that are grouped by special interests, such as music lovers, bookworms, sports
fans to name a few.
Access to these groups is a definable parameter that is set by the system
administrator.
Again, referring to FIG. 10, selection of the External Links button 1082 will
display a web
page that is provided with URLs for relevant content that the instructor deems
may be useful to the
student community. For example, in a law course, links may be provided to
various legal research
web sites, or a Congressional web page.
Selection of the Student Tools button 1084 will display a web page 1400 of
associated links
as shown in FIG. 14. These links include various tools needed by the student,
such as the Digital Drop
Box 1402, Personal Information 1404, View Grades 1406, Edit Your Homepage
1408, Student
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Calendar 1410, Student Manual 1412, Tasks 1414, Electric Blackboard 1416, and
Address Book
1418.
By clicking the Digital Drop Box link 1402, the student is provided with a web
page that will
allow control and access to the student's digital dropbox, that is a folder of
files that the student can
exchange with the course instructor. As shown in FIG. 15, dropbox web page
1500 allows the student
to type in box 1502 the resource location of a file that he wishes to provide
to the instructor, or to
browse his computer's hard drive with button 1504 or network drive in
accordance with well known
techniques to locate the file and insert the appropriate pointer. Clicking
Send File button 1506 will
finish the task of uploading the file. List 1508 of uploaded files that exist
in the student's dropbox is
also set forth in this page, along with a control link 1510 that enables the
removal of files. By using
this utility, the student can submit documents such as term papers to the
instructor, who can then read
and post comments to the file for return to the student and review.
Selection of the Personal Information link 1404 provides the student with a
web page that sets
forth his personal data, such as name, address, e-mail, phone number and
password. In addition,
certain system preferences may be set at this location. Similar to this link
is the Edit Your Homepage
link 1408, which will allow the student to access his homepage and make
modifications as he desires.
Selection of the ViewGrades link 1406 will deliver a web page that shows the
grades that the
student has been assessed in the course, such as for exams, quizzes, term
papers, projects, and
assignments. The student may be able to link to a specific exam or paper
through this utility in order
to review the exam again that may be useful for example in preparing for a
final exam. The instructor
may also provide to the student a statistical review of the entire class so
that the student has a better
feel for the grade he may receive.
The Calendar button 1410 will provide well known PIM (personal information
management)
functionality to the student. The Calendar web page can display calendar
events in a graphical display
for that course, all the student's courses, all institution events, as well as
personal calendar events
programmed by the user. Different entities can program calendar events that
can be selectively
displayed by the student by selection of display functions on the page. For
example, the instructor can
program the calendar events for the course, and an administrator can program
calendar events for the
entire campus, and these will be displayed on the student's calendar since he
is registered for the
course. This provides the student with a greater ability to manage his
calendar than has been available
in the past.
The Student Manual link 1412, when selected, provides the student with access
to an on-line
manual that may be used for a "help" reference in navigating the web site.
Tasks link 1414 can
provide the user with a list of tasks, either entered by the user or another
user of system 100 to whom
the user has granted access rights to the tasks tool.
The Electric Blackboard link 1416 enables a user to enter notes taken for a
class. Each time a
user enter notes, the same window opens and may also displays notes previously
taken. Additional
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notes may be added below the last entry. Finally, Address Book link 1418
provides a standard address
book for a user to enter information for his/her personal contacts.
Located below the navigation button toolbar is a group of control buttons
1420. The Course
Map button 808 gives a separate browser window with direct access to the
course contents, as
explained above. The Control Panel button 1422 takes the user to a Control
Panel screen display, such
as shown in FIG. 16. The Quick Unenroll link 1424 removes an administrator as
a course user.
Similarly, a Quick Enroll link (not shown) may be provided to allow an
administrator to quickly
enroll in a course to view and troubleshoot content areas inaccessible to
users that do not have an
assigned role in the course Web site. Discussion Board link 1426 can take a
user to a Discussion
Board, such as shown in FIG. 13. Finally, Custom Data link 1428 may be
activated to use access data
by using an adapter that is not native to system 100.
Instructor Functionality
The instructor is provided with essentially the same functionality and control
as is the student
user, with additional functions defined herein. The instructor is provided
with a complete set of
navigational buttons for accessing announcements, course information, staff
information, course
documents, assignments, communication tools, external links, and student tools
for a given course that
he/she is teaching. The control panel also is given to the instructor to
enable display of a set of links to
course management and development tools that are available to an instructor.
An exemplary instructor's control panel web page 1600 is shown in FIG. 16.
This control
panel 1602 provides the instructor with many features that are useful in
managing the course he/she
instructs. The control panel is divided into Content Areas 1604, Course Tools
1606, Course Options
1608, User Management 1610, Assessment 1612, and Assistance 1614, as described
in detail
subsequently below.
Content Areas
Within Content Areas 1604, the Course Information link 1618 displays a web
page 1800 as
shown in FIG. 18 that will set forth all of the course information documents
or folders that have been
posted for the course, and a modify button 1802 and a remove button 1804. An
add item 1806 or add
folder button 1808 is also provided, which displays a web page with various
fields that the instructor
will fill in to define the course information entry. After submitting the new
entry to the server, the
new course information is posted to all students registered in the class.
Similarly, the Course Documents link 1622 displays a web page that will set
forth all of the
course documents or folders that have been posted for the course, and a modify
button and a remove
button as discussed above. An add item or add folder button is also provided,
which displays a web
page with various fields that the instructor will fill in to define the course
documents entry. The
document may be uploaded directly to the server for later access by the
student, or a link to an
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external referenced resource may be provided, e.g., a URL. After submitting
the new entry to the
server, the new course information is posted to all students registered in the
class as described above.
Likewise, the Assignments link 1624 displays a web page that will set forth
all of the course
assignments or folders that have been posted for the course, and a modify
button and a remove button.
An add item or add folder button is also provided, which displays a web page
with various fields that
the instructor will fill in to define the course assignment entry. The
assignment entry may be uploaded
directly to the server for later access by the student. After submitting the
new entry to the server, the
new course assignment is posted to all students registered in the class as
described above.
Also, the External Links link 1626 displays a web page that will set forth all
of the external
links or folders that have been posted for the course, and a modify button and
a remove button. An
add item or add folder button is also provided, which displays a web page with
various fields that the
instructor will fill in to define the external links entry. The external links
entry may be uploaded
directly to the server for later access by the student. After submitting the
new entry to the server, the
new external link page is posted to all students registered in the class as
described above.
Course Tools
Under the Course Tools section 1606, the Announcement link 1616 displays a web
page 1700
as shown in FIG. 17 that will set forth all of the announcements that have
been posted for the course,
the author (e.g., which instructor, if there are more than one, authorized to
access this area) of the
announcement, and a modify button 1702 and a remove button 1704. An add
announcement button
1706 is also provided, which displays a web page with a blank message field
that the instructor fills in
and submits to the server. The newly added announcement will then be posted to
all students
registered in the class.
The Course Calendar link 1628 displays a web page that will set forth all of
the calendar
events that have been posted for the course, and a modify button and a remove
button. An add item
button is also provided, which displays a web page with various fields that
the instructor will fill in to
define the new calendar item entry, e.g., description, date, and time. The
calendar entry may be
uploaded directly to the server for later access by the student. After
submitting the new entry to the
server, the new calendar page is posted to all students registered in the
class as described above.
The Staff Information link 1620 displays a web page that will set forth all of
the staff entries,
e.g., instructors, Tasks, that are involved with the course, and a modify
button and a remove button for
each entry similar to those shown in FIG. 18. An add item or add folder button
is also provided, which
displays a web page with various fields that the instructor will fill in to
define the new staff item
entry. Fields are also provided for links to each staff member's e-mail
address and web page. Images
of the staff member may also be inserted in the entry. After submitting the
new entry to the server, the
new staff information is posted to all students registered in the class as
described above.
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The Tasks link 1630 displays a web page 1900 as shown in FIG. 19 that will set
forth all of
the tasks that have been posted for the course, and a modify button 1902 and a
remove button 1904.
An Add Task button 1906 is also provided, which displays a web page with
various fields that the
instructor will fill in to define the new task entry, e.g., description, date,
and time. The task entry may
be uploaded directly to the server for later access by the student. After
submitting the new entry to the
server, the new tasks page is posted to all students registered in the class
as described above.
Selection of the Discussion Board link 1638 displays a web page that provides
links to the
available discussion boards that are associated with the course, such as shown
in FIG. 13. A
discussion board is another communication tool to use in a classroom setting.
This feature is similar to
Virtual Chat, but is designed for asynchronous use, so users do not have to be
available at the same
time to have a conversation. An additional advantage of the discussion board
is that user
conversations are logged and organized. Conversations are grouped into forums
that contain threads
and all related replies.
For an instructor or teaching assistant, the Send E-mail link 1639 allows an
instructor or
teaching assistant to send e-mail to individuals to participate in a
particular course. Instructors can
send e-mail to all users in a specified course, all groups in a specified
course, all of the teaching
assistants in a specified course, all of the instructors for a specified
course, to a single user or select
users in a specified course and/or to a single group or select groups within a
specified course. For a
student, the Send Email link 1639 can display a web page that is similar to
the one the user will be
provided with in his e-mail function, e.g., allows selection of individual
users associated with the
course, certain predefined groups of users such as all students.
Collaboration link 1641 permits an instructor or teaching assistant to
participate in real-time
lessons and discussions with students. There may be two versions of the
collaboration tool: A Virtual
Classroom, such as shown at 3302 in FIG. 33A, enables instructors and students
to browse the web,
participate in question and answer sessions, and participate in chats. A
Lightweight Chat 3304
capability, such as shown at 3304 in FIG. 33A, can also be used that only
provides a chat capability.
Both collaboration tools provide the ability to record archives that can be
made available to students.
Virtual Classroom link 3302 (FIG. 33A) displays a web page that provides a
link to either
launch a virtual classroom and participate in real-time, synchronous classroom
sessions), or to view
the classroom archives, where are previous classroom session views and/or
download these sessions
to the instructor's computer.
Each course preferably includes a virtual Classroom, which is a synchronous
chat room for
student and group communications. The Virtual Classroom link 3302 can be used
to initiate and
conduct "live" classroom discussions, TA sessions, and office hour type
question/answer forums.
Guest speakers and subject matter experts can also talk with the class in the
Virtual Classroom.
As shown in FIG. 33B generally at 3450, a Virtual Classroom contains several
distinct areas.
The Whiteboard Space 3306 is where web pages are displayed, which is the large
center area. One can
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also write or draw on this space using the drawing toolbar. Menu Bar 3308 is
used to change the
information that appears on the whiteboard space, such as selecting a font to
use on the whiteboard
space and moving an object on the whiteboard space behind another object. One
can also prepare
lessons, navigate slides displayed on the whiteboard space 3306, and clear the
Group Browser tab
5 3310 and Ask Questions tab 3312. Group Browser tab 3310 contains tools
(not shown) for navigating
web pages. For example, a location field can be provided to enter the URL of a
web page the user
would like to use during the Virtual Classroom session. The Status Region 3314
is where status
messages may be displayed.
The following panels are available:
Name of Tab Purpose
Group Discussion Use this tab to talk with the students
in the
Virtual Classroom.
Questions and Answers If a student uses his/her Questions tab
to
submit a question to the instructor, the
instructor can then answer the question using
the Incoming Questions tab. Thereafter, the
instructor can view a log of their dialogue
regarding the question on the Questions and
Answers tab.
Participant Information Use this tab to learn about the students
in the
Virtual Classroom, such as their names.
Slides Use this tab to prepare and present a
series of
slides. (See Options in Preparing Lessons).
The tab is only available to the Instructor.
Incoming Questions If a student uses his/her Questions tab
to
submit a question to the instructor, the
instructor can then answer the question using
the Incoming Questions tab. Thereafter, the
instructor can view a log of their dialogue
regarding the question on the Questions and
Answers tab. The Incoming Questions tab is
only available to the instructor.
Access Control Use this tab to control students'
ability to
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conduct the four Virtual Classroom
activities: Question, Chat, Drawing, and
Navigating. The tab is only available to the
instructor.
Selection of the Digital Dropbox link 1640 displays a web page 2100 as shown
in FIG. 21
that lists the files that exist in the digital dropbox. The Digital Dropbox
2100 is a tool that the
instructor and students can use to exchange files. The Digital Dropbox 2100
works by "uploading" a
file from a disk or a computer to a central location. A participant can then
come and "download" it to
work locally. The Digital Dropbox 2100 is used to exchange materials between a
single student and
the instructor.
Send File link 2102 links to a student area where files are uploaded and sent
to specific
students. Files can be added by users using Add File link 2104. The user can
also delete files that are
no longer needed.
Course Options
The Manage Course Menu link 1642 within Course Options 1608 allows instructors
to add or
remove navigation buttons and/or change the names and order of the buttons. In
addition, the Manage
Course link 1642 allows an instructor to add a content area, add and/or modify
a tool area and/or a
student's access rights with respect thereto, add a link external to system
100, add a course link,
modify an area, remove an area, and order or arrange content.
The Archive Course link 1644 allows a course, or portions thereof, to be
archived. In one or
more embodiments of the invention, a system administrator may optionally be
the only individual
granted the right to import a course from such an archive.
The Recycle Course link 1646 provides an easy way for an instructor to delete
announcements, discussion board entries, and the like from a previous course
that the instructor will
be teaching again.
The Manage Tools link 1648 allows user to enable and/or disable the various
Tools offered
with system 100. Settings link 1650 provides access to an area where an
instructor or administrator
can make a course available, update the course title, decide if buttons or
text should be used for course
navigation, upload a banner, and the like.
Import Course Cartridge link 1643 allows an instructor to download a Course
Cartridge.
Course Cartridges are collections of publisher-created content, available for
import into instructor-
designed course web sites that can be used in connection with system 100.
Content in course
cartridges can include slides, documents, quiz banks, lists of relevant links,
and other materials.
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Import Package link 1645 allows instructors to upload information from a
previously existing
system 100 course to a new, or current, course. Once a course is exported,
instructors can import the
whole course, or selected parts of the course into another course site.
Resources link 1647 can be used by an instructor to designate the resources
for a course by
customizing the number of links and the content available to users. Resources
link 1647 can allow an
instructor to display a web page 2000 as shown in FIG. 20 that will set forth
all of the folders and files
that have been posted by the instructor for the course, and a modify button
2002 and a remove button
2004. These materials are accessible to instructors only and not to students
directly. An Add File
button 2006 and an Add Folder 2008 button is also provided, which displays a
web page with various
fields that the instructor will fill in to define the new entry. In addition,
the instructor is able to select
the Add From Institution button 2010 to select a new reference that is
available from a pool of
references made available to all instructors from the institution. The new
entry may be uploaded
directly to the server for later access by the instructors associated with the
course. After submitting the
new entry to the server, the new Instructor Library page is posted to all
instructors associated with the
course.
Course Copy link 1649 can be used by an instructor to copy course materials
from one course
site to another. For example, if an instructor has created documents in a
summer version of a course
that the instructor wishes to add to a fall course site, the Course Copy link
1649 enables the instructor
to combine materials from two or more separate course sites into a single
course site.
Export Course link 1651 allows an instructor to export a version of the course
on the
instructor's computer in a manner that does not affect the online version of
the course.
User Management
Selection of the List/Modify Users link 1654 in the user management area 1610
displays a
web page that enables the instructor to list and/or modify the users of the
course, while selection of
the Remove Users from the Course link 1656 displays a web page that enables
the instructor to
remove a user if desired from the course. Selection of the Manage Groups link
1658 enables the
instructor to create and edit certain user groups, e.g., gifted students or
remedial students.
Selection of the Create User link 1652 displays a web page that enables the
instructor to select
a Create User link (not shown) can display a web page that will enable the
instructor to create a new
user account and enroll him in the course, by inputting name, address, and
other information
regarding the user, designating the user's access level and providing a
password if desired
Selection of the Batch Create Users for Course link 1657 can display a web
page that enables
the instructor to create all of the user accounts by uploading a text file
containing the user data. The
Enroll User Link 1656 can display a web page that enables the instructor to
enroll a user in the course.
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Assessment
Assessment area 1612 allows instructors to provide quizzes, tests, and surveys
on-line.
Included may be essay, true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or
matching questions. The
questions can include text, graphics or multimedia. For the student, instant
feedback is provided
through automatic grading functionality. For the instructor, there is the
ability to randomize the tests,
time them, and create statistical reports of outcomes. Assessments within this
system are an optimal
way to increase student preparedness for class and to track and compare
student progress over time.
The Assessment area 1612 of the control panel 1602 allows the instructor to
select an Test Manager -
link 1660, a Survey Manager link 1661, a Pool Manager link 1662, a Gradebook
Viewslink 1665, or a
Course Statistics link 1666.
Selection of Test Manager link 1660 allows an instructor to create, modify,
and remove tests.
Instructors can create tests to check the knowledge and skill level of the
users enrolled in the course.
Tests permit the Instructor to assign point values to each question on exams
or quizzes. Student
answers are submitted for grading, and the results are recorded in the
Gradebook, which can be
accessed by link 1664.
Survey Manager link 1661 allows an instructor to create anonymous, non-graded
surveys. In
surveys correct answers are not identified and a statistical analysis of the
answers is provided. This
feature can be used for course or instructor evaluations, or to gather
demographical information.
Instructors can use the Survey Manager to guide course curriculum by asking
students questions on
pacing, the need for clarification, and the like.
Selection of Pool Manager link 1662 can be selected to display a web page that
enables the
instructor to Add Pool, Import Pool, Search Pool, or Export Pool. Pools are
predefined groups of
questions and answer sets that are logically linked, usually by subject
matter, so that an instructor may
draw from a pool to obtain existing questions and answers sets from other
courses, instructors,
semesters, etc., and not have to "recreate the wheel" every time they generate
or modify a test. By
clicking the Add Pool button, the instructor can add a new pool to the list of
pools displayed on the
Pool Manager web page. S/he will have to type in the name of the new pool and
a description of it on
this form. By clicking the Import Pool button, the instructor will enter the
name of an existing pool to
import, or alternatively browse a disk drive to find the pool to import. By
clicking the Search Pool
button, the instructor is presented with a web page that will enumerate
various available pools that can
be searched for questions of interest for importing. The entire pool can be
previewed by selecting a
preview mode, and all of the available questions in that pool may be viewed.
By clicking the Export
Pool button, a pool may be selected for exporting purposes. For the list of
available pools set forth on
the Pool manager page, the instructor may modify the pool, in which case a web
page is displayed that
lists all of the questions (and associated answer sets) that are in the pool.
Each question in the pool
may be modified in the same manner as explained above with respect to the
assessment manager.
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Likewise, questions may be deleted entirely from a pool, and new questions may
be added to the pool
as described above with respect to the assessment manager.
Selection of Gradebook link 1664 displays a web page that enables the
instructor to perform
various functions with respect to the on-line course gradebook. FIG. 22
illustrates a web page for a
course gradebook 2200, which provides a variety of information including
consolidated grades,
individual assignment/test scores, direct access to specific assignments or
tests by student, or a look at
a specific test with aggregated results. Add Item link 2202 allows an
instructor to add an item, such as
a test or quiz, to the gradebook. Manage Items link 2204 allows an instructor
to re-arrange the way
items are displayed in the on-line gradebook. An interface (not shown) can be
provided where an
instructor can reorder items in the on-line gradebook, and/or well as modify
their availability and
display options. Items added by using Add Item link 2202 can be removed by
using the Manage Items
link 2204. Gradebook Settings link 2206 allows an instructor to re-arrange
several display options in
gradebook 2200. For example, the instructor can be provided options student
information is displayed
in a spreadsheet.
Gradebook Views link 1665 allows various views of a Gradebook to be displayed,
such as by
students and one or more of associated test grades, quiz grades, homework
grades, and the like.
Weight Grades link 2208 allows an instructor to assign weight to grades. For
example, a final
exam may be worth 25 per cent of a student's grade, while a reading quiz may
be worth only 10 per
cent. Download Grades link 2210 provides instructors the ability to download a
Gradebook 2200 to a
spreadsheet where, for example, they can use their own formulas for
calculating students' grades.
Once those grades have been calculated, they can be uploaded into Gradebook
2200 using Upload
Grades link 2212. Link 2214 can be use to sort various gradebook 2200 items
based on various
criteria, such as category, date added, position or title. Link 2216 can be
used to filter gradebook 2200
items by various categories. For example, an instructor may want to view only
items in the Exam
category. Finally, link 2218 can be used allow an instructor to filter users
by last name.
Selection of Course Statistics link 1666 in the assessment area displays a web
page that
enables the instructor to set parameters and view certain statistics for their
course. Some instructors
may want to analyze their class by how much their on-line materials are being
accessed, but very few
have the opportunity to take the time or the effort to determine these
numbers. By using the course
statistics web page 2300 shown in FIGs. 23A and 23B, the system provides a
rich tool set for
instructors to evaluate the relative statistics of their courses. These
statistics may be valuable for
evaluating on-line versus non-on-line courses to determine the relative
efficacy of on-line materials
and how they are enhancing the course. The Course Statistics web page has
input fields for selecting a
report filter, which will yield a report with Overall Summary of Course Usage,
Main Content Areas
report, Communication Areas Report, Group Areas Report, or Student Areas
Report. A time period
must be specified, which may be all dates or between a begin and an end date.
The users must be
selected, which will be either all users or a selected subset thereof. Other
options include Total
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Number of Access per Area 2302, Number of Accesses over Time 2304, User
Accesses per Hour of
Day 2306 or Day of Week 2308, and Total Accesses by User 2310. The data,
charts and graphs as
shown in FIGs. 23A and 23B will then be displayed to the instructor.
5 Support
Finally, Support area 1614 sets forth links that will provide the instructor
with various types
of help. The On-line Support link 1670 will retrieve a web page with contact
info for sending an e-
mail to a support person. Selecting the On-line Manual link 1668 will retrieve
an HTML based
Instructor Manual in a separate browser window. Selecting the Contact System
Administrator link
10 1672 will bring up a web page with contact info for sending an e-mail to
an administrative contact.
Administrator Functionality
The System Admin tab 2401 provides various portal areas where a system
administrator can
perform various administrative functions. Courses area 2414 permits an
administrator to perform
15 various operation s with regard to a course. List / Modify Courses 2402
permits searching by a Course
ID (or a few characters e.g., MEDI), Instructor (by User id or Name) or a key
word in the Title or
Course Description. Once created by using link 2436, courses can also be
modified by using link
2402.
Create Course link 2436 permits a course to be created. A Create Course web
page 2900 is
20 shown in FIG. 29. The administrator will enter the requested information
about the desired course;
e.g., the course name, and ID, and a textual description on the web page. The
administrator can then
specify properties of the buttons that will be used along with the course to
match his aesthetic
concerns. The administrator can then specify various options, such as the
subject area of the course,
whether guests may access the course, if the course is currently available, if
a course cartridge may be
25 obtained and its URL and access key, and the instructor ID for the
course.
Batch Create Courses link 2404 allows an administrator to add large numbers of
courses.
Using a batch file, courses are entered into system 100 quickly and without
having to go through the
Create Course 2436 link to add each course. Similarly, Batch Enroll Users in a
Course link 2406
allows an administrator enroll large numbers of users into one or more
courses.
30 Remove Course link 2408 allows an administrator to remove a course from
system 100. Copy
Course link 2410 creates a new course from an existing course. This link is
useful when creating a
new course that covers much of the same material or if the same course is
offered under different
Course Ms. An administrator may choose which course areas to copy, so not all
course materials
needs to transfer to the new course. Import Course link 2412 can be used to
insert packaged course
35 materials into a new course. Administrators create archive files,
optionally saved in .ZIP format, from
the Export Course link 2416 permits achived course materials to be imported to
an existing course.
Exporting a course does not remove the course from system 100. The Archive
Course link 2418 can
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be used to create a record of a course, optionally including user
interactions. A course can be archived
to recall student performance or interactions at later time. The archive can
be saved as a .ZIP file.
Restore Course link 2420 permits the archived course to be restored to its pre-
archived condition.
Settings link 2422 may lead to a menu of functions (not shown) that may be
used to define parameters
for all the courses on system 100. Images and Icons link 2424 permits an icon
theme to be selected.
Catalog link 2426 can be activated to bring up a list of courses offered in a
particular subject area of
discipline.
Organizations area 2428 provides functionality and links very similar to those
provided in
Courses area 2414. Organizations are 2428 may hold content and tools for
institutional communities
outside the scope of academic learning or training. Clubs, sports teams, and
service organizations are
all examples of communities that may benefit from their own Organization web
site. In addition,
Discussion Boards link 2430 enables an administrator to create and manage a
Discussion Board that
may appear for an organization. Messages may be posted on the Discussion Board
that may be of
interest to an entire organization. FIG. 25, generally at 2500, is an example
of a page that can be used
in connection with Organizations area 2428.
Users area 2432 provides a list / modify, create and batch processing
capabilities similar to
those provided for Courses area. For example, Create User link 2433 can take
an administrator to a
web page such as shown in FIGs. 30A and 30B, which enables an administrator to
create a user by
entering personal information, such as name, address, etc., and a user name
and password. The access
level of the user may be set at this time, which may be a Student, Faculty,
Staff, Alumni, Guest, etc.
Also, the user may be given an administrative access level at this point by
selecting the appropriate
option that is available, such as, None, System Admin, System Support, Course
Creator, Account
Admin). The role of the user will determine the access and control of the
system that the user will
have as explained throughout this document. Once a user is created, the Manage
User web page
allows listing, modification, and/or removal of users. The User Utilities link
2456 allows the system
administrator to Batch Create Users, which will cause the uploading of a file
of user data in
predefined formats compatible with the system), Batch Enroll Users, which will
cause the importing
of a file to enroll users in courses and clubs that exist in the system), and
Batch Remove Users, which
will cause the importing of a file to remove users from the system).
In addition, Observer Management link 2434 permits users having a role of an
observer to be
managed. Observers are users who can view the same content as a user, but
cannot modify or interact
with content. The observer role can be used to let parents of a student or an
academic advisor monitor
progress.
Portal area 2437 allows an administrator to manage various system 100 tabs by
using Manage
Tabs link 2438. Standard tabs appear in various FIGs., such as FIG. 24 at
2402, and are used to
navigate the screen displays in a conventional manner. Manage Tabs link 2438
allows an
administrator to add tabs, rearrange the ordering of tabs on a particular
display, or assign a particular
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functionality to a particular user or role. For example, privileges can be
applied to roles so that, for
example, users with a system role of Alumni could have access to a completely
different set of
common areas than users with a system role of Staff or Faculty. The Manage
Tool Panel link 2440
allows an administrator to control how a tool, such as an external link,
appears within a display. This
link can be used to control the name and display position of an external link.
In System Options area 2442, from Manage System Extensions link 2444, an
administrator
can manage system extensions or plug-ins, as discussed with regard to FIGs. 45-
51 herein. System
Reporting link 2446 allows an administrator to monitor or review system usage.
For example, a
standard report can be provided that provides information on the number of
courses, number of users,
overall usage, and cumulative hits. An advanced reporting capability can also
be provided that enables
institutions to use data from predefined fields in a separate database,
optionally dedicated to system
data and/or statistics, to create and tailor reports to meet their specific
needs. These reports assist in
understanding and analyzing use of the system and can report information such
as when different
types of users access the system, how they use the system, and if the system
improves student
performance. Standard and advanced reports may also be exported and viewed as
a text file or in a
spreadsheet program.
System Config Info link 2448 can be invoked to display the date that the
latest system 100
software was installed, the last date system 100 software was updated, and the
current version of the
system 100 software. This information is useful in determining if system 100
is running the latest
patch or upgrade release.
Logs link 2450 can be provided to generate a number of logs to help an
administrator with
performance tuning, troubleshooting, and tracking matters. For example, a Send
System Logs (not
shown) feature can be provided that enables an administrator to view a log,
without having to access
the application file system on the Web/application server 1040 (shown in FIG.
1B). In addition, or
alternatively, a Manage Log Rotation tool (not shown) can be provided that
creates an archive file of
all logs. Administrators can list Announcements by a post date, a user name
who posted the
announcement.
Tools area 2452 permits an administrator to perform various operation s with
regard
announcements, calendars and e-mail. Announcements link 2454, upcoming and
past events can be
viewed daily, weekly, or monthly. Announcements link 2454 allows an
administrator to add, modify,
and/or delete messages from the institution on an Announcements page, such as
shown in FIG. 5.
Messages posted from the Announcements function on the can also optionally
appear in an
Announcements section of course Web sites, such as shown in FIG. 5 at 510.
Institution Calendar link
2456 allows an administrator to manage institution events through an
Institution Calendar, such as
shown in FIG. 27 at 2700. From An event posted to Institution Calendar 2700,
shown in FIG. 27, will
display in all system 100 calendars. Administrators may specify a weekly,
monthly, or yearly view.
Send E-Mail link 2458 allows an administrator to e-mail lists instructors,
students, or all users.
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At Security and Integration area 2460, SSL Choice link 2462 can be chosen to
have the
system utilize the Secure Socket Layer (SSL). If server 1038 (FIG. 1B) is
configured to support SSL,
then the communication between users and system 100 can be configured using
SSL Choice link
2462. SSL Choice link 2462 also optionally allows an administrators to
determine if none, all, or
some of the system 100 is secured with SSL.
Authentication Config link 2464 allows an administrator to view the
authentication
configuration of system 100. The authentication configuration allows an
administrator, or system 100,
with varying degrees of certainty and attendant security, to ascertain that a
user logging in to system
100 is who the user purports to be.
Manage Context Encryption Key 2466 allows an administrator to set and use
context passing
APIs to allow system 100 to pass data to URLs requiring that data in a query
string. For example, with
system 100, the last portion of a URLs for a course can be
/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=
<unique_id>, where the <unique_id> is a variable that may be passed using the
context passing
APIs. Context passing is useful when implementing system 100 extensions that
require content from
system 100 to generate a URL. Base64Encoding can be used. For enhanced
security, CryptixTM may
be used to protect the transfer of possibly sensitive data.
The Integration Password link 2468 is link that allows an administrator to
change a password
for an integration user. An integration user is a user account that is used by
snapshot 1024 (FIG. 1B)
and/or data integration APIs to process operations from a client machine
using, for example, Simple
Object Access Protocol (SOAP).
Customize Login Page link 2470 allows an administrator to download login page
templates
supplied with system 100 and configure them for their particular application.
Customize User Profile 2472 link allows an administrator to rename data fields
for user
accounts. In particular, the labels of the fields that store data can be
changed, and an administrator can
select whether or not users can view and edit data for each field. Once
changes are made, they will
appear on display screens and be presented to users. For example, if the name
of default field named
"Student ID" field is changed to "IdentificationTm", the field name will
appear as "IdentificationTM"
for all system displays.
User Privileges link 2474 allows an administrator to set the privileges
assigned to system 100
roles, such as Student, Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Observer, and the
like. For example, User
Privileges link 2474 can take an administrator to a display (not shown) where
a list of the privileges
assigned to each role is provided, and allow the administrator to edit each
privilege to include or
exclude roles.
System Settings link 2476 allows an administrator to customize the appearance
of a top
frame, such as shown at 2490. For example, an administrator can select or
provide a primary image
for the institution 2491 can be added to the top frame, and the color of the
background and text can be
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set. Also, the shape and colors of the navigation tabs 2401, 2403a, 2403b,
2403c and 2403d can be
changed.
Gateway Options link 2478 allows an administrator to change the gateway page
(not shown),
which is the first page that a user sees when accessing system 100. An
exemplary gateway page will
allow a user top login to system 100, and optionally direct the user to a
course catalog (such as shown
in FIG. 6 at 612),
Assistance area 2479 can be used by users to gain access to support services
or information,
such as an Online Admin Manual 2480, an Online Support Site 2482, and a
Designate Local Support
Contact 2484.
Other Utilities and Functions
One of the key elements to college and university life is the ability to
socialize and take
advantage of the human element on campus. The system's "Community" tab 2502
provides the web
page 2500 shown in FIG. 25, which allows students to interact and be involved
in all aspects of
campus life from fraternities and sororities to off-campus communities that
enhance the learning
experience. Many campuses also provide rich services such as job availability
through the community
function. The Community center is the web equivalent of the student union
building.
Most students are so conversant in on-line services that they prefer to have
all campus
administrative services available on the web. The system provides an
enterprise level teaching and
learning system that allows tight integration into student information systems
and other campus
systems to provide anytime, anywhere administrative services. The Services web
page 2600 shown in
FIG. 26, selected by tab 2602, enables users to register, add, drop, check
records, or even pay parking
tickets while on-line at anytime.
The system also provides a calendar 2700 that incorporates personal as well as
institutional
information in a single view, as shown in FIG. 27. The calendar utility gives
students and teachers
access to all calendar events for each of the courses they are enrolled in, as
well as institutional
calendar events.
Since e-mail is a popular application on the Internet today, and the leading
reason that many
people purchase personal computers, e-mail has been integrated with the
system, as shown by the web
page 2800 in FIG. 28. Within a personalized home page, the user will be able
to access complete e-
mail capabilities. The e-mail system may utilize a standard Post Office
Protocol (POP) or Internet
Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, and offer a web-based front end so that
the user may access
messages from any machine at any time.
FIGs. 31 and 32 show web pages 3100 and 3200 that can be accessed by tab 3102
to provide
links that allow students and teachers to find and access academic resources
and content. These
resources are also context-sensitive to the course discipline. For example, if
one accesses the
academic web resources from an accounting course, he/she is automatically
directed to news and
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information sources that are relevant to accounting. The user has access to
news, web links, reference
works, and search engines that enhance the ability to locate relevant
information quickly.
In another aspect of the invention, provided is a system and method for
applying E-commerce
to education. Specifically, this aspect of the invention allows users visiting
a web site to register and
5 pay for courses provided by a college, university, or other institution.
FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating information passed from a course
registration server to a
payment server. As a current or prospective student reviews courses offered by
a college, university,
or other institution, a student may add courses of interest to a list, or
"shopping cart".
When a student has selected courses for which they would like to register, a
student may
10 proceed from a registration or review area (Block 100) to a "checkout"
area (Block 110), as illustrated
in FIG. 34. When a student proceeds to a checkout, information, such as, but
not limited to, name,
address, cost of courses, order identifier, order description, and a page to
which a user is to be
returned when an order is complete, is passed on. Information passed from a
registration or review
area may be used to generate a payment form.
15 FIG. 35, generally at 3500, shows a sample of a payment form. A payment
form may consist
of an introductory paragraph 3502, a purchase summary 3504, and a payment
information area 3506.
An introductory paragraph 3502 may be used to instruct a student in
requirements at each stage of the
payment process. A purchase summary 3504 may include services and products
selected, per-unit
prices, quantities requested, inventory numbers for each product or service
selected, an invoice or
20 purchase number, a total price, and other, similar information.
A payment information area 3506 can be used to collect payment information
from a student.
A student may be required to enter some information manually, such as, but not
limited to, credit card
type, credit card number, credit card expiration date, name on credit card,
credit card billing address,
check number, checking account number, bank routing number, debit card number,
and personal
25 identification number ("PINT code").
If a student has previously used the present invention, some information may
be automatically
entered based on previously submitted forms. Information transferred from a
registration server may
also be used to fill in some form fields. When a student has reviewed entered
information, a form may
be submitted for processing by activating a button or other interface element.
30 FIG. 36 at 3600 shows a block diagram illustrating interaction between a
payment server and
a payment validation server. After a student has entered necessary information
into a payment form
and submitted the form (Block 3602), some information, such as, but not
limited to, amount of
purchase, credit card number, name on credit card, check number, bank routing
number, or billing
address, may be transmitted to a payment validation server (Block 3604). A
payment validation server
35 may be maintained as part of the present invention, or payment
validation servers may be maintained
by one or more third parties, such as, but not limited to, CyberCash, Inc.
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A payment validation server processes transmitted information, contacts a bank
or other
institution issuing the credit card or other payment form, and verifies that a
payment of the amount
requested is authorized. If payment of the requested amount is authorized,
authorization information,
including, but not limited to, a confirmation number, may be transmitted to a
payment server. If
payment of the specified amount is not authorized, other information, such as
a declination code, may
be transmitted to a payment server. If payment is not authorized, a payment
error message similar to
that shown at 3606 may be displayed. FIG. 37 at 3700 shows a sample of a
payment information page.
A student may print or otherwise record information displayed on a payment
information page for his
or her records. A payment information page can include a thank you,
confirmation, or other message
as shown at 3702. A payment information page may also include information such
as, but not limited
to, confirmation or declination information; goods, services, and classes
purchased;, and total price
charged as shown at 3704. In addition, a payment information page may include
a button or other
interface element which a user can activate to continue processing. The exact
behavior of this
interface element may be determined by the referring system through the URL or
other data element
which is illustrated in FIG. 34.
FIG. 38 at 3800 shows a block diagram illustrating post-order processing. As
previously
stated, a payment information page may also contain a button or other
interface element which, when
activated, causes a web page to be displayed or performs other processing
steps. Activating the button
or interface element may also cause some authorization/ declination
information to be transferred to a
college, university, or other institution's accounting department for
processing as shown at 3802.
Open Web Environment
The present invention may be used as an open platform environment, where
anyone with
access to the Internet may register as an instructor to create, administer,
and make available a course
to anyone else with Internet access. Thus, by entering a publicly available
web-site such as
www.blackboard.com, a user may register as an instructor and be provided with
an instructor control
panel for creating course as described herein. To create the course, the user
will define course
parameters, such as a description, enrollment options, announcements,
assessments, and course
materials, etc., and provide them in the various web pages as described above.
The user can then let
others know about the availability of the course on-line, and a potential
student may access the
publicly available web site to enroll in the course. In this manner, anyone
can create a virtual
classroom without the need to be affiliated with an institution, and
disseminate knowledge through the
course as previously unavailable.
Semi-Structured Content, and Flexible Text Handlers
FIG. 39 shows an exemplary text editor 3900 that can be used in connection
with the present
invention. Text editor 3900 can be used by an instructor, for example, to add
content to a course, as
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indicated at pulldown menu 3910. Course Documents shown at pulldown menu 3910
can correspond
to Course Documents button 1078 shown in FIG. 10. At field 3912, a user, such
as an instructor, can
also optionally specify his/her own name for content that is to be added.
In operation, a user can type in ASCII text, such as "This is an equation
placeholder:", as
shown in FIG. 39. The user can then click on a text tool icon, such as those
shown at 3902 and 3904
to add text that is not natively supported by text editor 3900. When a user
clicks on icon 3902, for
example, the user may be taken to a graphic equation editor. If the user
clicks on icon 3904, the user
may be taken to a raw.text editor. In this particular case, icons 3902 and
3904 are associated with a
text tool, such as WebEqTM Equation Editor 4000, as shown in FIG. 40, although
the icons can
generally be associated with any editor or secondary application program.
Preview icon 3906 can be
used to view a display of the rendered display of text editor 3900 and a text
tool 4000 such as shown
in FIG. 40, as will be described herein. The data in text box 3916 can be
referred to as a template, or
template data.
A text editor 3900 can render one or more text tools, such as WebEqTM Equation
Editor 4000.
Text tools 4000 can be used as the editors for raw data blocks associated with
a particular text tool
4000. Raw data blocks will typically not be known to text editor 3900. Each
raw data block will
generally have a unique identification ("id"), corresponding to or associated
with "some_id," and a
type, corresponding to or associate with a "type-spec," that associates the
raw data with a text tool
3900.
FIG. 40 shows an exemplary text tool that can be used in connection with the
present
invention. By using a text tool such as shown in FIG. 40, the user can choose
an existing equation as
generically existing data which has been previously created, from pulldown
menu 4004. The user can
also type in a new equation name in "Equation Name:" field 4006 which
represents generically new
information in the generic text. The user can use toolbar 4008 to add and/or
edit an equation, such as
equation 4002. Additional toolbars (not shown) that follow this scheme can
also be provided. When
the user has finished editing the equation 4002, the "Add" icon 4010 can be
pressed or activated to
save the equation or generically new information.
The present invention includes logic and/or data structures that can map or
associate equation
4002 with text editor 3900. In particular, the "<@ @[0I"SummationExample "I1]@
@>" shown at
3920 in FIG. 39 is a placeholder that maps or associates equation 4002 with
text editor 3900. The
particular syntax of the "<@ @[01"SummationExample "11 ]@ @>" placeholder in
FIG. 39 is not
important to the system and method of the present invention. What the present
invention provides is a
mapping or association between text, such as an equation, typed in a text tool
4000, such as WebEqTM
Equation Editor, and a specific text editor such as the one at 3900. The
mapping enables text editor
3900 to render the text entered by the user directly in text editor 3900 and
the text entered by the user
in a text tool 4000, such as shown in FIG. 40.
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FIG. 41, generally at 4100, shows a rendered version 4102 of the "This is an
equation
placeholder:" typed in by a user in FIG. 39, and equation 4002 input by the
user using text tool 4000.
In general, elements within @X@ delimiters can be a pointer to data associated
with a text tool 4000,
that is displayed to a user in a text box (or template) 3916 and/or a rendered
display such as shown in
FIG. 41.
FIG. 42, generally at 4200, shows text editor 3900's processing template data
shown in text
box 3916. The "This is a template. Here is a" at 4202 shown in text box 3916
is entered by a user.
In an embodiment, the @X@ delimiters can be placeholders for elements, stored
as presentation data
in database 1020 shown in FIG. 1B and/or database 140 shown in FIG. 1C, that
can be displayed to
the user. The link("link") between the @X@ delimiters is a placeholder
inserted by a text tool 3902 or
3904. The placeholder can be a pointer to the data associated with a text tool
4000.
Still referring to text box 3916 of FIG. 42, the "to additional data. Here is
a custom text
object:" is also entered by a user. The data associated with
"content_block(some_id, type-spec)"
can be raw data, such as equation 4002, associated with a text tool 3902, 3904
that can be stored for
run-time resolution and displayed to the user. There may be one or more raw
data blocks that
correspond to, or are associated with a "content_block." When a user submits,
for example, an
HTML web form, presentation data can be queried from each provider on one or
more servers
because each "content_block(some_id, type-spec)" can represent an identifier
that can be
generated by text editor 3900. "some_id" can represent a pointer to the data,
and "type-spec" can
refer to the application, such as a WebEQTM Equation Editor associated with
the data.
In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, template
3916 can also
be used to retain positioning information of the text without having to know
details of the individual
text type's presentation format. As used herein, positioning information
pertains to the positioning of
the rendered (displayed) or printed output, such as shown in FIG. 41. In FIG.
41, equation 4002 (FIG.
40), is positioned at 4102 where the placeholder appears in the template.
In practice, the rendering engine for the WebEQTM Equation Editor 4000 may be
a standard
Applet. In general, finding an Applet reference and parsing its relevant data
is more complex than
simply providing a placeholder that contains pointer information to where the
raw data associated
with the WebEQTM Equation Editor 4000, physically resides, such as a file
location. Text tools 3902
and/or 3904 can also use a syntax, structure or format other than
"content_block(some_id, type-
spec)" to achieve the stated objectives and still be within the scope of the
present invention.
The contents of template 3916 shown in FIG. 42 (or any template 3916) may be
converted,
optionally at save time, into pure, or substantially pure, renderable HTML, an
example of which is
shown below:
<P>This is a template. Here is a @X@Iink("link")@X@ to
additional data. Here is a custom text object: <applet code=
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"webeq.Main" archive= "webeq.jar"><param name= "eq"
value="<mathml>...</mathml>"></applet>
The " @ X @content_block(some _id, type spec) @X@" shown in FIG. 42
corresponds to
the "<applet code= "webeq.Main" archive= "webeq.jar"><param name= "eq"
value="<mathml>...</mathml>"></applet>" above.
The schema could also be converted by creating an additional text/Character
Large Object
(CLOB) field referred to as raw_data, to store the structured data in, for
example, XML format, as
shown below:
<bb:contentData>
<bb:template>This is a template. Here is a @X@Iink("link")@X@ to
additional data. Here is a custom text object: @X@content_block( some_id,
type_spec )@X@.</bb:template>
<bb:rawBlock id="some_id" type="type_spec">
<x:mathml> </x:mathml>
</bb:rawBlock>
</bb:contentData>
As shown in the XML code above, the "content_block(some jd, type_spec)" is an
implementation of a mapping and interpretation of what has been put in place
by text tool 4000.
Generally, smaller raw data blocks that can be associated with equation 4002
or its equivalent. Raw
data blocks can be provided for association with one or more text tools 3902
and 3904 associated
therewith. For example, a WebEqTM Equation Editor shown in FIG. 40 can be used
with a
Mathematical Markup Language (MathMLTm).
The use of "structured data" generally provides a way to abstract content data
in a manner that
allows or facilitates arbitrary or substantially arbitrary data formats to be,
for example, embedded in
content objects. In a web-based learning system, this can include data
entities such as Course
Documents, Announcements and/or Assessment Questions. Systems other than web-
based learning
systems may implement this structural data.
In an embodiment of the present invention, declarative data can be stored on a
server, such as
server 1050 shown in FIG. I B or core subsystems 150 shown in FIG. 1C. The
declarative data will
interact with (or utilize) one or more Application Program Interfaces (APIs)
on web browser 120
shown in FIG. 1C using, for example, JavaScript, that allows text editor 3900
to be integrated into
system 100.
= 35 FIG. 43, generally at 4300, provides an exemplary data layout for a
text tool 4000. The
"Presentation Data (main_data)" shown at 4302 can be viewed as a translated
template that can be
stored in a database, such as database 1020 shown in FIG. 1B, and displayed to
a user. The "Raw
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Data (raw_data)" shown at 4304 in conjunction with raw block "(some_id, type-
spec)" 4306 maps
to or corresponds with the XML representation described above.
In an embodiment of the present invention using a secondary text editor 4000,
the processing
model as described above can perform or substantially perform the template-to-
presentation
5 transformation. When a template with raw data is submitted, text editor
3900, with attached raw data,
provides a presentation representation, which is inserted into a primary
presentation stream. Thus,
with regard to FIGs. 42-43 above, an exemplary processing method in accordance
with the present
invention is shown in FIG. 44.
Referring to FIG. 44, at step 4402, a user submits a form such as shown in
FIG. 39 in any
10 known conventional manner. For example, the user can click on an Add
icon or button 4010 such as
shown in FIG. 40. In addition or alternatively, a user can click on preview
icon 3906, which can
display another Add icon (not shown) for the user to click.
At step 4404, logic in text editor 3900 begins processing the template, such
as shown at 4304
in FIG. 43. At step 4406, when a raw data identifier is reached, such as the
@X@ delimiter, the
15 processor can use the identifier, such as "some_id," as indicated by,
for example, the "type-spec"
specifier to look up the associated raw data.
At step 4408, the raw data is passed to the associated type-specific editor
3902, 3904, which
provides, for example, a getPresentationFormat() method.
At step 4410, the return of the getPresentationFormat() method is inserted
into a
20 presentation stream for display, such as shown at 4302 in FIG. 43.
Thereafter, at step 4412, the data is
formatted for display, as shown in FIG. 44. FIG. 41 shows the resulting data
4102 that is rendered
from the data referenced by placeholder 3920.
Declaring Security Attributes in Modular, Extensible Components
25 One or more embodiments of the present invention also provide a
mechanism to extend
system functionality by including security attributes for the hyperlinks. More
particularly, one or more
embodiments of the present invention can be deployed in a web-based
environment, in which
administrators (or others) may remotely upload (or otherwise provide) system
100 package(s) that
contain a descriptor, called a manifest. As known to those skilled in the Java
programming language,
30 a manifest is a member file inside a Java Archive File (JAR) file that
describes the contents of the
JAR archive. Other analogous or similar techniques can be used in other high
level programming
languages.
In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a framework for
developing external
applications and "hooking" them directly into system 100 is provided. More
specifically, the APIs
35 1040e (FIG. 1B) provide application program interfaces for packaging and
deploying extensions
1040d within system 1000. The APIs 1040e allow, for example, third-party
vendors, developers, and
institutions to build extensions 1040d, such as new applications, extend
existing technologies, and
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integrate them into system 1000. In one or more embodiments of the present
invention, APIs 1040e
allow third parties to provide extensions 1040d (FIG. 1B) that enhance system
1000 functionality. The
API's facilitate installation of the plug-ins 4514 into system 1000 for use in
areas such as course
announcements, documents and membership, security, calendars, announcements
and gradebooks, as
will be subsequently discussed. An extension 1040d can be developed utilizing
the Java Servlet 2.2.x
specification, which is incorporated herein by reference. In one or more
embodiments of the present
invention, extensions 1040d can be a collection of JavaServer Pages (JSP)
(plug-ins). However, any
individual(s) or organization(s) can develop the plug-ins. This feature of the
present invention
advantageously enables third parties to provide additional functionality that
can be integrated with
system 1000 in a manner that does not impact or affect system 100 development
cycles.
As used herein, an exemplary plug-in can be implemented as a set of scripts
that are installed
on server 161 shown in FIG. 1C or on server 1040 at Extension 1040d shown in
FIG 1B. The scripts
may be invoked via Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). Plug-ins generally access
to the supported
APIs, and may query or modify any data accessible via these interfaces.
Scripts, such as a
configuration script and a launch script, can be utilized as entry points for
managing and interacting
with plug-ins.
One or more embodiments of the present invention utilize, for example, a
standard Java
manifest to include (or contain) information about the hyperlinks available
within the extension(s)
1040d provided to system 1000. Once the manifest is installed, the system 100
shown in FIGs. IA and
1C, and system 1000 shown in FIG. 1B, can utilize those requirements provided
in the manifest by,
for example, evaluating the role of the user accessing a particular hyperlink.
In one or more embodiments, each link entry in a manifest can contain
information about user
roles that determine whether the user has access to a hyperlink. Standard
hyperlinks are used on
various FIGs. of the present application, such as FIG. 11 at hyperlinks 1102,
1104, and FIG. 16 at
hyperlinks 1616, 1618, 1620, 1622, 1624, and 1626. Other hyperlinks on these
and other FIGs. are too
numerous to cite individually, but are considered within the scope of the
present invention.
FIG. 45 shows an exemplary embodiment of data entities that can be used in
accordance one
or more embodiments of the present invention to model plug-ins 4514 and how
they relate to both
functional subsystems, and user interface components. The data entities are as
follows:
Role. A role 4502 is an attribute assigned to users of system 100, 1000 that
determines the
user's access rights with respect to the system 100, 1000. Alternatively, or
in addition, system 100,
1000 is provided a level of security with respect to a user's role. Exemplary
roles are provided as
follows:
A ¨ User Administrator
C ¨ Course Administrator
H ¨ System Support
0 ¨ Observer
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S ¨ Support
Y ¨ Portal Administrator
Z ¨ System Admin
B ¨ Course Builder
I ¨ Instructor
T ¨ Teacher's Assistant
Navigation Item. An exemplary navigation item 4508 can be defined as data that
pertains to
or describes a hyperlink that is recognized by and/or can be stored in
connection with system 100,
1000. Navigation Items 4508 model the navigation framework of system 100,
1000. They can be used
to render links to various system 100, 1000 web pages, as well as render the
'entry points' for plug-ins
4514. As used herein, an entry point is a hyperlink that can be rendered as
part of an uploaded (or
otherwise installed) system extension. Plug-ins 4514 should be recorded and
tracked in a standard
registry for administrative control. A view of the registry can be used to
render the entry points for
each plug-in's configuration scripts.
Navigation items can be stored in system 100, 1000, such as at database 1020
shown in FIG.
1B. For example, once the system 100, 1000 has a manifest installed by using
plug-in manager 1014
shown in FIG. 1B, database 1020 may be updated to indicate one or more
hyperlinks, and the roles
associated with the hyperlinks.
Navigation Item Definition. A navigation item definition 4506 is a description
of a navigation
item contained in a manifest. Each navigation item definition can contain
information pertaining to
the navigation item, and roles that are allowed to access the navigation item.
With respect to the
sample code shown below, an embodiment of the navigation item definition can
include, for example,
a link label (indicated by lines (al) and (a2) below) that indicates a new URL
is being provided
(indicated by line (c) below), a description of the plug-in (indicated by
lines (b 1) and (b2) below), and
role information (indicated by line (d) below).
In addition, the navigation item definition 4506 can include a type value
(indicated by line (e)
below) that indicates the type of the tool, such as a communication tool, a
system tool, and the like.
Line (f) below can include a string indicating the vendor (in this case, Bb)
and the vendor's name for
the tool (in this case, Sample Explicit Roles Tool). Line (g) below can
indicated the vendor's name for
the plug-in handle that can be used with a particular manifest syntax, as will
be described herein.
Finally, lines (h1)-(h3) below can provide a standard container element for
individual icon definitions.
Icons provide additional visual context in the application, and allow plug-ins
4514 to be branded
within the look and feel of system 100, 1000. Plug-ins 4514 can optionally
provide a set of icons for
each content handler they support. Collaboration plug-ins can provide a single
set of icons.
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<link> (al)
<type value="system_tool:system_tools"/> (e)
<name value="Bb Sample Explicit Roles Tool"/> (f)
<handle value="system_tool_with_roles_hook"/> (g)
<roles value="Z,H" /> (d)
<url value="links/tool2.jsp?mode=73" I> (c)
<description value= (bl)
"Demonstrates adding tools to the system administration panel' I> (b2)
<icons> (h1)
<listitem value="images/icon.gif"/> (h2)
</icons> (h3)
</link> (a2)
Entitlement. Entitlement 4504 is one of the security attributes required to
access a given
navigation item 4508. An entitlement encodes a specific operation for a type
of object. For example,
the entitlement of course.MODIFY can indicate that the user can modify the
properties of a given
course object.
Content Handlers. A content handler 4512 is an entity that ties content to a
script processor,
and by extension, custom business logic. A plug-in 4514 may define one or more
content handlers
4512. There are 'built-in' handlers that system 100, 1000 uses to manage the
basic content of a
course. Content handlers 4512 can also be capable of over-riding the built-in
content handlers.
Content handlers 4512 have a 'handle' that is used to associate the content
handler 4512 with,
for example, course documents. The handle may be a semi-descriptive string
identifier that can be
similar to, for example, a MIME type identifier. Handles can also be used in
the import/export process
to determine the type of a resource in the exported course package.
Handles can define a course document's 'type,' such as a .pdf file or a .doc
file, and are
preserved even if a content handler 4512 is not installed on the system, or
has been removed. This
means that content can advantageously be re-associated with a handler if one
is removed, or imported
into a system that does not have the content handler 4512 installed. The
content is preserved so that a
handler can be installed at a later time.
Manifest. A manifest 4510 is a member file inside a Java Archive File (JAR)
file that
describes the contents of the JAR archive. The manifest is a record of the
plug-in 4514 and its
components.
To install a manifest file, a JAR file is uploaded or otherwise provided to
system 100, 1000.
Plug-in manager 1014 (FIG. 1B) can read the package definition, which can be
done in a conventional
manner. For each navigation item definition 4506 in the package, system 100,
1000 can read any
required roles, create a new entitlement for appropriate users, and link
required roles to new
entitlements. Any new entitlements and linkage of roles to new entitlements
can be stored in database
1020 in a format such as shown in FIG. 46 at 4600. Either a flat file database
or a relational database
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can be used. The result is that the security structure of the system is
dynamically modified and/or
adapted to accommodate the contents of a JAR file.
An example of a formal composition of a manifest is as follows:
<manifest> 4 <plugin>
<plugin> 4 <name><deployment><handle><description>
<vendor><version><requires>
<http-actions><Iinks>?
<content-handlers>?<application-defs>?
<module-defs>?<permissions>?
<deployment> 4 none I ( webapp I module )*
<vendor> 4 <id><name><urI><description>
<name> 4 string
<id> 4 string
<url> 4 fully qualified url
<description> 4 string
<version> 4 string of the form n.n.n, where n is a non-negative
number,
e.g., 1Ø1
<requires> 4 <bbversion>
<bbversion> 4 string of the form n.n.n, where n is a non-negative
number,
e.g., 1Ø1. Corresponds to the required Blackboard version
(e.g., 5.5.0)
<http-actions> -> (<config><remove>?) I (<create><modify><remove>)
<config> 4 relative path
<remove> 4 relative path
<create> 4 relative path
<modify> -> relative path
<icons> 4 (<1istitem>l<toolbar>)+
<listitem> 4 relative path
<toolbar> 4 relative path
<content-handlers> 4 <content-handler>+
<content-handler> 4 <name><handle><http-actions><icons>
<links> 4 <type><name><urI><description><icons>
<type> 4 tool I communication
<roles> 4AICIHIOISIYIZIBIIIT
<application-defs> -> <application>+
<application> 4 <handle><name><Iabel><app-type><Iinks><use-ssl>?<can-
allow-guest>?<large-icon><can-relabel>?
<app-type> 4 system I course I shared
<use-ssl> 4 true I false
<can-allow-guest> 4 true I false
<can-relabel> 4 true I false
<large-icon> 4 relative path
<module-defs> -> <module>+1<rss-channel>+1<module-type>+
<module> 4 <type><isadmin><useraddable><isdeletable><title>
<rss-channel> -> <data-ur1><Iink-url>
<module-type> 4 <jsp-dir><jsp>
<jsp> 4 <view><edit><admin>
<permissions> 4 <permission>
<permission> 4 <name><actions>
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The table below describes the relationship between the manifest definition,
and the XML used
to encode the manifest. The following table thus describes the format of an
XML file that, for
example, a third party or other developer could provide as part of a JAR.
Table 1. XML Binding
Element Attributes Description Contains
manifest None Root element plugin
plugin Container element for the plug-in name, handle,
description,
definition. version, requires,
vendor,
http-actions, content-
handlers, links
name Value Name of the plug-in
handle Value Plug-in handle. The vendor id, plug-in
handle, and plug-in version uniquely
identify plug-ins in a system.
description Value A description of the plug-in
vendor None Element containing vendor information id, name,
url, description
id Value Four-character id for the vendor
assigned by Blackboard
name Value Vendor name.
url Value Vendor web site URL.
description Value A description of the vendor
version Value String indicating version. This should be
of the form major.minor.patch. All
components should be numeric.
requires Indicates system requirements. bbversion
Bbversion is the Blackboard product
version.
bbversion Value Blackboard product version required for
plug-in.
icons None Container element for individual icon
definitions
toolbar Value Definition for a tool bar icon. Currently
not used in the application.
listitem Value Definition for a list item icon.
Value is a relative path to the icon file. It
is evaluated in the same manner as the
script path.
content- The collection of content-handler
handlers objects.
content- An entity for managing custom content name, handle,
http-actions,
handle types. icons
links The collection of links used to define link
student/instructor tools and
communication tools.
link Defines the entry point for the plug-in if it type,
name, url,
provides a 'tool' description, icons
type Value Defines the type of tool. Value is one of
communication or tool
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Element Attributes Description Contains
url Value Defines the link to render for the tool.
The link may include template
information, as defined in the Context
Passing specification.
roles Value Defines roles that may have access to
this link. Possible values include:
A ¨ User Administrator
C ¨ Course Administrator
H ¨ System Support
0 ¨ Observer
S ¨ Support
Y ¨ Portal Administrator
Z ¨ System Admin
B ¨ Course Builder
I ¨ Instructor
T ¨ Teacher's Assessment
http-actions Defines the collections of HTTP scripts Create,
modify, remove,
that can be invoked for particular config
functions.
create Value Used to create custom content
modify Value Used to modify custom content
remove Value Used to remove custom content in the
content-handler context. Also used as an
entry to assist in removing the plug-in, in
the plugin context.
config Value Link to the script for plug-in configuration
The code below is an example of code that can be developed using Table 1
above.
<manifest>
<plugin>
<name value= "Sample Plugin"/>
<handle value= "plgnhnd1"/>
<description value= "This plugin is a sample."/>
<version value= "1.2.3"/>
<requires>
<bbversion value="5Ø0"/>
</requires>
<vendor>
<id value="smpl"/>
<name value="Sample Vendor"/>
<url value="http://www.samplevendor.com/" I>
<description value="The description of the sample vendor goes
here." I>
</vendor>
<http-actions>
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<config value="admin/config.jsp"/>
<remove value="admin/remove.jsp"/>
</http-actions>
<content-handlers>
<content-handler>
<name value="Blackboard Sample Plug-in: HTML Block"/>
<handle value= "resource/x-smpl-typel"/>
<http-actions>
<create value="chl/create.jsp"/>
<modify value="chl/modify.jsp"/>
<remove value="chl/remove.jsp"/>
</http-actions>
<icons>
<toolbar value="/images/add_chl.gif"/>
<listitem value="/images/icon.gif"/>
</icons>
</content-handler>
<content-handler>
<name value="Blackboard Sample Plug-in: Text Block"/>
<handle value= "resource/x-smpl-type2"/>
<http-actions>
<create value="ch2/create.jsp"/>
<modify value="ch2/modify.jsp"/>
<remove value="ch2/remove.jsp"/>
</http-actions>
<icons>
<toolbar value="/images/add_ch2.gif"/>
<listitem value="/images/icon.gif"/>
</icons>
</content-handler>
</content-handlers>
<application-defs>
<application>
<links>
<link>
<type value="tool"/>
<name value="Sample Tool 1"/>
<roles value= "Z,H"/>
<url value="links/tooll.jsP" />
<description value="The description of Sample Tool 1." />
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<icons>
<listitem value="/images/icon.gif"/>
</icons>
</link>
<link>
<type value="communication"/>
<name value="Sample Communication Tool 2"/>
<url value="links/too12.jsp?mode=73" />
<description value="The description of Sample
Communication Tool 2." I>
<icons>
<listitem value="/images/icon.gif"/>
</icons>
</link>
</links>
</application>
</application-defs>
<module-defs>
<rss-channel ext-ref="" title="Blackboard News"
<data-url>http://p.moreover.com/cgi-
local/page?c=Sports%3M2Oice9620hockey%2Onews&o=rss</data-url>
</rss-channel>
<module type="portal/includetext" isadmin="true"
useraddable="true" isdeletable="true" title="Sample Plug-In Module"
<description>Sample uploaded
module</description>
<ExtraInfo>
<property key="body.text"
type="String">This module was installed as part of the sample plugin.
It uses the basic 'includetext' module type.</property>
</ExtraInfo>
</module>
</module-defs>
<permissions>
<permission type="attribute" name="user.firstname"
actions="read"/>
</permissions>
</plugin>
</manifest>
Plug-In. A plug-in 4514 is a unit of extension to the system 100, 1000. A plug-
in 4514 may
have zero or more associated navigation items 4508, and may define zero or
more content handlers
4512.
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Plug-ins 4514 may make use of a collection of APIs 1040e (FIG. 1B) and/or
other system
100, 1000 interfaces to facilitate interaction with system 100, 1000 data and
services. Plug-ins 4514
can utilize APIs 1040e to facilitate the following types of interactions with
system 100, 1000. A
content API can be used to create, modify and/or remove course documents, and
to create a visual
presence, such as HTML, for custom content types to be included in the
rendering of a course
document. A session API 1040e can be used to query user authentication status
and/or to query
session information.
An authorization API 1040e can be used to verify a user's system role or
assigned
entitlements and/or to verify a user's role in course. A Gradebook API 1040e
can be used to allow
custom content types and/or collaboration tools to interact with the grade
repository for a given
course.
A context interface can be used to pass predefined information via URL
parameters. For a
user interface, tag libraries are provided to render HTML conforming to the
look and feel of system
100, 1000.
Plug-ins 4514 may define a module 4524, similar to modules 510 in FIG. 5.
ModuleType
4522 may be used to define additional module 4524 characteristics and
behaviors, such as rendering
custom data. Additionally, plug-ins 4514 may define applications 4516 used in
the course context,
such as shown in FIGs. 8-13, including generic course and communication tools.
Content. Content plug-ins 4514 can provide the ability to add custom content
types and
extensions. Content plug-ins 4514 can be used by course instructors in the
content areas to create and
display custom content types. When installed, a content plug-in 4514 can
provide custom content that
may appear, for example, in FIG. 9.
Communication. Communication plug-ins 4514 are preferably made available to
students and
instructors via the "Communication" section of a course. Such plug-ins can
provide additional
capabilities in, for example, a chat/whiteboard environment and/or a virtual
biology lab. When
installed, a communication plug-in 4514 may appear as one of items 1202, 1204,
1206, 1208, 1210 or
1212 shown in FIG. 12.
Student Tool. A student tool plug-ins can provide supplemental capabilities.
When installed, a
student tool plug-in 4514 may appear, for example, in FIG. 14 as one or more
of items 1402, 1404,
1406, 1408, 1410, 1412, 1414, 1416, 1418.
Course Tool. A course tool plug-in 4514 can be provided to a student or
instructor in, for
example, Course Tools, as shown in FIG. 16, at Course Tools area 1606.
System Tool. A system tool plug-in can be provided to a system administrator
using, for
example, the System Admin tab 506 shown in FIG. 5.
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Application. Application objects 4516 tie together tool entry points so that
they can be
managed through a central entity. Plug-ins 4514 define zero or more
applications. If no applications
4516 are explicitly defined, one is created by default. If one or more
applications 4516 is defined in
the plug-in manifest 4510, then no default application 4516 is created.
Package Installer. Package installer 4518 can be implemented as an
installation script that
reads the manifest 4510, records the database 1020 entries, and copies files
to locations defined by file
system rules.
A plug-ing 4514 package can be extracted into a plug-ins directory, such as
C:\bladkboard\plugins\, using the internal plug-in handle plus additional
virtual installation
information. For example, a plug-in with the handle qmrk-perception may be
expanded into
<blackboard>/plugins/qmrk-perception-vuid, where vuid is a virtual
installation unique identifier.
For new plug-in 4514 installations, different actions can be taken during
installation based on
plug-in type. In most cases, an entry is preferably made in the plug-in
registry on server 1040 (FIG.
1B). After copying files to the appropriate locations, a configuration script
may be launched. Some
plug-ins may require additional, manual configuration steps, such as modifying
library paths, and a re-
start of the application server. Configuration scripts can still respond to
the initial configuration
request, if even to display additional directions and notify the user a re-
start is necessary. This means
that configuration scripts can provide a mechanism to recover from missing
libraries, etc.
Plug-in 4514 upgrades may be recognized if, for example, the plug-in 4514 name
matches
that of an installed plug-in 4514, and the version is greater than the version
of the currently installed
plug-in 4514. Plug-ins can also be removed from the system 100, 1000 in a
standard manner.
A plug-in 4514 installation package can be provided in the form of, for
example, a ZIP file
containing two parts: a manifest 4510 and a file collection. The manifest may
be an XML file named,
for example, bb -manifest . xml conforming to the below definition. The file
collection contains
the files (scripts, icons, libraries, and the like) specified in the manifest
and web application definition.
For Java-based plug-ins 4514, the installation package can be provided in the
form of a .war
(web archive) file, which includes the manifest in the following location: WEB-
1NF/bb-manifest.xml.
A manifest can include one or more plug-in definitions:
a) plugin is the root component of a plug-in definition.
b) vendor is a collection of elements used to provide information about the
vendor providing
the plug-in.
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c) Deployment is an attribute that defines what the physical processing of the
package is. A
value of none can indicate that the manifest only defines links to external
system. A value of
webapp can indicate that the package needs to be expanded into the extensions
directory.
d) id is a (optional four-character) string assigned by Blackboard to help
avoid file system
collisions, etc.
e) name is the name of the plug-in.
f) url is a home page for the vendor.
g) description is a human readable description for the vendor.
h) version is the vendor-defined version string for of the plug-in. A version
may be in a form
such as major. minor .patch (e.g., 6.2.1).
i) requires indicates what software versions are required for the
installation.
j) bbversion is the component to indicate the version of the system 100, 1000
platform
required for the plug-in to operate. Once installed into the system 100, 1000,
the relative
paths can be evaluated to URLs. The plug-in has a home URL, which can be
defined as
/pluginskplugin-id>, where <plugin-id> the string created by combining the
vendor id and the
plug-in handle. For example, with vendor id named smpl, and a plug-in handle
of plgnhndl,
the home URL would be /plugins/smpl-pIgnhnd1/.
k) config references a script (via a relative path) used for configuring the
plug-in.
I) Create references a script used to create custom content types.
m) Modify references a script used to modify custom content types.
n) Remove references a script (via a relative path) used to remove the plug-
in, or to remove
custom content types. The management infrastructure of the system 100, 1000
actually
handles removing the plug-in, but the remove script is invoked to allow the
plug-in to
perform any clean up, such as notifying an external system. Likewise, the
content subsystem
handles removing the content, but the remove script may also perform
additional clean up
tasks, such as decrementing a reference count on an external server.
The icons element represents a collection of icon elements used when rendering
the entry
points.
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listitem is the icon definition for a list item icon. The value preferably is
a relative path.
toolbar is the icon definition for a toolbar icon.
content handlers are the entities that can define custom content types in the
system
content-handler is the actual definition of a custom content type.
name is used to provide a human readable identifier for the content handler.
This can be
displayed to the user when rendering the "Add Other" content type screen.
handle is overloaded for content handlers to define a string to associate the
type with a course
document.
http-actions, in the context of a content-handler, define the scripts
associated with custom
content. Valid sub-elements are, for example, create, modify, and remove.
The JavaTM Servlet API Specification, versions 2.2 and higher, by Sun
Microsystems, Inc. can
define the layout of file systems within the .war file. The JavaTM Servlet API
Specification, versions
2.2 and higher, are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A description of the various sub-directories that may be included in WEB-INF
is as follows:
Table 3. WAR File Layout
Directory/File Description
WEB-INF/classes/ Expanded class files.
WEB-INF/lib/ JAR files for an application. JAR files may
include
developed libraries and/or third party libraries
included as utilities.
WEB-INF/web.xml The web application deployment descriptor
WEB-INF/bb-manifest.xml A proprietary package definition (required by a
proprietary package specification)
The root directory for any plug-in files. The root
directory may include plug-ins JSP scripts, images,
and the like.
A plug-in 4514 can also be used to create a new module type, in addition to
the six modules
shown in FIG. 24. A plug-in 4514 can be used to change an existing module,
such as modules 2414,
2428, 2432, 2437, 2442, 2452, 2460 and/or 2479 shown in FIG. 24. For example,
a plug-in 4514 can
allow an existing module to be personalized.
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A plug-in 4514 can also define a standard Rich Site Summary (also known as RDF
Site
Summary) (RSS) 4520, which is a content format that enables site owners, and
other content
producers, to make information available to others. In particular, RSS is a
method of describing news
or other web content that is available for "feeding" (distribution or
syndication) from an online
publisher to web users. RSS is an application of XML that adheres to the World
Wide Web
Consortium's Resource Description Framework (RDF). RSS can be used to describe
news or other
web content that is available for "feeding" (distribution or syndication) from
an online publisher to
Web users. For example, RSS allows one web site to acquire or display material
from another site, or
an application called an aggregator to show a user what information is
available for retrieval.
Plug-in 4514 entry points can be exposed by navigation items 4508 and content
handlers
4512. The http-actions defined in the manifest 4510 can be used to render
content handlers 4512.
Navigation items 4508 in the family "communication" can be used to render
collaboration plug-ins.
The "tool" family can be used to render student/instructor tools. Table 3
below provides examples of
rendering context, the rendering, and elements.
Table 5. Navigation Item Rendering
Rendering Context What is Rendered Applies to
Control Panel Content Content handlers title. Content Handler
Area, Action Bar
Control Panel Content Modify and Remove buttons rendered Content Handler
Area, list content view as links to modify and remove scripts,
respectively.
Content item Title rendered as a link
to http-action-cpview, if defined.
Content Area, display Content item Title rendered as a link Content
Handler
to http-action-view, if defined.
Content item body rendered by Course
Document renderer (see below), with
content-handler's list icon.
Admin Panel, Manage Displays built-in Properties and Content,
Plug-ins Remove icons, linking to "config" Communication,
script Tool
FIG. 47, generally at 4700, shows an exemplary method in accordance with one
or more
embodiments of the present invention. At step 4702, a manifest, optionally
provided by a third party,
is installed on system 100, 1000, as described above. At step 4704, a system
100, 1000 database is
updated in accordance with manifest contents, as indicated by FIG. 46.
At step 4706, a user accesses a page displaying one or more hyperlinks
registered to (or with)
system 100, 1000. At step 4708, information from the request (the user
clicking on a hyperlink) can
be used to determine the user's role. The hyperlink can be displayed in a
standard manner by web
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browsers implementing the HTTP and HTML standards. A conventional cookie, for
example,
can be used in a browser to identify a user. The cookie can be generated, for
example, when the
user accesses or logs into or provides credentials to system 100, 1000.
At step 4710, a user invokes a hyperlink by using, for example, a standard
mouse. At
step 4712, the system 100, 1000 determines the entitlement for the hyperlink.
For example,
in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, line (d)
of the code
above indicates that the URL has roles Z and H associated therewith. At step
4712, the
system 100, 1000, for each user, can provide predetermined associations
between roles and
entitlements, thereby determining if the user is able to access the hyperlink
based on the
user's role. The associations, such as shown in FIG. 46, can be stored in
database 1020.
At decision step 4714, a determination is made whether the user has the
required
entitlement to invoke or access the hyperlink. If it is determined that the
user has the required
entitlement, the hyperlink and/or any content associated therewith is
displayed at 4716. In this
case, if the user is assigned a role of Z or H, the user would be entitled to
access the
hyperlink. At decision step 4720, if the user chooses to invoke another
hyperlink, the user is
returned to step 4710. If no additional hyperlinks are invoked, the process
ends.
If at decision step 4714 it is determined that the user does not have the
required
entitlement, at step 4718 the user is informed that s/he does not have the
proper entitlement to
access this link. At decision step 4720, the user can invoke another hyperlink
at step 4710, as
described above.
In accordance with the method and techniques described above, FIGs. 24 and 48-
52
are screen displays that illustrate how installation of a plug-in can affect
system 100, 1000
screen displays. In particular, FIG. 24 is an administration screen display
before a plug-in
4514 is installed in system 100, 1000. FIG. 48, generally at 4800, shows a
system extensions
administration screen display before a plug-in 4514 is installed in system
100, 1000 by using
plug-in manager 1014 (FIG. 1B). By clicking on link 4802, an administrator is
taken to a
screen display such as shown in FIG. 49, which enables a plug-in to be
installed in system
100, 1000. Clicking Browse button 4902 allows an administrator to select the
name of the
plug-in 4514 to be installed. Once the plug-in 4514 is selected, the Submit
button 4904 can
be selected to install plug-in 4514.
FIG. 50, generally at 5000, shows a modified version of FIG. 24 subsequent to
the
installation of the plug-in 4514. Note that Plugin Admin Panel Tool link 5002
is present in FIG.
50, but is not present in FIG. 24. Similarly, FIG. 51, generally at 5100,
shows the system
extensions administration screen display shown in FIG. 48, subsequent to
installation of the
plug-in 4514. In particular, Sample Plugin 5102 is present in FIG. 51, but is
not present in FIG.
48.
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While various embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described
in detail
herein, the scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred
embodiments set forth in the
examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the
description as a
whole.
