Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Williams Castillo -
Number of replies: 9

Full feature list of the glosary module:

A) Basics:

  1. Create, modify, delete, backup and restore a glossary and its entries.

B) Settings:

  1. Student can or cannot post entries. If they can, they will also be able to update and delete their own entries.
  2. Allow duplicated entries.
  3. Display format. Different ways to show the entries. It is modular, if you want a customized view, just create a file with the proper function, throw it into mod/glossary/formats (usually with [number].php as filename), create a new entry in the language pack (displayformat[number]) and voilà (0 is the reserved, default view).
  4. If it is or not the main glossary. Right now it is used to export entries from secondary glossaries to the main one but there would be more uses for this field int the future (see Nice to have)

C) Adding, updating, and deleting entries:

  1. If you are able to add entries (always being a teacher, sometimes being a student), you will be able to add the concept, definition and an optional file (image or whatever)
  2.  When you update an entry and send a new file, this newer file replace the older one.
  3. Once you add or update an entry, you will be redirected to a page where you see only this entry.
  4. To do: When deleting an entry, also delete its associated file if any.

D) Backup/restore:

  1. The backup/restore procedure works slightly different. The teacher and student entries are all in the same table. Teacher entries are always backed up and restored... Student entries only when you specify that you wish to have the user data baked up.
  2. Working on: Backup and restore of the entries' attachments.
  3. What if: I add a flag to the configuration of each glossary that specify if the glossary should be backed up empty? This flag should override the settings specify in the backup procedure. Right now, you can export teacher and/or student entries but never an empty glossary (unless it is already empty in the original course, of course)

E) Exporting entries to a main glossary:

  1. Every course could have one and only one main glossary.
  2. You can't export entries from the main glossary.
  3. Only teacher are able to export entries.
  4. If there is a course defined as main in a course, you will be able to export entries from any secondary glossary.
  5. If the main glossary does not accept duplicated entries, the entry you are trying to export will be checked against the main glossary entries.
  6. If an exported entry has an associated attachment, it will also be exported.
  7. Once an entry has been exported, all further changes to any of the imported or exported file (including deletes) are not propagated among the others.
  8. To do: A way to export extries in batch from "one" secondary glossary to the main one.

F) Searching and browing entries:

  1. There are four ways to browse entries (one internally used): By its initial letter, by terms, all terms or (internally) by ID.
  2. When you search by terms you can look for several terms and the system will return any entry that contains ANY of those terms in either the concept field OR (if you checked the appropiate option) in the definition field.

G) Nice to have (up to discussion!):

  1. Import/export entries from/to flat files comma or tab delimited (I think this is a must-to-have).
  2. Transparent, dinamic linking between other modules and the glossary entries.
  3. Manual linking to glossary terms.
  4. Inhieritance of entries:
    • Every course will have one and only one main glossary. It should be updatable only by teachers.
    • Student entries will be added to his glossary only by the "blessing" of the teacher (exporting the entries from each secondary glossary).
    • Every glossary could be "based on" other(s) glossaries... From the same course or not.
    • Inherited entries will be read-only.
    • Every glossary will have an optional "sharing password". This password will restrict who can use that glossary. This way we can have a site glossary without password, and several course level glossaries with password. if a teacher knows the right password, he will be able to use it.. Otherwise, he won't be able even to know its existance.
  5. Graded entries.
  6. Ability to show/hide the tags "SPECIAL" and "ALL", and the alphabet as well. It will allow to use the module as quiz of long-answer questions where the alphabet will probably be unuseful.
  7. A pretty woman bringing grappes to me (this is out of discussion)... smile

PS: Some features listed above are not yet in CVS...

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In reply to Williams Castillo

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Ger Tielemans -

If you consider glosarrsy as a collab work from studentes and teachers, you could see it as a special instance of writing a book together on the internet, so maybe you could broden your design in the next version?

I was also wondering how much overlap there is with the library modul? (and it's mechanisms)

You need at least some kind of clearinghouse mechanism:

  • You could use a bookmetaphor for maintaining your glossary when it grows, with "chapter managers" like in: http://craftysyntax.com/myscrapbook/
  • You could use the WIKI approach:
    • every edit-version of a page is stored in an archive
    • attaching images and links is very easy
    • links can get aliases to keep the glossary page readable
    • every page can be locked on several levels (nonvisible, readers, editors, managers)
    • someone with edit rights can lock and adopt a page - in your case: Ï take the letter B to maintain"??, and he/she promisses to maintain it (others can comment on this page, this comment is automatic sent to the maintainer by email
  • If student bring in lemmas, it must be possible - after asking them - to lock them for use by others
  • Is it possible for a user to annotate it, only visible on his personal page (or sharing annotations in a choosen group?)

Sorry, to much for the first edition, please publish your draft modul and try to keep it easy and maintainable.

Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to Ger Tielemans

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Williams Castillo -

Hi Ger,

I've been thinking about the possible overlaps of this module with the library... And they certainly overlaps sometimes! However, there are subtle differences that make their scope clearly defined. Even more with some of the possible features I'm foreseen for this module (some have been already mentioned in the first post of this thread). Let's see what's comes.

Regarding the clearing house mechanism, there is a first level of house-keeping (the teacher can delete entries).. however, this should improve with the glossary itself.

By the way... Great script that MyScrapBook.. I really like it...

And like it the idea of chapters as well...

What I don't like, specially for the work involved, is the wiki approach your are talking about... If it is really necesary, it will have to be done, but in the meantime, I think there could be more important features...

If student bring in lemmas, it must be possible - after asking them - to lock them for use by others Sorry... I don't understand what you mean with lemmas... sad

The idea of annotation is also good.. A would call it bookmark. Although I would prefer that that bookmarks could be called everywhere.

Let-s see if someone else comes up with new ideas or comments.

Thanks,

Will

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In reply to Williams Castillo

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by mark jessell -
Hi,

just a quick question, when I use the excellent glossary feature on my system, I find that searches performed by guests return no result, when the same search as a registered user works fine. Is this a bug or a feature?

cheers

Mark
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In reply to mark jessell

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Williams Castillo -

Uhmm... Do you believe me if I tell you that it's a nice feature? smile

Nah... It's not a feature nor nice.

I'll be working on this right now.

Will

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In reply to mark jessell

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Williams Castillo -

Solved. It is now in CVS.

This bug also happened even to students... sad

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In reply to Williams Castillo

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Przemyslaw Stencel -
I've got suggestions of a few features which would, I believe, make the glossary module much closer to social constructionist learning.

1/ Re: B.1 - Student can or cannot post entries. If they can, they will also be able to update and delete their own entries. It would be nice to have another setting, depending on this one. If students can post entries, there would be a setting "allow students to edit each other's entries".

2/ Keep a log of the "history" of an entry. That is, all previous versions of the entry should be stored together with the date of modification and user id of the person who modified it. The entries would be shown just as they are now, displaying the latest version of an entry only, however, there would be a link to "show previous versions".

3/ Ability to attach discussions to entries. It could be done in either one of these two ways: A/ a single thread would be attached to each entry, or B/ it would be possible to add comments (just like in moodle bug tracker). Obviously, the discussions/comments wouldn't be displayed when a user views an entry. S/he would have to click a "show comments" link.

The three changes would allow for the glossary to become a really interactive knowledge-building tool, where a student creates an entry, the teacher or other students write comments and either the original creator or another person "polishes" the entry until it's perfect.
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In reply to Przemyslaw Stencel

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Williams Castillo -

Hi again,

I like points 2 and 3 but not 1.

Implementing these points will make this module overlaps somehow with forum and workshop module... in addition to its current overlapping with the Library add-on smile... However, I think it would be a great addition.

Will

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In reply to Williams Castillo

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Przemyslaw Stencel -
I like points 2 and 3 but not 1.
I thought about 1 because then the students would be able to "polish" the entries collaboratively. If only the original creator is able to modify an entry, he assumes a kind of "ownership" of it, which of course might be a positive thing in some contexts, but collaborative work might be more desirable in others. Definitely, it would have to be optional, i.e. "allow students to edit each other's entries/allow students to edit their own entries only".

Implementing these points will make this module overlaps somehow with forum and workshop module
True. smile That's because I think if we can make students work together on a task, it will be more beneficial to their learning than if they were to do it individually. In fact, any task which a teacher gives to students in the classroom (either traditional or online) will be enriched if it's done collaboratively (hence suggestions 1 & 3) and if it's perceived as a process (hence no. 2). And I'm planning to use your Glossary module to make students construct a body of reference rather than to provide them with a ready-to-serve product.

Cheers and great thanks for your work!
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In reply to Przemyslaw Stencel

Re: Full feature list so far: Brainstorming?

by Ger Tielemans -
  • In a Swiki You can "take a page" and promiss to maintain it.
  • From that moment on, others can only comment on it in a commentbox.
  • The "owner" has to "service" the comments on his page (he/she gets an email for every new comment)
  • No servicing? The admin opens the page again for everyone and...

I like this mechanism.

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