The Blackboard Snapshot on Steroids

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The Blackboard Snapshot on Steroids

• Steve Lord
• AUT University
• Auckland, New Zealand

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• Steve Lord, Blackboard Developer
• Auckland University of Technology
• stephen.lord_at_aut.ac.nz

• AUT became a university in 2000
• One of two universities in Auckland
• (older University of Auckland is close by)

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Course Requests building block

• Now use this to set up all courses enrolments
• Creates courses instructor enrolments through
  Blackboard API
• Creates the files for student enrolment snapshot

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My relationship with the Blackboard API a mixed
experience?
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Using the API creating courses

• CourseSite object
• - setCourseId
• - setTitle
• - setIsAvailable
• CourseSitePersister object
• - insert (CourseSite )

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Using the API creating CMS folders
CSEntry
CourseRolePrincipal
(a folder)
(role in the course)
CSAccessControlEntry
(set read,write,remove,manage rights)
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Using the API copying courses

• CourseSitePersister clone method
• Use with CloneConfig object

CloneConfig conf new CloneConfig() conf.includ
eArea(CloneConfig.Area.ANNOUNCEMENT) conf.include
Area(CloneConfig.Area.DISCUSSION_BOARD) conf.incl
udeArea(CloneConfig.Area.CONTENT)
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Using the API inserting standard links

• CourseTocDbLoader
• BbList
• Iterator
• ContentDbLoader
• BbList
• Iterator
• Search the course to find link

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Using the API enrolling instructors

• StaffAssignment object
• - setCourseSiteBatchUid
• - setPersonBatchUid
• - setRole
• StaffAssignmentPersister object
• - insert (StaffAssignment )

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Course Request Utility database schema
REQUEST
PROGRAMME
OCCURRENCE
PROG_OCC
REQ_OCC
ADDSTAFF
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Our Enhanced Snapshot

• User accounts
• - Perl script queries SMS, outputs file for
  snapshot
• Student enrolments
• - handled through Course Requests building block

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• Instructors can control enrolment process

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• Utility writes out course to occurrence
  mappings file
• Perl scripts send information to SMS
• Each occurrence expanded to list of students
• File sent to enrolment snapshot

EXTERNAL_COURSE_KEYEXTERNAL_PERSON_KEYROLE 21590
9_2009_0209111250student 215909_2009_0219131277
student 452682_2009_0204564456student
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A Further Enhancement

• Automated course creation
• (started this year)

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Course Request Utility database schema
REQUEST
PROGRAMME
OCCURRENCE
PROG_OCC
REQ_OCC
ADDSTAFF
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Course creation logic

• Find all un-mapped occurrences
• If an occurrence profile exists (check
  mappings from last yr)
• Put it in same course for this yr ie crs
  "xxxxx_2009_xxxx"
• Add mapping thisoccurrence -gt
  "xxxxx_2009_xxxx"
• Else if no occurrence profile
• Look at semester type eg "S1"
• Add mapping thisoccurrence -gt "xxx_2009_01"

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As before

• Courses instructor enrolments created through
  API
• Students enrolled through enhanced snapshot

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Questions(easy ones please)