SMA Stellar Presentation

1
SMA Stellar Presentation

• Mike Barker
• 20 July 2001

2
Agenda

• High-Level Feature Set
• Architectural Underpinnings
• How will this be used by NUS?

3
Basic Features

• Course home page
• Topical index (topics can be weekly or thematic)
• Course calendar
• Various specific lists of content (readings,
  lecture notes, videos, other)
• Announcements
• Class list, staff list
• Class help, Stellar help.
• Bulletin board system

4
Key Requirements

1. functional does what's needed.
2. supportable yes.
3. extensible yes.
4. simple to use yes.
5. available soon now.

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Key Points

• Stellar has been designed for usability and
  enhancement
• At this point, Stellar development continues to
  add functions. TAs, Administrative staff, and
  Faculty can add content, arrange and rearrange,
  and become familiar with the system.
• As other DLCs and Stanford adopt Stellar and add
  tools, functions, and content, the system will
  continue to grow.

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Let's Look At Stellar

• Stellar Student View
• Stellar Faculty View
• Stellar Construction Sites stellar (note these
  may not be available at all times, these are
  active development sites) jive threaded
  discussion board

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Stellar Summer Additions

• Discussion Board (Jive, Panfora) Jive, First
  level DONE!
• Websis, MIT libraries, MIT Event calendar
  integration
• MyStellar "miniportal" student, faculty
• Reuse and shared content tools
• Additional styles (look-and-feel)

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Stellar Summer Additions (2)

• Course setup tools
• User management tools
• Assessment tools (quiz/test, homework handling,
  survey)
• FAQ management
• Chat/zephyr/IM

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An Architectural View
Organization (groups of courses)
Content
Users
Tools
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Schedule

• Testing Functionality, Error Conditions, Load,
  Recovery In Progress
• Hardware server installed in W91 July 27
• Staff Orientations In Progress
• Documentation Draft "quick start" overdue, now
  scheduled for July 27 with final Aug 17

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NUS Support

• EMCC will provide training for CIT
• NUS will be able to set up and correct student
  accounts directly

12
Background Technical Info
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Stellar-June Design Goals

• Provide students with easily navigable, rich web
  course environment
• Provide faculty, TAs, etc. with easy, effective
  ways to put content into system
• Does not require a large central technical staff.
  I.e. minimize operations, maintenance, and
  support requirements
• Ensure that system is extensible, I.e. that it is
  easy to add additional capabilities
• Allow for continuing additions, enhancements, and
  improvements
• Must be accessible (ADA)

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Stellar-June Design Goals

• Robust, scalable, and sustainable
• Security, privacy, and intellectual property
  issues
• Support reuse and shared use of content
• Provide support for good pedagogical practices
• Support integration with external institutional
  systems
• Easy to use "standard" look and feel and course
  organization, as well as custom appearance and
  organization.
• Support a number of portal environments (design
  to work with uPortal in particular but not
  necessarily exclusively
• Easy, effective ways to set up and organize
  system

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Stellar Design Parameters

1. Functional - does what MIT needs
2. Supportable (at relatively low expense, by
   relatively few people)
3. Extensible (open software, but also based on
   standards)
4. Simple to use by TAs, administrative assistants,
   and faculty
5. Integrates with external institutional systems
6. Provides for security, privacy, and addresses
   intellectual property issues
7. Easy to use "standard" look and feel and course
   organization, plus customizable appearance
   organization.
8. Support reuse and shared use of content
9. Provide support for good pedagogical practices
10. Must be accessible (ADA)
11. Support a number of portal environments (designed
    to work with uPortal in particular but not
    necessarily exclusively)
12. Has a process for additions, enhancements, and
    improvements