[LON-CAPA-dev] Meeting Plan

[Mark Lucas]

On Mon, 23 Dec 2002, Guy Albertelli II wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> 
> I don't plan on having a meeting this week. But do plan on having one
> next Thursday Jan 2nd at noon
> 
> I would enjoy it if the other people on this list sent in their
> suggestions as to what they like to see get done for the next release.

You asked 8)  Here are some issues that come to mind: (as I'm in the
throes of setting up for Monday start of the quarter)

* Coding of conditions

* There has been talk of taking a complicated problem and joining it
  with several simpler problems in a feedback loop of sorts.
  This 'composite problem' would be a sequence, rather than an atomic
  problem, that would be plugged into a course, perhaps in several
  places.

  Is it possible to plug it in in several places? It was my understanding
  that the parameters are defined by the containing sequence and the
  resource name. Plugging the same 'composite problem' into two places in 
  the same course would cause confusion to the system.


* The ubiquitous use of ids in labelling of parts to instructors.
  Display of such things should be in terms of a paradigm that instructors
  relate to, and that makes logical sense to someone not diving through
  the code.

* I still think that it would be good to have domain lists. One publishes
  a library under a copyright of domain:serway_list, and then any
  domain in the list serway_list is allowed access.
  This would be useful for publisher libraries, as well as limited
  release of materials being tested for something like a
  multi-institutional CCLI grant (still no word).

* The issue of re-use is looming here. This is one of the main emphases of
  the grant. I think there needs to be a more extensive investigation as
  to what instructors consider 'show stoppers' when trying to use someone
  elses problems. To address these issues, we need to develop some 
  idea of coding standards and there needs to be work on the optional
  display of titles, duedates, units, etc... and possibly annotation of
  problems. I was appalled to discover what one of our colleagues was
  doing because he didn't like this format, this font, this problem
  that wouldn't print, etc....

* Replication of courses is becoming an issue. While the atomic resources
  stay the same, seldom will an instruction not want to tweak sequences,
  parameters (like tolerances), etc....
  Could a 'wizard' be created which takes an existing course, does 
  a reasonably intelligent job of copying sequences around to duplicate 
  the structure of a course, and then provides some replication of 
  coursewide (not student-wise) parameters (copying problem 
  specific parameters with confirmation, prompting for some default 
  due dates, etc...)?

Just my two cents 8)

Mark



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lucas					email: lucasm@ohiou.edu
252D Clippinger Lab  				phone: (740)597-2984
Department of Physics and Astronomy             fax:   (740)593-0433
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701