HeaderSIS.jpg

IS480 Team wiki: 2010T1 Flexperts

From IS480
Revision as of 06:49, 7 August 2010 by Yyengineer.2008 (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Flexperts
The Flexperts logo designed by TiYo©
Type Student group
Area Interactive Learning Material
Industry Computer Software
Web-based Applications
Product E-learning Resource System
Team members Bryan Cheong Wen Cai
George Chen Kaidi
Harjani Bharat Gobindram
Urmila Mandapaka
Yohann Yezdi Engineer
Faculty Supervisor Kevin Steppe
Client Soo Wai Man
(CTE, SMU)


Our project involves developing an e-learning resource system that easily generates and manages e-learning Flash objects using our pre-loaded, re-usable templates. We are working closely with the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), SMU, to give the Professors a more efficient method of communicating certain learning materials that they could not during class, in a more interactive and dynamic method than PowerPoint presentations. This helps to increase the understandability of materials that are not taught in class specifically. This is achieved by allowing students to work with the objects and see for themselves how the theory might apply. Tapping on the concepts of cloud computing (Platform as a Service) and Rich Internet Applications (RIA), users can enjoy richer, engaging experiences with the additional benefit being lightweight, without the need for installations or storage.



Project Description

Pedagogy Project (e-Learning)

Our project comes under a bigger umbrella project called The Pedagogy Project. This scheme provides support for full-time faculty seeking assistance to develop electronic teaching and/or learning resources.

In consultation with faculty and administrative teams, we have articulated a process for supporting Pedagogy Projects (e-Learning). The process provides guidelines for budgeting, proposal submission, project scoping, approval, design, development and pilot testing.

Terms Definition

  • Flash-Learning-Object : A digital resource that can be re-used to support learning [1].
  • Pedagogy Project (e-Learning): Development of an electronic teaching/learning resource that is pedagogically sound, interactive and engaging to supplement a challenging area/topic of classroom teaching[2].
  • 5 types of content: Facts, Concepts, Processes, Procedures, and Principles[3].

More details pertaining to Resuable Learning Objects

Objectives

Upon completion, our team will have delivered a full working system based on our client’s requirements. The system will be hosted on our school’s server, running 24x7, and we will provide necessary maintenance. Our client and users will be able to efficiently generate new learning objects based on re-usable templates.

Scope

A system which houses:

  1. Flash-Object-Generating-Portal, which includes the re-usable templates, Flex SDK, user account management
  2. Database containing the content of all the flash objects created
  3. Online repository to store our clip art and generated flash objects
  4. Development Server, which we will use to host the portal
  5. Live Application, a real-time whiteboard sharing application for students in class


Part of the development of our portal takes off where George left in his internship. To view more details, visit his page.

Design

Our team designed our products with the end in mind, sticking closely to User-Centered Design philosophy, which builds and designs based on the needs and wants of end-users. Thus, we have much testing, analyzing, surveying to help us forsee the interaction both end-users and non-end users will have with our system. (source:UCD)

Assumptions

  1. Solution can be hosted on the school server permanently, and maintained by us.
    Mitigation: Seek approval once proposal is accepted. Maintenance period is 1 to 1.5 years, will a retainer fee for the team. After which, project will be handed over to either external vendor or student to perform upgrade.
  2. Users will know how to use our system.
    Mitigation: Conduct a User-Acceptance Test on a small pool of faculty.
  3. Users will be comfortable with our system.
    Mitigation: Market research and comparison with other related commercial products.


System

Flash-Object-Generating-Portal

Objectives

  • Deliver interactive, self-learning learning objects to students that is aligned to SMU's interactive teaching pedagogy.
  • A simple, easy-to-use platform that facilitates the creation of flash learning objects with relative ease, using our Flash-object generator and in-built re-usable templates.
  • Cultivate structured teaching/learning through using templates, according to the 5 instructional design content types.
  • Quick building of learning objects of higher interactivity which keeping cost at minimum.


Components Analogy

Templates: Mould

Input: Plaster

Kiln: Flex SDK

Output: Sculpture


The templates are thus resuable and ensure conformity in structural design throughout all output.

But more powerful than this analogy is the capability to 'Edit', or Update under the 'CRUD' model. Therefore, the final output, sculpture, can be modified and then published again. This allows information to be built on top of another.

Key Features

No setup required

This is a Zero-Setup System in which the user only needs a browser and internet access. Unlike Powerpoint or Keynote, there is not installing or upgrading required. Hence, you can use any computer to create or edit your material.

Simply logon to the portal using your SMU username and password. You can now choose one of the carefully crafted templates from the preview screen. You can now customize your template with just a few clicks. There are numerous customization options to help you design e-learning material that is not only effective but aesthetically appealing too.

Now you can start editing the template. You can do so in fullscreen mode by checking the "Full Screen" option at the top right of the page.

Blank template.png

Simple yet powerful

Endproduct-book.png

Crosses all boundaries

Mac.png When it comes to the matter of compatibility, our solution fits right in and bridges the gap. It is platform independent. All you need is a flash compatible browser. Windows.png



Live Application - White-board Sharing

Objectives

  • An easy platform to facilitate class assignments for students and faculty alike
  • View of all submitted assignments at a single glance
  • No requirement of downloading software, like
  • Reduction of the use of paper
  • Convenient storage of all class assignments for future use
  • Dynamic to allow students to make changes

Key Features

Easy method to do class assignments

Students no longer need to do their class assignments in the conventional method. Now, using the same system, students can do their class assignments on their computer itself and with a single click, can upload their assignment on to the server, which will then be stored in the repository, for Faculty to pull out whenever they want to.

Single view of all submissions

As soon as the student clicks on a "Submit" button, the assignment will be uploaded to the server, after which the Professor can pull out to display. The system will allow the Professor to choose how many assignments he may want to display on the screen at one time, thereby allowing the class to view all the submissions at one time. Spaces.png

Dynamic Application

One of the features of this system is that since students are submitting files online, they can make changes and keep uploading to the server and this will keep replacing the older version, thus allowing students to make changes on the spot and thereby learn better.

Live Application - Quiz

Objectives

  • Prepare interactive quizzes quickly and easily.
  • The built in template chooser will help you get started.
  • They will be hosted on the our portal from and to a stipulated time.
  • This will make grading the quiz a mere click.
  • Identify areas of weakness in student's understanding of course material.

Key Features

Professional quizzes from start to finish

Get Started right away

Quiz-template picker.png The template chooser makes it easy to choose from a wide range of quiz types.

Question of the day

Q of the day.png Students will receive a question in their mail which should be prepared by Professors in advance. The professor may choose the frequency at which these questions are sent.

Users

Non-end-users (Custom Users)

Faculty

End-users

Students

Comparison Table

Features Products
Fx Logo without name.png
Flexperts
Fx adobe elearning.png
Adobe E-Learning
Fx articulate logo.jpg
Articulate
General
Compatibility Cross platform and web-browser Works on major platforms(Windows and Mac) Only works on Windows
Installation Does not require any software setup Package needs to be installed Each package needs to be installed separately
Pricing TBC US $2,187 ex tax US $1,398
Customization Is customized from the start Requires customization Requires customization
Integration with LMS Simple request reply implementation Publishes to acrobat.com Setup required to publish to LMS
Features
Flash generator Yes Yes Yes
Mobile authoring Yes Yes No
Screen sharing Yes No No
Quiz creation Yes Yes Yes
Question of the day setup Yes No No

Use

A flash learning object is defined as a self-contained, digital resource that can be used to support learning. While flash learning objects are aimed for students to do self-learning outside class, the live application is targetted to be used in class as a whiteboard sharing application.

Exploratory Research

Other than meeting our client's requirements, we also want to know how we can further cater and tailor our product for our users. With our proof of concept, we surveyed xxxx faculty members.....

Incentives

Applying for SMUIA

Project Management

Milestones

Fx milestones.png

Software Setup

  • Adobe Flash Builder (Flex)
  • Flex SDK
  • Microsoft Project / Merlin(Mac equivalent)
  • Eclipse
  • Microsoft Visio

Flex is the framework for Flash platform (now called Adobe platform)

Resources and reference materials

For the purpose of our development in the proposed solution, our client has put together a mini-library of 20 technical help books, covering topics from Flex to XML to databases. We are also using Proquest e-books for reference purpose.
For software, our client has provided us the entire Adobe Master Suite Collection for project development. We have also each obtained an educational copy of licensed Adobe Flash Builder (Flex). The SDK is open-source. We have also obtained budget to purchase an online clip art resource for our repository. For the purpose of comparison, we have also purchased several licenses of related commercial software to better leverage our product.
Server will either be hosted on the SMU Library development server, IS server (yet to seek permission), or on CIT’s server (maintained by us). On top of that, we are in the midst of negotiating with the Vista Team, IITS, on how we can use a prototype of their new LMS to test out our system.

References

  1. Beck, Robert J., 2009
  2. Singapore Management University, 2009
  3. Clark & Chopeta, 2004