Widget Architecture

Terminology Widget, Gadget, Tool, Badge Widget Engine, Gadget Container, Widget Host Runtime Environment, Tool Proxy Runtime, Widget Server, Gadget Server (Wookie, Shindig) Container, Application, Host, Tool Consumer, Platform (VLE, portal etc.)

W3C Widget Architecture

Wookie Widget Architecture

Another view…

W3C/ Wookie OpenSocial/ Shindig W3C & Google

Context Both Wookie and OpenSocial architecture assume the container provides context, and that the widget/gadget accesses this context via a JS web API. (GG without OpenSocial has no contextualization.) So widgets need a container for contextualisation (e.g. VLE or LD player with connection to SRS or group management) and container needs plugin to talk to the widget API Issue of standardization of useful properties to push to widgets

State Both Wookie/W3C and GG/OpenSocial assume the widget engine manages state, and widgets/gadgets access via local JS web API However state can also be handled externally by services where accounts are used; BUT safe external authz of accounts is not quite there yet (oAuth on its way!)

Security Code assurance Authentication & Provisioning –Container-managed –Service-based –Engine-based Authorization –Passthru –oAuth –Tickets/OOB Trust and privacy –API keys –HTTPS

Getting Started Add widget engines to containers –Wookie -> Moodle, Elgg, Wordpress, new LD player –Shindig -> Sakai –! Blackboard, WebCT, Sharepoint Integrate widget engine directly into container –Elgg OpenSocial implementation –Palette W3C implementation

Widgets and learning context Widgets as supporting resources Widgets as activity environments

Distribution Embed codes/Copy-and-paste Open Galleries Curated open galleries (e.g. iPhone App Store) Curated closed galleries (e.g. YouthWire) Curated local galleries (e.g. institution wookie/shindig server)

Missing links Widget -> Engine -> Container: pushing back stats or results in standard fashion (can IMS LTI offer anything here?) + tracking Authoring support: Pre-configuring widgets for particular activities (early- binding) - extension by IST Palette project may be useful?