1. myUnisa Functionality: Expanding the Sakai Tool Offering
Francette Myburgh

2. Pretoria South Africa

4. Students using myUnisa
1st registration 2006: students
93000 students joined myUnisa
10724 courses on myUnisa

5. Unisa Student Distribution
668

6. Unisa students in Africa

7. Accessibility

9. Distance Learning Standard toolset – no choice to lecturer
Students not on campus
Few opportunities for dialogue beyond material
Single interface for all student info
Access to personal information
Intuitive navigation and use
24/7 service (international timelines)

10. Questionnaire Results
requests sent
students completed
Two HP iPAQs as prizes

12. myUnisa Toolset Based on SAKAI version 2.0.1 Previous LMS tools
Kept to Sakai Style and Views
Seamless integration
6 Sakai tools

13. Deciding on the Toolset
Comparison of previous LMS functionality
Compare combined list with Sakai features and functions
Gap analysis
Comparative report

14. Methodology Requirements for myUnisa based on:
Functionality in LMS missing from Sakai
Functionality improvement from previous LMS
Feasibility study was conducted (in parallel)
Technical feasibility
Comparison with technology used for development (struts)
Compliance with SAKAI user interface standards

15. Methodology Project planning Documentation
User specification
Functional specification
Test reports
Development in three environments

16. Style sheet information
Frequently Asked Questions (Lecturer list view)
Tool title: Frequently Asked Questions
View style: Hierarchical List View with Actionable List attributes
View title: Frequently Asked Question
Action buttons: Update, Clear Selections
Add FAQ Item
View style: Forms View
View Title: Add Frequently Asked Question
Action buttons: Submit, Cancel

18. Joining myUnisa Must JOIN to use myUnisa Activation of myUnisa account
Not called “registration”
Activation of myUnisa account
Verification on each field (names/dates)
Option of being part of Class List
Incorrect addresses
Checking s sent to students

21. Dear student, NB: This is an automated response - do not reply to this . Your myUnisa account has been created and must be activated before you can login. Please click on this link in order to activate your myUnisa account: Activate myUnisa account or copy and paste the following in the address field in your browser: Student number: Activation code: After activation you may login to myUnisa at with your student number and chosen password.

22. Access to myUnisa Forgotten Password Change Password
Incorrect addresses
Check s sent to students
Change Password
Directly in My Admin
No verification

23. Dear student NB: This is an automated response - do not reply to this . You've received this in response to having selected the "Forgotten Your Password?" link on myUnisa. If you did not forget your password and do not want to change it, ignore this . Your new password will only be activated on myUnisa when you click on the link provided below. You may change the password by selecting the appropriate link under "My Admin" once you have logged in. Your new myUnisa user account details: Student number : New password : Click on: Activate new password or copy and paste the following in the address field in your browser:

24. Sites setup in myUnisa For students: My Admin Course sites
My Workspace
For lecturers:
My Students
Course sites
My Workspace

25. myUnisa: My Admin Admin information for distance student
Unisa developed all the tools
Integrates with Unisa SIS
Tools have been aggregated
View and updates together

26. My Admin Site Assignment marks (summative) Academic record
Biographical details
Change password
Examination results
Financial details
Parcel information
Registration details
Study fees quotation

27. My Students Site Assignments Academic Record Examination Results
File Manager
Financial Details
Mailing List
Parcel Tracking
Student List
Prescribed Books

28. myUnisa: Teaching/Learning
Communication
Discussion forums
to course
Bulk from Lecturer
Class List
Academic List
Announcements
Learning
Welcome message
Resources
Prescribed books
FAQs
Schedule
Assessment
Assignments submission
Assignment results
Examination results

29. myUnisa: FAQ Tool Existed in previous LMS
Modelled on structure of Announcement Tool
Add, Edit and Delete for Lecturer
View only for Students
Structure
Category
Question
Answer
Database design

31. Structure

34. E-mail Tool Supports individual e-mail exchange By lecturer choice
Course mailbox
Access from mail client
Student address transformed
MIS

37. myUnisa: Mailing List Existed in previous LMS
Sends bulk to course or group of courses
Built on James
Shares functionality with Student List
Soon with SMS

42. myUnisa: Welcome Message
MOTD used for general messages in My Workspace
Welcome Tool is course specific
Not an Announcement
Default message
Still need to add graphics capability

45. Roles Primary lecturer Secondary lecturer Undergraduate student
Postgraduate student
Tutor
Courseware administrator
Observer
Head of Department

46. Roles Updates Student system function Departmental responsibility
Primary lecturer = site creation

48. myUnisa Support Unisa ICT Portal and Academic Solutions team:
4 system administrators and software architects
7 software developers
1 business analyst
Call Centre - 3 dedicated support staff for students (tel and )
4 support staff to assist lecturers

49. Future Requirements Direct updates Expand financial functions
Negotiate and develop more updating tools
Expand financial functions
Direct electronic payments
Integrate library functions via Twin Peaks
RSS feeds for recommended articles
Utilize authoring tools (Melete)
Incorporate XML syllabus information

50. Future Requirements Link to Courier service
Implement sections and groups
Post graduate courses
Personalize
Personal greeting
Language differentiation

51. Questions?