1. The Bodington System - Patently Previous Andrew Booth Institute of Life Sciences Education Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds UK

3. University of Leeds today

5. University of Leeds in 1994/5 27,000 students on campus (75,000 total). 27,000 students on campus (75,000 total). Recently changed from terms to semesters. Recently changed from terms to semesters. New modular course structure. New modular course structure. Many short modules (e.g. half semester) with large recruitments (200-300). Many short modules (e.g. half semester) with large recruitments (200-300). Difficult to identify and help students with problems. Difficult to identify and help students with problems.

6. Before Bodington - early attempts to ‘use the technology’ We wanted a communication system for student support. We wanted a communication system for student support. Tried email – disaster. Tried email – disaster. Tried nntp – worked for computer science students, failed for biology students. Tried nntp – worked for computer science students, failed for biology students. Problem was scope – students needed verifiable reassurance. Problem was scope – students needed verifiable reassurance. Developed web-based bulletin board. CGI script with MS-Access as database. Developed web-based bulletin board. CGI script with MS-Access as database. Participant list and readers verifiable – no secret lurking! Participant list and readers verifiable – no secret lurking!

7. The students’ acceptance of the technology They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming! They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming!

11. How do we assess the students’ acceptance of the technology? They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming! They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming! They use it to try to fool their teachers They use it to try to fool their teachers

12. Towards Bodington 1995/6 Early system (cgi) replaced with Java-based system (servlets plus Java Web Server). Microsoft SQL Server. Early system (cgi) replaced with Java-based system (servlets plus Java Web Server). Microsoft SQL Server. Online assessments (MCQ, MRQ, short answer) and feedback questionnaires added Online assessments (MCQ, MRQ, short answer) and feedback questionnaires added Simple web text tool added Simple web text tool added Emphasis still firmly on support, communication and collaboration, NOT on shovelware Emphasis still firmly on support, communication and collaboration, NOT on shovelware Piloted across university 1996 Piloted across university 1996

13. Lessons learned during the pilot The needs of the students and teachers were more diverse than expected. The needs of the students and teachers were more diverse than expected. The system (i.e. its developers) must not impose or assume any pedagogic model or way of working. The system (i.e. its developers) must not impose or assume any pedagogic model or way of working. There was no agreed standard ‘template’ for the organization of learning resources. There was no agreed standard ‘template’ for the organization of learning resources. Nor was there an agreed ‘view’. Some wanted ‘collegial view’, other happy with ‘course only’. Nor was there an agreed ‘view’. Some wanted ‘collegial view’, other happy with ‘course only’. This may mean a complex structure, so all learning resources map to simple URLs – no query strings, easy to bookmark. This may mean a complex structure, so all learning resources map to simple URLs – no query strings, easy to bookmark.

14. Lessons learned during the pilot Single ‘roles’ are inadequate – teaching is more complex than you might expect. Single ‘roles’ are inadequate – teaching is more complex than you might expect. Each user can have many ‘roles’, depending on the resources. Each user can have many ‘roles’, depending on the resources. Each resource can be accessed by different groups of users in different ways. Each resource can be accessed by different groups of users in different ways. Need to be able to devolve control to the teachers/managers and let them decide how the resources should be organized and accessed with no limit to levels of organization. Need to be able to devolve control to the teachers/managers and let them decide how the resources should be organized and accessed with no limit to levels of organization. Therefore need to give them sophisticated group management tools. Therefore need to give them sophisticated group management tools.

15. Implementation of Bodington at Leeds 1997 Hierarchical tree organization of learning resources. Hierarchical tree organization of learning resources. Control of branches devolved to departments. Control of branches devolved to departments. Control of sub-branches devolved to teachers/managers. Control of sub-branches devolved to teachers/managers. Local ownership and control of learning resources. Local ownership and control of learning resources. Users can have multiple roles for different resources. Users can have multiple roles for different resources. ‘Building’ metaphor for navigation. ‘Building’ metaphor for navigation. No limit on the depth of the tree (rooms within rooms) No limit on the depth of the tree (rooms within rooms)

25. Patently Previous? By 1997 Bodington was an internet-based system for the preparation and delivery of courses. By 1997 Bodington was an internet-based system for the preparation and delivery of courses. It provided the tools to teachers for course preparation. It provided the tools to teachers for course preparation. It allowed users with different permissions or roles to access learning resources in different ways. It allowed users with different permissions or roles to access learning resources in different ways. This was widely and publicly demonstrated. This was widely and publicly demonstrated. We have all the logs from 1997 onwards. We have all the logs from 1997 onwards.

26. Nathan Bodington Building 1997 Named after Sir Nathan Bodington (1848-1911) First Vice Chancellor of The University of Leeds

27. How do we assess the students’ acceptance of the technology? They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming! They use it to ask for help – and check that it is coming! They use it to try to fool their teachers They use it to try to fool their teachers They use it to set their own learning objectives – new forms of learning They use it to set their own learning objectives – new forms of learning

28. Bodington 1999/2000 Local FE (Community) colleges interested (with money!) Local FE (Community) colleges interested (with money!) Complete re-write of code. Now similar to Enterprise Java Beans. System now very stable. Generalized SQL support. Complete re-write of code. Now similar to Enterprise Java Beans. System now very stable. Generalized SQL support. Added web publishing. Added web publishing. Added pigeon holes (drop boxes) and portfolios. Added pigeon holes (drop boxes) and portfolios.

29. Bodington 2002/2003 Victim of its own success at Leeds. Victim of its own success at Leeds. Service delivery stifling development. Service delivery stifling development. Little resource provided for development at Leeds. Little resource provided for development at Leeds. Needed more developers. Needed more developers. Released code as open source. Released code as open source. 2002 – Oxford made contact and chose Bodington as VLE – with developers 2002 – Oxford made contact and chose Bodington as VLE – with developers 2003 – UHI did the same 2003 – UHI did the same 2004 – bodington.org transferred to Oxford 2004 – bodington.org transferred to Oxford

30. Bodington 2004-present More rapid development More tools added: ‘My modules’ ‘My modules’ RSS feeds RSS feeds Peer marker Peer marker etc. etc. IMS CP and QTI updated Shibboleth (Guanxi) IdP and SP functionality added by UHI

31. My group at Leeds Joint online M.Sc. in Bioinformatics between Leeds and Manchester. Joint online M.Sc. in Bioinformatics between Leeds and Manchester. Move away from monolithic LE. Move away from monolithic LE. Move towards plugging in ‘best of breed’ learning tools. Move towards plugging in ‘best of breed’ learning tools. Link VLEs/LMSs – share resources securely. Link VLEs/LMSs – share resources securely. Use the Shibb/Guanxi functionality to link to other resources Use the Shibb/Guanxi functionality to link to other resources

32. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider VLE makes request for access to resource

33. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider Request is intercepted by the SP

34. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider SP requests authentication assertion from the IdP

35. Shibboleth/Guanxi ? VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider IdP ensures that the user has authenticated

36. Shibboleth/Guanxi ? VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider IdP ensures that the user has authenticated

37. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider IdP sends authentication assertion to the SP

38. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider SP sends attribute request to the IdP

39. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider IdP checks the Attribute Release Policy for the SP… Attribute Store ARP

40. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider …and releases the user’s attributes to the SP Attribute Store ARP

41. Shibboleth/Guanxi IdP VLE/LMS Learning Resource Service Provider The SP checks its Attribute Acceptance Policy and then allows the request through to the resource. The resource may use the attributes for e.g. account creation. A session cookie then allows further access.

42. Attributes Institutional membership OK for online journals etc. Institutional membership OK for online journals etc. But for e-learning we need Username Username Real name Real name Group membership(s) Group membership(s)

43. A new verb to shib (verb, transitive) To produce a small software add-on that receives a user’s attributes from a Service Provider and uses them for e.g. authorization, account creation etc.

47. Institution 1 Bodington Attribute Store SP Publisher's Resources SP Shared Bulletin Board SP IdP SP Online resources hosted at institution 3 Institution 3 VLE Institution 2 Bodington Attribute Store SP IdP Institution 3 Attribute Store Institutional federation Inter-institutional federation (e.g. WUN) National federation (e.g. JISC) Wide Area Freely Federated Learning Environment

48. SOCKET Service Oriented Consumer Kit for eLF Tools. JISC funded project. Service Oriented Consumer Kit for eLF Tools. JISC funded project. Constructs service consumer servlets from WSDL. Constructs service consumer servlets from WSDL. Allows web services to appear as native VLE components. Allows web services to appear as native VLE components. Not tied to any VLE/LMS. Not tied to any VLE/LMS.

54. Thanks Leeds Leeds Jon Maber, Mike Thomas, Brian Clark, Rob Garbutt, Atif Suleman Oxford Oxford Adam Marshall, Matthew Buckett, Colin Tatham, Alexis O’Connor UHI UHI Sean Mehan, Alistair Young, Antony Corfield, Naomi Miles Melandra (Manchester) Melandra (Manchester) Peter Crowther

55. Some references Clark, B.P. and Booth, A.G. (2006), SOCKET and the WAFFLE Bus for Beginners. http://www.elearning.ac.uk/features/socket http://www.elearning.ac.uk/features/socket Booth, A.G. and Clark, B.P. (2006), The WAFFLE Bus: a model for a service-oriented learning architecture, in Whitelock, D. & Wheeler, S. (Eds). The next generation. pp 172-181 Research proceedings of the 13th Association for Learning Technology Conference Booth, A.G. (2006), QMShibb - Shibboleth enabling Questionmark Perception http://www.socketelf.org:8080/roller/page/socket?entry=shibboleth_enabling_questionmark_perc eption http://www.socketelf.org:8080/roller/page/socket?entry=shibboleth_enabling_questionmark_perc eption http://www.socketelf.org:8080/roller/page/socket?entry=shibboleth_enabling_questionmark_perc eption Clark, B.P. and Booth, A.G. (2006), SOCKET: Service-Oriented Consumer Kit for ELF Tools http://www.socketelf.org:8080/eldg/socket see also http://elrond.cetis.ac.uk/projects/detail.php/socket http://www.socketelf.org:8080/eldg/sockethttp://elrond.cetis.ac.uk/projects/detail.php/socket http://www.socketelf.org:8080/eldg/sockethttp://elrond.cetis.ac.uk/projects/detail.php/socket Booth, A.G, Clark, B.P., Suleman, S., Garbutt, R.J., Young, A., and Kleeman, J. (2006), SOCKET http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_framework/project_socket.aspx http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning_framework/project_socket.aspx Mehan, S., Young A. and Booth, A.G. (2005), Guanxi:Shibboleth in e-Learning http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/Guanxi_Loughborough_160505.pdf http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/Guanxi_Loughborough_160505.pdf