Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Demonstrations
Earlier this month we put on two demonstration sessions for staff members to come and have a play with Wild in practice. We talked through the project focus demonstrated the use of the add-in and demonstrated the composition of activities for PowerPoint integration. We had a range of staff come to the two sessions encompassing areas such as Study Advice, Primary Education, Coastal Sciences, Campus Management, Computer Science, Theatre and Performance, Creative Music Technology. We asked all of the staff who came to consider how the technology could be used in relation to their discipline and how we could push the technology on. Since the events we have had a range of different reponses which will lead to a number of different opportunities for Wild's integration into different disciplines over the next Semester and beyond. For example, we are going to demonstrate Wild and other Web 2 technologies to a large group of primary education students at the end of this semester with the intent of getting them to explore how new technologies may shape their educational environments of the future (ie. with young children and beyond) - this seems like a good value add to their education and an example of research embedded in techning practice. We also hope in the New Year to have the opportunity to use Wild in the context of substantial classes in the physical sciences to explore it's potential for use in very large groups.
Project Evaluation
Well we're very close to the end of the funded part of the project with the project now set to continue through postgraduate support over the next year. In terms of evalution of where we are at a SWOT follows this short piece.
Looking back over the project it's clear that there have been some key WINS and some key losses to learn from. In terms of the WINS, on submitting the proposal we weren't too sure how we were going to tackle the lecturer tool for composing slides having previously encountered problems with working with MS Powerpoint slides and other presentational tools for the first prototype. We knew that the way we were doing things needed to change (a clunky Java application is just not usable across the uninitiated) so the decisions made in creating a web solution and producing an add-in which has a really usable side effect of being able to embed any web content directly into Powerpoint was a real positive. Made even more positive when we sorted the add-in for a later version to enable multiple web pages to be displayed on the same slide.
In terms of the web system, we are in the position of having the basic functionality working and in addition having a lot of the other functionality ready to be integrated but we perhaps still need to continue to work on the interface to make things easier for users. That will happen though as the Wild system starts to be used in anger in a few modules in semester 2.
In terms of losses I think the main one has been the inability to get the desired technology through the University and corporate channels. However, the technology purchased through the project offers lots of different opportunities for future exploration linked to the Wild thing.
SWOT Analysis (at this point)
Strengths
The add-in (has the potential for widespread use given the propensity for the inclusion of web content in presentations)
The re-formulated architecture of Wild (offering clear opportunities for expansion)
Things work in the Wild, with tasks not too difficult to complete
Team (Clear ideas for how to continue to strangthen Wild)
Weaknesses
At present we still need to integrate some of the more advanced question types into the web tool.
The Wild system at the moment needs a clean up and will get one over the next couple of days.
The Wild web system is working but we need to re-factor the code to make it easier for other developers to add to the system.
Opportunities
Wild demonstrated at Making Web 2.0 Work For You and other external events coming up over the next six months
Wild demonstrated internally successfully, need to start to get more people using at the very least the web page insertion tool within their practice leading to transmitted word of mouth and tool usage in multiple circumstances.
Clear opportunity to experiment with embedding other forms of feedback mechanism directly into slide content e.g. twitter feeds and using other Web 2.0 technologies linked in with Wild within the lecture room environment.
Potential for commercial link up with a local company to move the system forward (still considering whether to actively pursue) - leading to a couple of versions of the software.
Threats
New versions of PowerPoint will possibly require a new image of the add-in tool. As things stand it seems to work retrospectively at the moment i.e. the version of the tool for PP95 works with PP97.
Loss of momentum, however, the PG focus should enable the system to move on substantially over the next year.
Looking back over the project it's clear that there have been some key WINS and some key losses to learn from. In terms of the WINS, on submitting the proposal we weren't too sure how we were going to tackle the lecturer tool for composing slides having previously encountered problems with working with MS Powerpoint slides and other presentational tools for the first prototype. We knew that the way we were doing things needed to change (a clunky Java application is just not usable across the uninitiated) so the decisions made in creating a web solution and producing an add-in which has a really usable side effect of being able to embed any web content directly into Powerpoint was a real positive. Made even more positive when we sorted the add-in for a later version to enable multiple web pages to be displayed on the same slide.
In terms of the web system, we are in the position of having the basic functionality working and in addition having a lot of the other functionality ready to be integrated but we perhaps still need to continue to work on the interface to make things easier for users. That will happen though as the Wild system starts to be used in anger in a few modules in semester 2.
In terms of losses I think the main one has been the inability to get the desired technology through the University and corporate channels. However, the technology purchased through the project offers lots of different opportunities for future exploration linked to the Wild thing.
SWOT Analysis (at this point)
Strengths
The add-in (has the potential for widespread use given the propensity for the inclusion of web content in presentations)
The re-formulated architecture of Wild (offering clear opportunities for expansion)
Things work in the Wild, with tasks not too difficult to complete
Team (Clear ideas for how to continue to strangthen Wild)
Weaknesses
At present we still need to integrate some of the more advanced question types into the web tool.
The Wild system at the moment needs a clean up and will get one over the next couple of days.
The Wild web system is working but we need to re-factor the code to make it easier for other developers to add to the system.
Opportunities
Wild demonstrated at Making Web 2.0 Work For You and other external events coming up over the next six months
Wild demonstrated internally successfully, need to start to get more people using at the very least the web page insertion tool within their practice leading to transmitted word of mouth and tool usage in multiple circumstances.
Clear opportunity to experiment with embedding other forms of feedback mechanism directly into slide content e.g. twitter feeds and using other Web 2.0 technologies linked in with Wild within the lecture room environment.
Potential for commercial link up with a local company to move the system forward (still considering whether to actively pursue) - leading to a couple of versions of the software.
Threats
New versions of PowerPoint will possibly require a new image of the add-in tool. As things stand it seems to work retrospectively at the moment i.e. the version of the tool for PP95 works with PP97.
Loss of momentum, however, the PG focus should enable the system to move on substantially over the next year.
Friday, 6 November 2009
Finalising the ValueAdd
As you may have noticed tonight is blog catch-up amd as we move towards JISC funding ending its time to look at the value added and things that changed project direction.
The wild thing tool provides the following service for lecturers, 1 the integration of live web content directly into PP slides through a mechanism that is user friendly ,easy to understand and requires limited tutor intervention. This has been a significant side effect of the WILD tools production, 2: As things stand the wild tool provides a clear textual question and answer system for slide integration. Other question types are not far away but will be added as they are fully tested.
I think the clear turning point as regards this project was illustated in one of the earliest blog posts when we realised that a PP add-in could be constructed and linked directly to a web based system rather than the team focusing on creating a tool which would manipulate PP slide construction post creation through a different application.
The wild thing tool provides the following service for lecturers, 1 the integration of live web content directly into PP slides through a mechanism that is user friendly ,easy to understand and requires limited tutor intervention. This has been a significant side effect of the WILD tools production, 2: As things stand the wild tool provides a clear textual question and answer system for slide integration. Other question types are not far away but will be added as they are fully tested.
I think the clear turning point as regards this project was illustated in one of the earliest blog posts when we realised that a PP add-in could be constructed and linked directly to a web based system rather than the team focusing on creating a tool which would manipulate PP slide construction post creation through a different application.
Finishing Versions
When David Flanders visited he commented how it would be good to see something such as a twitter aggregator running in a web pane
on a slide containing other web content. At the time the plug-in was setup to only allow single web page integration into a slide. This week that changed now as many web pages as one may want can be integrated. In addition to this versions of the plug-in have been finished for PP2003 and PP2007. Took a bit of playing but the tool with these additions should be even more stable and user friendly. One of the annoyances with the plug-in was its insistance on a slide being selected in the left hand pane in PP before it allowed web content insertion, this has also now been solved.
Finally, a bit of time has been put into clearing up the WILD web interface with time to put in next week in addition.
A pretty happy successful implementation week.
on a slide containing other web content. At the time the plug-in was setup to only allow single web page integration into a slide. This week that changed now as many web pages as one may want can be integrated. In addition to this versions of the plug-in have been finished for PP2003 and PP2007. Took a bit of playing but the tool with these additions should be even more stable and user friendly. One of the annoyances with the plug-in was its insistance on a slide being selected in the left hand pane in PP before it allowed web content insertion, this has also now been solved.
Finally, a bit of time has been put into clearing up the WILD web interface with time to put in next week in addition.
A pretty happy successful implementation week.
User trials and forthcoming demonstrations
Been a very busy time with the project approaching completion alongside the semester flying by. The plug-in has been used in lecture theatres here on campus over the duration of the semester with the only issue being linked to permissions when logging in as a temporary user. A couple of weeks ago the plug-in was demo'd at the making web 2 work for you workshop and low and behold the web insert worked well but WILD fell a bit flat on its backside because of problems with PowerPoint versions and the wireless connectivity. Next week we have a couple of user sessions planned for demonstration and I hope that it will encourage a range of campus staff to trial the sytem over the second semester.
Friday, 9 October 2009
End of a good thing
Well at the end of today I (keith) will be leaving wild as a full time payed programmer :(
BUT FEAR NOT! I will be Returning as a Post grad student to work on WILD some more!
I would like to thank Darren S and Darren M for the support and for the oppotunity to work on this fantastic project. I hope my masters can expand the wild project more, as i will be working 12 hours a day on it (-4 hours for food and coffee and -6 for WOW).
For a little up date, we have a working Demo (text input only) of the WILD web interface. and we have also 2 other test systems on the go, one that is a copy of the demo but with working upload and the start of multiple choice activities.
I have also started some templates for the system in my spare time, heres a looky at one:
Default: Here
WILD: Here (with some mini Alterations by Darren S)
BUT FEAR NOT! I will be Returning as a Post grad student to work on WILD some more!
I would like to thank Darren S and Darren M for the support and for the oppotunity to work on this fantastic project. I hope my masters can expand the wild project more, as i will be working 12 hours a day on it (-4 hours for food and coffee and -6 for WOW).
For a little up date, we have a working Demo (text input only) of the WILD web interface. and we have also 2 other test systems on the go, one that is a copy of the demo but with working upload and the start of multiple choice activities.
I have also started some templates for the system in my spare time, heres a looky at one:
Default: Here
WILD: Here (with some mini Alterations by Darren S)
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Teaching an "old" dog, new tricks
OK, I'm not a fantastic Web Dev and tbh there are gaps in my learning, i know enough to get me by and produce some reasonable stuff.
This project has made me have to take a step back and at the same time, take a step up. Today i have learned that to make a web page you do not need to put ANY html in it at all.... this was some what of a daunting concept, since my learning is centre around traditional HTML/CSS etc. So now we throw in OOP PHP... well as Darren Stephens will attest to, i was some what perplex/confused/down right Stupefied!
OOP (for people that do not know) stands for Object Orientated Programming. In first year of my BSc we touched on this and if I'm honest i fell over at the first attempt.. i simply was not very good at it. i have struggled to grasp the concept of OOP ever since. to my surprise i manged to explain to a non Programmer how OOP works (in an abstract context)
I told martin (one of the Players on my pool team) that OOP works something like this:
A house is a OBJECT
A house has windows which is a CLASS with in the object
A window has ATTRIBUTES like size colour
A window has METHODS like Open close
A window can have an INSTANCE of the class, so Stained glass is different type of Window but still falls in the class of window.
he got the jist of it, but tbh i wasn't 100% sure if i was right about it, but i digress.
the following is a snippet of Code from the wild project html Client page:
This project has made me have to take a step back and at the same time, take a step up. Today i have learned that to make a web page you do not need to put ANY html in it at all.... this was some what of a daunting concept, since my learning is centre around traditional HTML/CSS etc. So now we throw in OOP PHP... well as Darren Stephens will attest to, i was some what perplex/confused/down right Stupefied!
OOP (for people that do not know) stands for Object Orientated Programming. In first year of my BSc we touched on this and if I'm honest i fell over at the first attempt.. i simply was not very good at it. i have struggled to grasp the concept of OOP ever since. to my surprise i manged to explain to a non Programmer how OOP works (in an abstract context)
I told martin (one of the Players on my pool team) that OOP works something like this:
A house is a OBJECT
A house has windows which is a CLASS with in the object
A window has ATTRIBUTES like size colour
A window has METHODS like Open close
A window can have an INSTANCE of the class, so Stained glass is different type of Window but still falls in the class of window.
he got the jist of it, but tbh i wasn't 100% sure if i was right about it, but i digress.
the following is a snippet of Code from the wild project html Client page:
Coorrrrreecctiiioonnnn i was going to, but basically Blogger wont let me and i could not find any thing in the help pages to change this...
I'll be back later with Screenshots...
a disgruntled ~Keith
EDIT
Told you i would be back! Ok our HTML code samples:
in here you can see the standard HTML is present and the php function for connecting to a database and calling a query.
Ok now this is the same code in OOP PHP:
In the words of a favorate Character of mine "It not even sound same!"
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