Sakai 3: An Overview

Michael KorcuskaExecutive DirectorSakai Foundation

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Sakai 3: Why?

• Changing expectations• Google docs/apps, Social

Networking, Web 2.0• Success of project sites = Sakai

beyond courses

• New technologies• Standards-based, open source

projects• JCR (Jackrabbit)• Open Social (Shindig)

• Client-side programming• JavaScript/AJAX• Fluid Project (fluidproject.org)

• Years of hard-won knowledge

Why Now?

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.John F. Kennedy

Proto by Hubert Stoffels

What?

Technology and Developer Experience

Functionality & User Experience

Community Practices and Culture

Photos by Hobvias Sudoneighm

, Massim

o Valiani, and Mathieu Plourde

END USER PERSPECTIVESakai 3

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Content Organization, Searching & Tagging

Sakai 3 Themes

Learning Space Construction

Academic Networking

Breaking the Site Boundary

Customizable Workflows (No Tool Silos)

The unSakai

Open Teaching

Learning Space Construction

• Really “Scholarly Space”• Teaching & Learning plus….• Research, collaboration and

portfolios

• Principles• Embrace participant content

creation• Simple integration of

interactive options• Author(s) control

presentation and workflow

Photos by Cyprien Lomas

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Academic Spaces: Building Blocks

• Simple Content Authoring:• Easy page creation (wiki-like)• WYSIWYG Editing• Templates (page and site)• Versioning

• Enhanced with Academic Functionality• Interactive Widgets (e.g.

assignments & feedback)• Allows integration of content and

activities

Templates

• Templates provide scaffolding for majority of users• But can be bypassed for advanced needs

• Page Templates• Sections with (editable) content

• Site Templates• Predefined pages and dashboards

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Everything is Content

• Not just files to share• Classic “resources” tool in Sakai (of course)• Discussion post, user profile, test questions• Taggable, searchable, linkable, portable, shareable

• Unified content repository• Content not tied to site• Everything in one storage area

• BUT: Sakai is not a full Content Management System• No complex approval workflows• No fancy layout capabilities• Everyone is an author in Sakai

2

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Sakai 2

Site A Site B

Users find things by remembering what site they were in when they saw it.

Content ManagementPhoto by D

esirée Delgado

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Tags: System, Organizational & UserPermissions: Who has access, under what conditions

SearchSmart

Folders

Content ManagementPhoto by Am

y Veeninga

Sakai 3

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Academic Networking

• Academic Networking• People are important, but “friends” aren’t enough• Related content is also relevant, but not the whole story

• Activity based • Who has taken the same classes?• Who is reading the same articles? Participating in similar discussions?

Content People

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Academic Networking

• A platform for exploration• We aren’t competing with

Facebook• We do believe we need to drive

R&D in this area

• Linking networks together• Sakai to Sakai• Sakai, Moodle, Blackboard, D2L

• Leveraging existing networks• Particularly LinkedIn and Facebook• Sharing profile and activity

information• Creating apps on those platforms

Photo by Joël-Evelyñ-François Dézafit-Keltz

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The Site Boundary

All Art Students Studio Art 101

Year 1 Art Students

User 1User 2User 3User 4User 5...

Year 1 Art Students

User 100User 2User 3User 4User 500...

Users and groups exist within the context of a site.

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Sakai 3 Groups & Sites

• Groups & Sites managed separately• Member of a group – People with something in

common• Access to a site– Collection of content & functionality• Support for hierarchy

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Art Dept.

Art Majors

Studio 101

Studio 101 Students

Guest Judges

Art Majors

Student Work

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Kernel

Tool

ToolTool

Tool

Tool

Tool

Workflow & Architecture

Kernel

Service ServiceService

Service

Serv

iceSe

rvice

• Facilitates independent tool development

• Resists intuitive workflows• Contributes to inconsistent

user experience

Kernel

5

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Workflow & Architecture

Kernel

Workflow

Workflow

WorkflowWorkflow

Wor

kflow

Workflow

Kernel

Service ServiceService

Service

Serv

iceSe

rvice

Kernel

• Workflows built across services• Encourages presentation &

service separation

• Services need to respond to more customers• UX oversight is more

complicated

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Academic Workflow

• Beyond Tool Silos• Academic work flows often cross

tool boundaries• Anything can be graded!• Anything can be discussed!

• This exists in Sakai 2• But it is too difficult and more

needs to be done

• Example: Instructor puts into syllabus an assignment to create a discussion post that will be graded.• 4 tools for both instructors and

students!

Photo by Zoom Zoom

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Workflow Example

Week Readings Activities & Assignments

1 Course PoliciesTextbook Chapter 1

2 Textbook Chapter 2Jackson Article

Write a response to Jackson article & post to discussion forum

Create Assignment…Name: Jackson Reading ResponseDue Date: September 10, 2009Points: 10 (of 150)Type: IndividualDescription: Respond to the Jackson article in no more than 500 words. Post that response to the class discussion forum.Link To: Select...

CreateCancelAdvanced Options…

Select text & click “Create Assignment”

Edit Assignment Information

Link to Something

AllMedia

ImagesVideosAudio

ForumsTestsSite PagesPolls

ChooseNew…

Forums

Jackson Response Forum (3 posts)

Class Intro Forum (27 posts)

Some Other Forum (0 posts)

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Student View

Week Readings Activities & Assignments

1 Course PoliciesTextbook Chapter 1

2 Textbook Chapter 2Jackson Article

Write a response to Jackson article & post to discussion forumAssignment: Jackson Reading Response

Due Date: September 10, 2009 ( due tomorrow)Status: Not submittedPoints: 10 possible (of 150).Description: Respond to the Jackson article in no more than 500 words. Post that response to the class discussion forum. Read more…Link(s): Jackson Response Discussion Forum (Create Post…)

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Student View, Graded

Week Readings Activities & Assignments

1 Course PoliciesTextbook Chapter 1

2 Textbook Chapter 2Jackson Article

Write a response to Jackson article & post to discussion forum

Assignment: Jackson Reading ResponseDue Date: September 10, 2009 (due date passed)Status: Submitted and GradedPoints: 9/10 (of 150). View feedbackDescription: Respond to the Jackson article in no more than 500 words. Post that response to the class discussion forum. Read more…Link(s): Jackson Response Discussion Forum (go to Forum now)

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The unSakai

• Multiple Configurations• Sakai as CMS• Sakai as Collaboration

System• Sakai as Portfolio System

• Sakai Integrations• Google Applications• Social Networks (Open

Social, Facebook)

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The unSakai

Kernel

Service ServiceService

Service

Serv

iceSe

rvice

Kernel

iGoogle

Windows/Mac Widgets Mobile Apps

Facebook

Documented data feeds allow Sakai to appear anywhere

Open Teaching

• Easy to make (parts of) course sites public• or .auth

• Connections to OER repositories?• Inbound, Outbound

Sakai 3 Functional Architecture

Fundamental CapabilitiesWiki-like Content Editing Page Templates Interactive Widgets

Users Groups

Meaningful Arrangements

Dynamic, Collaborative PagesDashboards Defined & Custom Workflows

Public

Unified Content RepositoryUploaded Files Contextual ContentAuthored Pages

Collaboration Spaces

Learning Research Project Portfolio

Personal Spaces

PLE Profile

SAKAI 3 TECHNOLOGYWhy Sakai 3?

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Sakai 3 Technology Goals

• Scalability• Millions of users

• Developer Productivity• Faster builds• UX & back-end development

separated

• Code Quality & Maintenance• Reliance on other open source

efforts• Increase unit testing

• Easier to install/build• To improve initial experience for

new developers

Photo by Luiz Castro

Using Open Source

• Don’t write our own code• If we can help it

• Criteria:• Functionality• License-compatible open source• Open standard• Approachable community

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Sakai and Apache

• Sakai 3 Kernel built on Apache Sling• RESTful web development framework for content

management• Sling incorporates Jackrabbit and Felix

• Everything as content• Discussion post, User profile information, etc.• Components put Content into JCR Content store• Sakai Kernel creates relational indices in DB• Component doesn’t need to do anything• Automatic tracking of most events by kernel

Sling Mindset

• Everything as content• Discussion post, User profile information, etc.• Components put Content into JCR Content

store• Sakai Kernel creates relational indices in DB• Component doesn’t need to do anything• Automatic tracking of most events by kernel

• Philosophy similar to CouchDB• Will require developer education

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JSON

• Sakai Kernel supports JSON microformat• Components use REST calls to interact with

Kernel• Benefits• Back-end services stay Java-based• UX programmers more often skilled in JavaScript• Easier UX developers can work on Sakai

• Tools like GWT can be used for Java-based UI• Components can be written using other languages

COMMUNITY PRACTICES

Community Practices

• Functional Leadership• Design First• Minimize Technology Frameworks• Quality Focused• Unit (and other) Tests

TIMELINES AND ADOPTION

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Official Releases

Timelines

Sakai 2.6

Sakai 2.7

Sakai 3.0

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Previews

HybridMode

Sakai 2.5

Sakai 2.8?

Yes! Or probably

Adopting Sakai

• Adopt 2 or 3?• Not the first question to answer

• First Question:

Do you want to be using Sakai (and be in the community) in the long run?

We can help you figure out how to get there

Path to Sakai

• Straight to 3? Start with 2?• It Depends!• What did you expect?

• On what?• Your production timeline• Your appetite for “.0”

software• Your functional needs• Your support model

Adopting 2 or 3?

Sakai 2.6 or 2.7• Sakai 2 works well today• 3 doesn’t exist yet

• Sakai 2 will be a good path to Sakai 3• Bb/WebCT migration to 2

is well known• Many will be migrating

from Sakai 2 to 3

Straight to Sakai 3• You don’t have a CMS or

you are using something like SharePoint

• Your production timeline is 2012 or later

• You have a very strong preference for Sakai 3

Adopting 2 or 3?

• Maybe the wrong question• Adopt both!• Hybrid mode• Sakai 2 for courses, Sakai 3 for project

collaboration• Gradually move users to Sakai 3