IMPLEMENTATION OF WIZARD TECHNOLOGY INTO THE

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPAL

Ariane Heller, Sven Schneider and Wolfram Hardt

Computer Engineering, University of Technology Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

Keywords: Learning Management System OPAL, Wizard technology, Framework, e-Learning platform acceptance.

Abstract: Although the acceptance of e-Learning systems continuously rises, until now a clear inhibition threshold is

recognised by inexperienced and little media-competent users. For the Learning Management System OPAL

the problem was analysed under the aspect of user-friendliness. For user-friendly support a Wizard

framework was developed and implemented. This enables the integration of electronic assistants into

OPAL. Besides, the analysed workflow presents the basis for the Wizard technology in OPAL. To

guarantee productive and efficient work for an author by preparing courses in OPAL, the Wizard course

preparation is introduced. Afterwards the Wizard for the realisation of electronic semester resources in

OPAL is presented.

1 INTRODUCTION

For the wide integration of net-supported teaching

and learning scenarios a simple handling of e-

Learning applications shows a key place to uses. The

up to now high integration effort deters mainly the

unskilled user from e-Learning systems. To extend

e-Learning systems on a huge number of suppliers

and users an automated and comfortable user

guidance is necessary. Besides, the offerings are the

teachers; they provide e-Learning modules and build

these in a system. Users are the learners who use

these e-Learning modules. Often the teachers have

the problem to integrate their learning content

efficiently and certainly into suitable platforms.

Various steps are to be processed systematically.

The kind of the format of the individual teaching and

learning scenario determines the different steps

which can become for the teacher the challenge.

On the one hand, to enlarge e-Learning to a huge

number of teachers an automated and comfortable

user guidance is necessary. Also it is an essential

requirement to integrate e-Learning in the

conventional university and academic operations. As

the first the preparation of courses at OPAL is

realised with the help of electronic assistants.

Therefore the Wizard technology is implemented

with a developed framework. Further the integration

of electronic semester resources in the Learning

Management System (LMS) OPAL is realised by

assistants on the Wizard technology.

A semester

resource is a list of selected literature, references,

papers and so on required for a specific subject

during a semester, something like a reserve book

list.

The Learning Management System OPAL based

on the e-Learning platform OLAT. This is an open

source project of the University of Zurich. The Java-

based platform was published in 2004 under the

Apache Licence 2.0 first. OPAL is used in 11 Saxon

universities. The OPAL platform (https://bildungs

portal.sachsen.de/opal/dmz/) is provided by the

educational main portal Saxony (BPS GmbH). Also

it is examined and developed. The web-based

application is already used from more than 20,000

university members of the Free State of Saxony.

Figure 1: Logo eLearning platform OPAL.

2 STATE OF THE ART

2.1 OPAL-workflow

The general structure of e-Learning courses is shown

with the help of the implemented flow in OPAL.

The course organisation occurs in meta information,

514

Heller A., Schneider S. and Hardt W..

IMPLEMENTATION OF WIZARD TECHNOLOGY INTO THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPAL.

DOI: 10.5220/0003470705140517

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computer Supported Education (UeL-2011), pages 514-517

ISBN: 978-989-8425-50-8

 2011 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

structural information and concrete contents.

Information like course title, course type, author,

validity of the course is to be deposited at meta

information. Afterwards the structural information is

to be fixed. The linking is carried out by topics and

sections. Usually this happens in tree structure as a

Tabel of Contents. Besides, the concrete content

serve as sheets of this content tree. Finally it is a

matter of generating the concrete contents to the

suitable structural element. As content pages of the

e-Learning topics are to be understood. Therefore

every page exists of elementary objects like text,

pictures or test modules and so on. It is commonly to

specify the arrangement of the objects with

templates.

A Wizard (also named electronic assistant)

consists like the workflow of several steps of the

workflow. If all actions of one step are worked on,

the forwarding occurs to the next step. If the last step

is finished, the task is finished and a result is visible,

e.g. building a new project or class. A Wizard

simplifies certain functions for the user. For

example, the Appwizard in Visual C ++ is used to

build a new project or a new classes.

2.2 Semester Resources

The university libraries provide with the semester

resources specific literature to the lectures of the

professors. Contents of semester resources reach

from well-chosen books, magazine articles and

extracts about important internet links, statistics up

to own materials of the lecturers.

Therefore students find the literature to the

lectures clustered at a central location. An electronic

semester resource provides the teaching materials

and working materials on-line. Generally

configuration and type of use of the classical

semester resource and the electronic form is the

same.

However, the management of on-line materials

offers varied possibilities: a list of the relevant books

with linking of the results in the library catalogue,

magazine articles or book chapters ready for printing

in the pdf-format, internet links with commenting as

well as specific files of the lecturers.

3 IMPLEMENTATION

There are two ways to integrate Wizards into the

existing platform OPAL. It can be integrated directly

into the platform or the Wizard can be implemented

as independent component outside the LMS OPAL

platform. For implementation as an independent

component an interface must be defined for the

communication of Wizards and OPAL. Thus no

standard interfaces are defined for Learning

Management Systems. The defined e-Learning

protocol SCORM serves exclusively the description

of learning contents and so it is not of relevance.

As an alternative solution Wizards are to be

implemented directly in the Learning Management

System OPAL. So the Wizards are optimally

adapted to the existing infrastructure. The user

remains in the known OPAL environment.

3.1 Wizard Technology

With the Wizard framework a defined frame is

developed for the implementation of Wizards in

OPAL. Therefore further Wizard components can be

added simply and efficiently to the system. This is

the basis for a user-friendly realisation of course

preparation and for the realisation of electronic

semester resources in OPAL. The Wizard

framework is integrated as an extension into the

OPAL system. Extensions follow the character of

the plugin concept of OLAT.

The wizard components are implemented

generically. Because OLAT as well as OPAL follow

the Model-View-Controller architecture pattern, this

is also implemented in the Wizard framework. As in

the state of the arte already described workflows

provide the basis for Wizards. The Wizard controller

reads all registered workflows and present them on

an overview side in the author's area of OPAL. For

every workflow the Wizard controller generates a

workflow manager. This workflow manager controls

and processes the actions of the workflow.

3.2 Wizard for Course Preparation

Five steps are developed and implemented for the

easy preparation of a course in particular for author

beginners. With this Wizard only the course

preparation is realised. Therefore no renewed flow

occurs for the course. Aim is to deliver a ready-to-

use course with some creation options for the user as

result. The Wizard encloses the categories course

preparation and authorisation management. By

course preparation with the Wizard a defined clear

choice of possible modules is given for the course.

Herewith the clarity should be guaranteed for the

user. Therefore it should be made sure that the

teacher is not overwhelmed. Because of non-

existing experience at the beginning of the work

with e-Learning courses, it is not obvious which

IMPLEMENTATION OF WIZARD TECHNOLOGY INTO THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPAL

515

modules are important or make sense. Therefore the

preselecting of modules is an efficient simplification

for the new user.

The second category shows the authorisation

management. The user can fix easily by checkboxes

for whom the course is visible and which modules

may be used.

In the first step the author is asked to give a title

to his course and to provide a description. If this step

is completed the forwarding to the next occurs. The

author can choose the modules that should be part of

the course, using checkboxes. Besides, only a

selection of all possible modules available in OPAL

is indicated. Therefore the author prepares easily a

course with necessary basic modules without deep

study of all available modules in the OPAL

platform. The selection is limited to the modules

information page, registration, download area, forum

and contact form.

The content to these modules is completed after

the end of the course preparation with the

established operations in OPAL. If registration was

marked in the checkboxes, in a next step detailed

options can be set. In the chronologically described

sequence the following points are to be worked on.

A number of learning groups is to be defined for this

course. The number of participants is based on these

groups. Finally it is asked via a checkbox whether

prospective learners for the group are indicated on

waiting lists, moving up or unregister are possible.

By the treatment of the activities the author reaches

the next step, the access configuration.

If no registration was selected at step two the

author is routed directly to the access configuration.

With access configuration also the visibility of the

course is fixed. With checkboxes access and

visibility the author can choose between „access also

for guests“, „only for university members“ and

„access only for enrolled participants“.

With “access only for enrolled participants”

exists also the possibility on carrying out a specific

access configuration for the course modules. As last

step a final page is shown where tips are presented

how is to be continued further and where further and

continuing information is to be found.

3.3 Wizard for Set Up a Semester

Resources

The Wizard is directed to users who want to provide

an electronic semester resources in OPAL. It is

specially designed for lectures and library

employees. Basic function of this Wizard is

preparing and arranging the course electronic

semester resources in OPAL. In OPAL the

department and chair structure of the universities

already exists. Therefore the course electronic

semester resources must be provided and be

integrated in the existing hierarchy.

The Wizard encloses four steps. At the

beginning the course title and a short description are

to be written. Hereby the lecturer can give a detailed

specification of his semester resources (content,

outline, application). If this step is completed the

Wizard proceeds with the next step. A page of

information is indicated. The page contains the

information for the author that is provided as result

of the Wizard a course with the modules

"Download" and "Link List". The module Download

serves the file upload and with the module Link

Lists provides internet links and links to library

catalogue including comments. Therefore a course

with the necessary basic modules is provided for the

realisation of an electronic semester resources

without confronting the user with the extensive

course modules in OPAL. In the following step links

can be put on the Link List. It is to give a free text,

the link name, and the URL.

In the final step of the Wizard the classification

occurs in the OPAL course catalogue.

4 RESULTS

After the implementation of the Wizard framework

and the Wizard for course preparation, an online

survey was carried out by the authors of courses in

the LMS OPAL. The aim of this survey was to

receive a rating from beginner authors of the support

in form of a Wizard. Opinions were questioned in

the areas usability, structure, manageability,

functionality and completeness of the Wizard. The

evaluation of this survey has clearly shown the need

of such a user's support.

A short time after the introduction of the Wizard

for course preparation to OPAL, 41% of all new

provided courses have been already prepared with

the assistant for the course preparation. Therefore

almost half of the authors in OPAL use the

introduction the Wizard for preparing a new course

since them. The online survey was anonymous and

results are outlined below:

• The answers with regard to usability, structure

and manageability of the Wizard illustrate that

this is developed in a user-friendly way and

simply to use. 52% are pleased with the

usability of the electronic assistant and 24%

reviewed the Wizard as easy and intuitive.

CSEDU 2011 - 3rd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

516

• For 70% of the authors the course preparation

assistant provides all the needed functionality.

• 40% confirm the efficiency of the Wizard by

the preparation of courses and 53% find that

with the support by an electronic assistant the

time for preparation of courses in OPAL was

optimised.

• A upgrading of the Wizard technology, for

example the support of other functions in

OPAL with Wizards is wanted by 57%.

Furthermore, the advantage of the Wizard

electronic semester resources will be described next.

Aim of the implementation a Wizard for electronic

semester resources to OPAL was the central

grouping of net-supported services of the study life

like library services. Also the integration in the

learning platform enables to inform about updates

and changes in the semester resources by RSS-

Feeds.

The avoidance of the double storage of data and

information offers an essential advantage. The

benefit of effectiveness for the lecturers or library

employees is to handle and control only one system.

The access to OPAL via Shibboleth authentication

guarantees the password-protected access to the

electronic semester resources with the login of the

university computer centre. Therefore this avoids

additional access data for the user and ensures the

additional benefit of the system by user-friendliness.

With the centralisation and grouping of these

services in an e-Learning platform an efficiency

benefit is reached by the user like lectures and

library employees.

A high degree of user's support shown at the

example of the Wizard technology is necessary to

meet basic acceptance problems and inhibition

thresholds in use of e-Learning platforms like

OPAL. The Wizards serve to reduce uncertainties by

the use of electronic semester resources in OAPL.

5 CONCLUSIONS

In form of the developed framework for

implementing electronic assistants in the LMS

OPAL the implementation of the Wizard technology

was introduced. Besides, the Wizards for preparing a

standard course and for integration the electronic

semester resources in the e-Learning platform OPAL

were described in detail. The developed assistants

are integrated directly into OPAL and are available

for all Saxon universities who use OPAL as an e-

Learning platform.

With integration of electronic semester resources

in OPAL an intensive involvement of library

services occurs in the e-Learning platform. The

acceptance of the e-Learning platform can be raised

by the introduced Wizard technology. There is a

reduction of inhibition thresholds to e-Learning and

according to that the e-Learning system, too.

Because of teachers and learners were satisfied with

the results, the developed assistants will be rolled-

out not only within the Chemnitz University of

technology but also across Saxony.

A high degree of user's support, like at the

shown example of the Wizard technology in OPAL,

meets the basic acceptance problem and inhibition

thresholds in use of e-Learning platforms. The

Wizards serve to reduce uncertainties by the use of

e-Learning offers at the platform OPAL and

electronic semester resources in OAPL. Therefore a

productive and up-to-date work is guaranteed.

REFERENCES

Chiba, S., 1998. Javassist – A Reflection-based

Programming Wizard for Java. In Proceedings of

OOPSLA’98, Workshop on Reflective Programming.

Batory, D. et al, 2000. Design Wizards and Visual

Programming Enviroments for GenVoca Generators.

In IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering,

Vol.26, No.5.

Arnout, K., Simon, R., The .NET Contract Wizard:

Adding Design by Contract to languages other than

Eiffel. In Proceedings of 39

International Conference

and Exhibition on Technology of Object-Oriented

Languages and Systems (TOOLS39).

Lin, J. et al, On Workflow Enabled e-Learning. In

Proceedings of Second IEEE International Conferende

on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT’01).

Swanke, J., 1999. Visual C++ MCF Programming by

Example, Focal Press.

OLAT. http://www.olat.org/website/en/html/index.html

OPAL. https://bildungsportal.sachsen.de/.

Heller A. et al, 2008. Integration der elektronischen

Semesterapparate in das Learning Management

System OPAL durch eine e-Flow Komponente. In

Proceedings of logOS 2008 - Lernen Organisation

Gesellschaft das eCampus-Symposium der

Osnabrücker Hochschulen, Electronic Publishing

Osnabrück.

Heller A. 2009. Integration von elektronischen

Semesterapparaten in das LMS OPAL an der TU

Chemnitz. In Digitalisierung der Hochschule:

Erfahrungen mit Campus-Management-Software

IMPLEMENTATION OF WIZARD TECHNOLOGY INTO THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OPAL

517