v 8.14.2008

The specification and schedule of milestones below derives from teacher feedback in 2007/2008, extensive feedback from Keisha Varma, and analysis by the TelsDesign team at UC Berkeley.

Visual Design Document

VERSION HISTORY

Specification

Summary: 

Journal is not a Step type per se, but rather a global tool accessible via a button in the student VLE.  The Journal tool allows students to take notes and collect/collate data and information as they move through a project, regardless of their current location in the project.  For instance, the student could create a "custom" journal page, insert a data table onto the page, and then populate this table with data as they run multiple trials of a Concord simulation model.  The Journal also allows the author to create "required" Journal pages which the student must complete over the course of the project.

Author Use Case:

The author can author one or more "Required" journal pages that will appear for all students in the project.  The students can't delete or reorder these required pages, just respond to them.  The author writes an Instructions statement for each required journal page (tells students what to do for the journal page in question).  The author can also click an "Import File" link to attach a image, movie, PDF, or other file to the end of the Instructions text.  For each Journal page created the author specifies its  "Accessibility" (always available, available when student reaches step, available when student enters a code offered by teacher).  The author can also specify if a required journal page includes a Data Graph for student to fill in (the author creates the data graph template).  Or an author can specify that the journal page includes a Drawing template  (author can set background with a custom graphic or an included graph-paper background, author can include 1 or more stamp icons).  Lastly, the Author can place "Launch Journal" step icons into the student Activity/Step navigation menu, and specify a journal page for each.  When the student clicks these step icons the journal is opened to a particular page.

Student Use Case:

The student can open/close the Journal at any time during a project using the main Journal button.  The student can also launch the Journal (opening to a particular section) by clicking on a Launch Journal step type that the author embedded in the navigation bar.  The student sees a list of Thumbnails on the left, and a Journal Page area on the right.  Clicking any thumbnail shows the corresponding journal page (each journal page can scroll vertically if it has lots of content).    If the author created "required" pages they appear at the top of the Thumbnail list.  The student can respond to them but can't delete/reorder required pages.   Some required pages may automatically place a data graph or a drawing template in the Journal Page area, for the student to use.  The student can select from a "Journal Tools" menu to do things like create a PDF file of the entire journal, or print the entire journal.   Note that some Journal Pages may not be viewable until the student either reaches a matching step in the project or inputs a code that the teacher given by the teacher.

The student can also create new custom Journal Pages at any time and populate them with information.  The student can delete or reorder custom pages as desired.  The student can manually type or cut/paste text into any Journal page.  In addition the  user can select from a "Page Tools" menu that let's them attach files (images, etc), Import data from a Step, Export the data in the journal page to a Step, Insert a Data Table (student can then format and fill in data), Create a Drawing (WiseDraw tool with blank background), or Create a Graph (Wisedraw tool with the graph-paper background).

Engineering Schedule:

Level 1 Milestones (for Keisa runs circa November 2008)

1. Student:  open/close the journal from a main "Journal Button" (in the VLE's main button panel).
   1.  Journal is a pop-up window that can stay on screen at same time as the main VLE.  The Journal window should always appear above the main VLE (can't get lost).  The student should be able to resize the Journal window to some degree.
2. Student:  click on any thumbnail to see the matching Journal Page to the right.
3. Student:  each journal page shows a timestamp for
   1. Created On:
   2. Revised On:
4. Student:  click "Add Page/Delete Page" button to add/delete Thumbnails and matching "custom" journal pages.
   1. The Thumbnail bar contains small rectangles representing each journal Page.  When you select/highlight a thumbnail its content is show in full detail in the Page Window area. The student can add/delete custom Pages as they desire.  Student can also reorder their Custom pages.   Note that any Required pages (created by the project author) are shown at the beginning of the thumbnail list.  They can be edited by the student but not deleted or reordered.  Custom pages appear after the Required pages.
5. Student:  can manually type text into any Journal Page or cut/paste text.
6. Student:  clicking any "Launch Journal" step opens the Journal with a particular page active (specified by author)
7. Student:  can click a "Save Snapshot to Journal' during Concord models/simulations.  When clicked, the Journal opens, a blank page is created in the journal and the snapshot image is placed in the new blank page (possibly with a SFX and simple animation).  The student can then close add text to the new Journal page or close the Journal and keep working with the model.
8. Author:  create one or more "required" pages that will appear in the student journals for a project.  Author starts by adding a "Launch Journal" step in the Act/Step navigation.  Initially the authoring window will have no Journal Pages, so the user clicks an "Add Journal" page to create new items.  The author clicks a radio button next to the Journal Page which should be highlighted when the student opens the current step.   The user can also delete Journal pages (with confirmation).
9. Author:  write Instructions text for any required journal page
10. Author:  click a "Add Image" button.  Select an image file from local computer (PNG, GIF, JPG).  The image is added to the end of the Instructions text (centered). The file is also marked added to the WISE server and marked as an attachment for the current project (user can edit/manage attachments separately with the File Attachment Tool)
11. Author:  author can place an "Launch Journal" step anywhere in the Act/Step navigation sequence, and specify which Journal page should be highlighted when the student clicks the Launch Journal icon.

Level 2 Milestones (for December 2008)

1. Student:  can format text as Bold, Italic, Underline, or give it a Color (could be part of the MultiTool)
2. Student:  "Add image" button.  If clicked it allows student to select a local image file (PNG, GIF, JPG), and paste it into the current Journal Page.  Student also needs a way to delete a image already embedded in the Journal Page (perhaps click the item and press a Delete button or the Delete key).
3. Student:  "Page Tools" pop-up menu button.  3 choices -- Create Data Table, Create Graph. Create Drawing (using modified Concord MultiTool). 
   1. Create Data Table.  Use Concord tool, modifying UI where needed for better ease of use.
   2. Create Drawing.   Activates drawing tool with blank background.
   3. Create Graph. 
4. Student "Save Snapshot" button.  When student is working in a Concord or other simulation model we should have a distinctive looking "Save snapshot to Student Journal."  This button takes a snapshot of the current simulation screen, opens the Student Journal, creates a NEW journal page, and places the snapshot on the new page.  The student can then close the journal (or keep it open and keep working on the simulation model).
5. Author:  set a Journal page's Accessibility to be "Always Available" or "Available when student reaches step X"  (author specifies the Activity/Step).
   1. If Always Available:  the student can see the journal page at any time.
   2. If Available When Student reaches step X":  the student can't see the journal page until they have reached the Step specified by the author..  Until then the journal page shows the message "You can start working on this journal page after completing Activity X, Step Y."

Level 3 Milestones (for January 2009)

1. Student:  Auto-presentation of a "Instructions" window when Journal first launched.  See Visual Design Document for content.    The student clicks a "Close" button when done reading.  Student can click a "Instructions" button to view the instructions information at any time.  Note:  we want to introduce this "Instructions" tool to other step types soon.
2. Student:  snazzy yet fast animation as the Journal opens/closes.
3. Student:  keyboard shortcut to open/close the Journal  (ideally "Cmd-J")
4. Student:  five levels of undo when working on a Journal Page.  Visible "Undo" button on the journal page, plus a menu item in the VLE tools menu.  Plus a keyboard command.
5. Student:  "Page Tools" pop-up menu.  2 more choices --Export to Step
   1. Export to Step:  Student can export the text/images for the highlighted Journal Page into a particular Step in the project.  Example:  student exports their notes from Journal Page 3 into the body of a Note at A2, Step 5. 

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Implementation Design

• Implementation design Meeting 8-21-08,8-25-08