Sakai and the E-Learning Landscape

Office of the Vice-Provost (IT)

January 31, 2007

http://www.vpit.ualberta.ca/elearning/sakai/

Today’s undergraduate student preferences regarding technology are described in an EDUCAUSE research study of 28,724 undergraduates from 49 universities and community colleges during spring 2006.

Increasing hardware ownership by students…

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Laptops Desktops E-mediadevices

Smartphones

2005

2006

Student preferences regarding use of IT

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

No use Limited Moderate Extensive Exclusive

Preferred use of IT

What was the most valuable benefit of IT in your courses? Students responded that…

• Use of IT improves learning – 65% agree or strongly agree

• IT facilitates prompt feedback from instructor – 69% agree or strongly agree

• Helps me communicate and collaborate more effectively with other students – 55% agree or strongly agree

• IT increases convenience through easy access to syllabi, resources, grades, sample tests, and so forth – 57% agree or strongly agree

Technologies used by respondents….

Podcast Spreadsheets

E-portfolios Presentation software

Instant messaging Course Web site

Webcast Online quizzes or tests

Simulations E-mail

Blogs Online discussions

Student response systems

Online grade books

Discipline-specific IT Social networking software

Students report a generally positive (76%) experience of course management systems (CMS)

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Verynegative

Negative Neutral Positive Verypositive

CMS Experience

The Sakai Product…

A Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) —Suitable for use in teaching and learning, research collaboration, and ad hoc group communication.

Slides identified with the Sakai logo were taken from a presentation given by Anthony Whyte, Community Liaison for the Sakai Foundation, at the Atlanta Sakai Conference in December, 2006.

Sakai relative to other learning management systems…

Collaboration (including eResearch)

TeachingandLearning

Overlapping requirements for teaching and research collaboration

PhysicsResearch

Collaboration

NanotechnologyResearch

Collaboration

Teachingand

Learning

Grid ComputingVisualization

Data Repository

Large DataLibraries

QuizzesGrading Tools

SyllabusSCORM

ChatDiscussionResources

Sakai: Software for the enterprise

CLE — collaboration and learning environment supporting teaching, learning, research and collaboration.

SOA — an extensible, service-oriented architecture and set of tools and services designed for the enterprise. Sakai's CLE offers interoperability, reliability and scalability.

Teaching &Learning

Teaching &Learning

Research &eScience

Research &eScience

PortfoliosPortfoliosProjectGroups

ProjectGroups

Sakai: Software for the enterprise

FOSS — free open-source software to acquire, use, modify and distribute; no fees or royalties.

Apache-style license encourages a wide range of use including commercial applications.

Teaching &Learning

Teaching &Learning

Research &eScience

Research &eScience

PortfoliosPortfoliosProjectGroups

ProjectGroups

Sakai: Software for the enterprise

COMPOSITION — academic institutions and commercial organizations working in partnership with standards bodies and other open-source initiatives.

GOALS — work collaboratively to develop innovative software applications designed to enhance teaching, learning, research and collaboration within higher education.

Teaching &Learning

Teaching &Learning

Research &eScience

Research &eScience

PortfoliosPortfoliosProjectGroups

ProjectGroups

The Sakai Community – collaboration & innovation

VALUES — knowledge sharing, information transparency, meritocracy, “do-ocracy.”

IMPLEMENTATION — currently 100+ volunteers representing 30+ academic institutions and commercial organizations active in developing and testing Sakai releases.

AcademicInstitutions

AcademicInstitutions

CommercialEnterprises

CommercialEnterprises

Non-profits

Non-profits

StandardsBodies

StandardsBodies

Sakai: Oversight and CoordinationMISSION — manage and protect

IP; serve as a liability shield for the community; provide basic infrastructure and small staff; help coordinate design, development, testing and distribution of software; advocate for open source and open standards.

GOVERNANCE — ten board members elected by partner reps to serve three-year terms; Executive Director manages day-to-day operations.

Sakai Foundation

Exec. DirectorExec. Director

Sakai StaffSakai Staff

Board of DirectorsBoard of Directors

Sakai Partners

Sakai Partners

A member-funded non-profit501(c3) corporation

A member-funded non-profit501(c3) corporation

Sakai: Oversight and Coordination

PARTNERS — member institutions and organizations contribute $10K per year ($5K for smaller institutions).

Membership is optional.

BUDGET — underwritten by members; annual budget of approximately $1M funds.

RESOURCES – 4-6 staffers, administrative services, computing infrastructure, project oversight, conferences, Sakai Fellows and outreach activities.

Sakai Foundation

Exec. DirectorExec. Director

Sakai StaffSakai Staff

Board of DirectorsBoard of Directors

Sakai Partners

Sakai Partners

A member-funded non-profit501(c3) corporation

A member-funded non-profit501(c3) corporation

Sakai commercial partners

XXXSerrensoftSerrensoft

Sakai History 2003-2004

FOUNDERS — Michigan, Indiana, MIT and Stanford in partnership with uPortal and Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI).

GOALS — Share ownership, adopt Apache-style licensing; secure funding and staffing; implement Sakai by end of 2005, build a community; achieve project sustainability.

FUNDING — Launched with $4.4M in shared staff (27 FTEs); $2.4M Mellon, $300K Hewlett grants; additional investment via community partners.

Sakai 2004-2006100,000+ USERS — Indiana, UNISA

11,000-50,000 USERS — Berkeley, Cambridge, Cape Town, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Yale

1,500-10,000K USERS — Cerritos, Charles Sturt, Fernando Pessoa, Lleida, North-West, Roskilde, Rutgers, Saginaw Valley, UC Merced, Whitman

CONSORTIA — Etudes Alliance (31); Appalachian College Association (35); UNC TLTC (16); Claremont Colleges (8); Ohio Learning Network; Sakai Quebec

ALLIANCES — UK’s Tetra Collaboration (Oxford, Cambridge, Hull, Leads, UHI)

TOTAL — 200+ pilot/production installations

eFundi, North-West University, South Africa

Sakai: an international initiative

• GOOGLE MASHUP

Sakai Distributed Development Team

HIGHER ED DEVELOPERS BY LOCATION (n=102)

US79%

UK9%

ZA6%NL

4%ES1%

PT1%

USUKZANLESPT

AFFILIATION

• Higher Ed = 102 (87.93%)• Commercial = 13 (11.21%)• Non-profit = 1 (0.86%)

LOCATION• USA = 93• UK = 10• South Africa = 6• Netherlands = 4• Spain = 1• Portugal = 1• Canada = 1• TOTAL = 116

Sakai Technology StackJAVA — Sakai consists of

technologies common to Java enterprise environments.

WEB SERVER — Apache Server/Apache Tomcat (mod_jk); Apache Tomcat

UI FRAMEWORK — JavaServer Faces (JSF), Apache Velocity, Reasonable Server Faces (RSF).

COMPONENT INJECTION — Spring

OBJECT/RELATIONAL MAPPING — Hibernate

DB SERVER — Oracle, MySQL and HSQL (for demos).

Java 1.5

Java 1.5

Oracle 9i/10gMySQL 4.1HSQL (demo)

Oracle 9i/10gMySQL 4.1HSQL (demo)

Spring

Hibernate

Tomcat 5.5

JSF/Velocity/RSF

Sakai 2.x

Apache

SSLmod_jkWEBISOVirtualhosting

Apache

SSLmod_jkWEBISOVirtualhosting

Sakai SOA Component-Based ExpansionSOA Components — A pattern for

decomposing a single application into distinct components, each with a well-defined data model, contract (API), independent implementation and documented dependencies.

SELECT — download and install the Sakai Application Framework (SAF); choose and configure tools, supporting services and database that meets your requirements.

INTEGRATE — connect to local student and course information systems (SIS), single-sign-on systems (SSO), etc.

Sakai Framework

ServiceComponents

CustomConfiguration

CustomConfiguration

UI/Tool Components

Sakai SOA Component-Based Expansion

CUSTOMIZE — add local customizations, adjust look and feel, choose default language, etc.

DEPLOY — implement production-ready CLE utilizing tools, services and other capabilities contributed by the Sakai Community.

Sakai Framework

ServiceComponents

CustomConfiguration

CustomConfiguration

UI/Tool Components

Sakai 2.3 ToolsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsBlog (*)Blog (*)Discussion Discussion Drop BoxDrop BoxCalendarCalendarChat RoomChat RoomEmail ArchiveEmail ArchiveForumsForumsLinkTool (*)LinkTool (*)Message Of The DayMessage Of The DayMessage Center (*)Message Center (*)News/RSSNews/RSSPodcasting (*)Podcasting (*)

(*) indicates tool is provisional for release 2.3(*) indicates tool is provisional for release 2.3

PreferencesPreferencesPresentationPresentationProfile/RosterProfile/RosterRepository Search (*)Repository Search (*)ResourcesResourcesSakaiscripts (*)Sakaiscripts (*)ScheduleScheduleSearch (*)Search (*)Site Stats (*)Site Stats (*)SU tool (*)SU tool (*)Web Content Web Content WebDAVWebDAVWikiWikiWorksite SetupWorksite Setup

Sakai 2.3 Tools - continued

Assignments

Gradebook

Melete Module EditorQTI Authoring (*)QTI Assessment (*)Roster (*) Section MgmtSyllabusTwinPeaks (*)Postem (*)

(*) indicates tool is provisional for release 2.2(*) indicates tool is provisional for release 2.2OSP PortfolioOSP Portfolio

Portfolio

Forms (*)Evaluations (*)Glossary (*)Layouts (*)Matrices (*)Reports (*)Templates (*)Wizards (*)

Sakai upgrades for 2007

Administration• Installer Package

Collaboration• Shared Whiteboard• Shared Display• Multipoint Audio• Multipoint Video

Teaching & Learning• OCW Tool• SCORM Support• IMS Common

Cartridge

Lanc’s Shared WhiteboardLanc’s Shared Whiteboard

Sakai InstallerSakai Installer

UofM OCW tagging toolUofM OCW tagging tool

Lanc’s Shared DisplayLanc’s Shared Display

Sakai at the University of Michigan

CASE STUDY: WEB APP SERVERS• CLUSTER — 8 X Dell PowerEdge 2650 (dual

2.4-3.2 GHz CPU 32 bit, 4 GB RAM), bandwidth allocation 1 Gbps

• STACK — Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL-AS3), Apache 1.3/cosign/mod_jk,Tomcat 5.5.x, Java 1.5, Sakai 2.2

• LOAD BALANCERS: PRIMARY & FAILOVER

• 2 X NetScaler RS9800 Secure Application Switch, high availability, 10/100/1000 Mbps copper, 1 GB Memory

Sakai at the University of Michigan — cont.

CASE STUDY: DATA STORAGE• DATABASE CLUSTER: PRIMARY & REPLICATED

• 2 X SunFire V480 (quad 900 MHz CPU 32 bit, 20 GB RAM), 3 X StorEdge 3310 SCSI RAID Arrays w/12 73 GB disks Bandwith allocation 1 Gbps, standby mode (replication server), tape backups, off-site storage

• STACK — Solaris 8, Sun RAID Mgmt tools, Oracle 10g

• FILESYSTEM — AFS, 1 TB file storage

In sum, the Sakai Project… • Provides a comprehensive, fully integrated learning

management system.

• Includes a research collaboration system.

• Provides a workflow engine.

• Is intended to integrate with institutional ERP systems (e.g. PeopleSoft).

• Enables us to avoid escalating licensing fees associated with Blackboard’s market dominance.

• Involves well-organized community source development.

• Is based on open licensing with no restriction on commercialization.

• Has been adopted by a number of large research universities (e.g. Michigan, MIT, Indiana, Stanford).

Questions we are asking about Sakai:• What technical resources are required?

• How mature is Sakai?

• Is Sakai interoperable with our existing systems including:

– Student registration systems

– Libraries

– Finance

– Research

– Digital repositories

• Does it have the functionality we require for teaching & learning?

• What are the relative benefits/costs of purchasing vs collaborative development?

• What are the challenges and rewards with becoming a community source partner?

• Will the Sakai community continue to grow?

Credits & Demonstrations

R.N. Katz (2006). The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2006 – Key Findings. (www.educause.edu )

A. Mitra & J Hardin, Sakai presentation at Austin Sakai Conference – 2005. (www.educause.edu)

A. Whyte, Sakai presentation at Atlanta Sakai Conference – 2006. (www.sakaiproject.org)

For Sakai demonstrations, please visit: www.longsight.com and http://testdrivesakai.net