myUnisa Functionality:
Expanding the Sakai Tool Offering
Francette Myburgh
Pretoria
South Africa
Students using myUnisa
• 1st registration 2006: 205962 students
• 93000 students joined myUnisa
• 10724 courses on myUnisa
Unisa Student Distribution
668
Unisa students
in Africa
Internet Accessibility 2005
2%
2%
3%
Work
8%
Home
2%
Library
47%
Internet Café
Unisa Learning Centre
Library
Other
36%
Access Frequency 2005
3%
13%
28%
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Hardly Ever
56%
Distance Learning
• Standard toolset – no choice to lecturer
• Students not on campus
– Few opportunities for dialogue beyond
material
– Single interface for all student info
– Access to personal information
– Intuitive navigation and use
– 24/7 service (international timelines)
Questionnaire Results
• 60 000 requests sent
• 20 000 students completed
• Two HP iPAQs as prizes
Voted Features for LMS 2005
Online submission of assignments
Academic calendar (exam and other dates)
Assignment due dates and reminders
Online subject registrations
Online course materials (including tutorial letters)
Online payments
Email alerts
Financial information
Prescribed book information
Track-and trace information (for packages mailed)
Online research resources
myUnisa Toolset
• Based on SAKAI version 2.0.1
• Previous LMS tools
• 19 Unisa Tools
– Kept to Sakai Style and Views
– Seamless integration
• 6 Sakai tools
Deciding on the Toolset
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Comparison of previous LMS
functionality
Compare combined list with Sakai
features and functions
Gap analysis
Comparative report
Methodology
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Requirements for myUnisa based on:
– Functionality in LMS missing from Sakai
– Functionality improvement from previous
LMS
– Feasibility study was conducted (in parallel)
• Technical feasibility
• Comparison with technology used for
development (struts)
• Compliance with SAKAI user interface
standards
Methodology
• Project planning
• Documentation
– User specification
– Functional specification
– Test reports
• Development in three environments
Style sheet information
Frequently Asked Questions (Lecturer list view)
Tool title:
Frequently Asked Questions
View style: Hierarchical List View with Actionable List
attributes
View title: Frequently Asked Question
Action buttons: Update, Clear Selections
Add FAQ Item
Tool title:
Frequently Asked Questions
View style:
Forms View
View Title: Add Frequently Asked Question
Action buttons: Submit, Cancel
↑ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Add FAQ
?
Create Category
Student View
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the FAQ to view or choose Revise to edit the specific FAQ.
▼ Title
▼Modified
Remove?
▼General
►Examinations
16/09/2005
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13/09/2005
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16/09/2005
Year mark composition
Revise
Availability of old examination papers
Revise
►Study guides
16/09/2005
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13/09/2005
□
16/09/2005
Editions that can be used
Revise
Errata for the current guides
Revise
Update
Clear Selections
Joining myUnisa
• Must JOIN to use myUnisa
– Not called “registration”
• Activation of myUnisa account
– Verification on each field (names/dates)
– Option of being part of Class List
– Incorrect e-mail addresses
– Checking e-mails sent to students
Dear student,
NB: This is an automated response - do not reply to this e-mail.
Your myUnisa account has been created and must be activated before
you can login.
Please click on this link in order to activate your myUnisa account:
Activate myUnisa account
or copy and paste the following in the address field in your browser:
https://my.unisa.ac.za/unisajoin/myUnisaJoin.do?action=activate
Student number: 31014712
Activation code: 61207442.
After activation you may login to myUnisa at
https://my.unisa.ac.za
with your student number and chosen password.
Access to myUnisa
• Forgotten Password
– Incorrect e-mail addresses
– Check e-mails sent to students
• Change Password
– Directly in My Admin
– No e-mail verification
Dear student
NB: This is an automated response - do not reply to this e-mail.
You've received this e-mail in response to having selected the "Forgotten Your Password?"
link on myUnisa.
If you did not forget your password and do not want to change it, ignore this e-mail.
Your new password will only be activated on myUnisa when you click on the link provided
below.
You may change the password by selecting the appropriate link under "My Admin" once
you have logged in.
Your new myUnisa user account details:
Student number : 8806551
New password : 1284667988
Click on:
Activate new password
or copy and paste the following in the address field in your browser:
https://my.unisa.ac.za/unisapassword/forgotPassword.do?action=activate&dpw=1284667988&stno=8806
551
Sites setup in myUnisa
For students:
For lecturers:
– My Admin
– My Students
– Course sites
– Course sites
– My Workspace
– My Workspace
myUnisa: My Admin
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Admin information for distance student
Unisa developed all the tools
Integrates with Unisa SIS
Tools have been aggregated
– View and updates together
My Admin Site
• Assignment marks
(summative)
• Academic record
• Biographical details
• Change password
• Examination results
• Financial details
• Parcel information
• Registration details
• Study fees quotation
My Students Site
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Assignments
Academic Record
Examination Results
File Manager
Financial Details
Mailing List
Parcel Tracking
Student List
Prescribed Books
myUnisa: Teaching/Learning
Communication
• Discussion forums
• Email to course
• Bulk e-mail from
Lecturer
• Class List
• Academic List
• Announcements
Learning
• Welcome message
• Resources
• Prescribed books
• FAQs
• Schedule
Assessment
• Assignments submission
• Assignment results
• Examination results
myUnisa: FAQ Tool
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Existed in previous LMS
Modelled on structure of Announcement Tool
Add, Edit and Delete for Lecturer
View only for Students
Structure
– Category
– Question
– Answer
• Database design
FAQ
Add FAQ
Remove FAQ
DB
DB
Revise/ Edit FAQ
Add FAQ
Create Category
ViewAll FAQ
StudentView
FAQ
Add FAQ
View Specific
FAQ
Create
Category
Revise/ Edit FAQ
Remove FAQ
E-mail Tool
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Supports individual e-mail exchange
By lecturer choice
Course mailbox
Access from mail client
Student e-mail address transformed
MIS
myUnisa: Mailing List
• Existed in previous LMS
• Sends bulk e-mail to course or group of
courses
• Built on James
• Shares functionality with Student List
• Soon with SMS
myUnisa: Welcome Message
• MOTD used for general messages in My
Workspace
• Welcome Tool is course specific
• Not an Announcement
• Default message
• Still need to add graphics capability
Roles
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Primary lecturer
Secondary lecturer
Undergraduate student
Postgraduate student
Tutor
Courseware administrator
Observer
Head of Department
Roles Updates
• Student system function
• Departmental responsibility
• Primary lecturer = site creation
myUnisa Support
• Unisa ICT Portal and Academic Solutions
team:
– 4 system administrators and software architects
– 7 software developers
– 1 business analyst
• Call Centre - 3 dedicated support staff for
students (tel and e-mail)
• 4 support staff to assist lecturers
Future Requirements
• Direct updates
– Negotiate and develop more updating tools
• Expand financial functions
– Direct electronic payments
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Integrate library functions via Twin Peaks
RSS feeds for recommended articles
Utilize authoring tools (Melete)
Incorporate XML syllabus information
Future Requirements
• Link to Courier service
• Implement sections and groups
– Post graduate courses
• Personalize
– Personal greeting
– Language differentiation
Questions?