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Information about planned features for upcoming ILIAS releases

Resource management tool

This is the outdated wiki page for the resource management tool, know called Booking Tool. Nevertheless, we offer this page as a document for the development of the tool.

1 Description

Intention: The resource management tool shall handle the booking of resources like consultation hours, themes of seminar papers or even hardware resources or rooms.
We understand a resource as a collection of items:
  • simple items (title + description + some information), e.g. paper topics
  • time slot items, e.g. consultation hours
  • physical items that are booked for a time period, e.g. a beamer or a room
The tool shall be flexible enough to handle different types of resources. Therefore it has to have a possibility for defining a resource type and its options and input fields in the administration. Maybe we should offer something like a plug-in for new resources. New resource types should be easy to define / create but offered globally in one installation. Integration and connection to other ILIAS services is highly appreciated (calendar, mail, desktop).

2 Some Examples:

Example 1: Tutor [T] creates a consultation hour for students in a course, group or category.
  1. T adds new "Resource" to a course
  2. T selects type «consultation hour» in the resource tool and defines
    • name and description of this resource (we need a better wording!)
    • the number of offered slots and/or (e.g. 5)
    • each slot has the same duration (e.g. 30 minutes)
    • T defines one or multiple start date/times for the set of slots
    • additional settings:
      • number of allowed users for a slot (e.g. two students per consultation slot)
      • number of allowed choices (every user may have two choices) (per slot set)
      • the possibility for participants [P] to enter a comment (e.g. the reason for consultation).
      • start and end date for subscription
      • notification (enabled | disabled)
  3. P can enter an available resource and make a choice according to the settings (e.g. P enters first and second choice for a consultation hour and a topic to discuss).
  4. ILIAS
    • stores the choice and (may) notify T.
    • is adding date / time of the slot to the user's calendar.
  5. T confirms the user's choices
  6. ILIAS
    • displays confirmed slot on the info screen of the resource
    • sends a notification to the user
Example 2: Tutor [T] creates a series of paper topics for students in a course, group or category.
  1. T adds new "Resource" to a course
  2. T selects type «paper topics» in the resource tool and defines
    • name and description of this resource (we need a better wording!)
    • the number of offered topics (=slots) and/or (e.g. 5)
    • each slot has a title
    • additional settings:
      • number of allowed users for a topic/slot
      • number of allowed choices
      • the possibility for participants [P] to enter a comment (e.g. the reason for consultation).
      • start and end date for subscription
      • notification (enabled | disabled)
  3. P can enter an available resource and make a choice according to the settings (e.g. P enters first and second choice).
  4. ILIAS
    • stores the choice and (may) notify T.
  5. T confirms the user's choices
  6. ILIAS
    • displays confirmed slot on the info screen of the resource
    • sends a notification to the user
Example 3: Administrator [T] defines a series of hardware items for tutors.
  1. A adds new "Resource" to global resource folder
  2. A selects type «hardware item» in the resource tool and defines
    • name (beamer) and description of this resource
    • the number of offered items (beamers) and/or (e.g. 5)
    • each item has a title
    • a valid time period (general resource availability), e.g. mo-fr 9am to 6pm
    • additional settings:
      • number of allowed users for an item (1)
      • number of allowed choices (1)
      • the possibility for participants [P] to enter a comment (e.g. the reason for consultation).
      • start and end date for subscription
      • notification (enabled | disabled)
  3. T can enter desired time frame, system will offer available items in this time frame
  4. ILIAS
    • stores the choice and (may) notify A.
  5. A confirms the user's choices
  6. ILIAS
    • displays confirmed slot on the info screen of the resource
    • sends a notification to the user

3 Alternative

Consultation Hours, paper topics and hardware resources are managed in different ways:

Paper Topics
  • Created in Courses by Tutors
  • Accessed in Courses by Learners

Consultation Hours
  • Created on Personal Desktop by Tutors
  • Accessed by students via tutor's public profiles
(Problem: Chair staff has to manage this information usually.)

Resources
  • Examples: Room, Flip Chart, Beamer, Notebook, Hotel Rooms, Tutor, ...
  • Types of resources are defined in the administration
  • Resources are created in administration or categories (new resources tab)
  • Booking is done in repository, all resources defined in current position or above can be booked.

3.1 Discussion

First suggestions were posted in the ILIAS-Forum: http://www.ilias.de/iosbb/viewtopic.php?p=16224
example a) A first version of a little "consultation-hour-tool" was finances by the PHBern - und is actually used by different institutions. It is a tiny tool - not too many features. The FH Dortmund eliminated a security-bug. You can test this litte tool on: http://underconstruction.
example b) Fabian Schmid from the University of Bern improved this tool. Feel free to test this second tool at: http://res.fschmid.ch/admin. It gives you an idea - how simple it could/should be to create dozens of resources/consultation-hours with a resource-management-tool.
JF 06 Apr 2009: Universität Hohenheim offered funding for this feature but need it before end of 2009 (release date 4.1). We need a clear concept for this feature urgently, e.g. which resources can be supported and how. A patch for 4.0 might be the only solution when the feature cannot wait until 4.1.
There is a little planning workshop at 28 APR 09 in Cologne (Qualitus). If you are interested to participate, please let us know (m.kunkel_at_uni-koeln.de)
We (Uni Marburg, HRZ) are as well interested in this feature. I'll just add my considerations as pdf. (Sorry, that the paper is only written in German. If needed I could provide a translation, please send an e-mail to troidl@hrz.uni-marburg.de)
Überlegungen zum Ressource Mangement Tool (K. Troidl, Uni Marburg)
25.09.2009: FH Dortmund is also contributing to the funding of this feature.
Matthias Kunkel, November 02, 2009:
  • For avoiding misunderstandings, this tool is renamed to Booking Tool. A new wiki page has been created to collect information and suggestions for this tool. Please continue the discussion on the Booking Tool page.

Last edited: 02. Nov 2009, 10:21, Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel]

   

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