An Open Source Solution to Collaboration Across Distances

Texas Collaborative for Teaching Excellence Funded by the Texas Higher Ed Coordinating Board (THECB) Seven college partners Five centers for teaching and learning, technical and professional development CORD–A non-profit educational clearinghouse

Funded by the Texas Higher Ed Coordinating Board (THECB)

Seven college partners

Five centers for teaching and learning, technical and professional development

CORD–A non-profit educational clearinghouse

Center for Discipline-Specific Professional Development Houston Community College-Northwest Focuses on building knowledge and skills for faculty within a technical specialty or integrated academic discipline. Coordinates instructional module development among the partner colleges of the collaborative. Each college creates discipline-specific teaching modules based on a standard pedagogical template proposed by the center.

Houston Community College-Northwest

Focuses on building knowledge and skills for faculty within a technical specialty or integrated academic discipline.

Coordinates instructional module development among the partner colleges of the collaborative. Each college creates discipline-specific teaching modules based on a standard pedagogical template proposed by the center.

Teaching Modules Full-featured discipline-specific teaching modules Intended as teaching guides for faculty Faculty use in part or whole Promote effective instruction Various delivery methods

Full-featured discipline-specific teaching modules

Intended as teaching guides for faculty

Faculty use in part or whole

Promote effective instruction

Various delivery methods

Disciplines Currently Represented Audio Technology Automotive Technology Biotechnology Clinical Biology Cosmetology Early Childhood Development Management Information Systems Medical Ethics Nursing Particle Counting Technology Persuasive Speaking

Audio Technology

Automotive Technology

Biotechnology

Clinical Biology

Cosmetology

Early Childhood Development

Management Information Systems

Medical Ethics

Nursing

Particle Counting Technology

Persuasive Speaking

Module Distribution Modules are published on the Texas Collaborative web site

Modules are published on the Texas Collaborative web site

Various Ways to Utilize Modules Workshops Hands-On Labs Classroom Technology Industrial Technology Online Courses

Module Development Before CoLab Reviewer Template Clearinghouse Developer Developer Developer Developer Developer Developer

Module Development With CoLab Private Web Working Space

So What is CoLab? CoLab is an online workspace for module developers and producers running on the open source Plone content management system. Private Site Common Platform Standard Format Peer Review Workflow Communication Shared Resources

CoLab is an online workspace for module developers and producers running on the open source Plone content management system.

Private Site

Common Platform

Standard Format

Peer Review

Workflow

Communication

Shared Resources

Plone Content Management System Plone is an out-of-the-box ready content management system (CMS) that is built on the powerful and free Zope application server. Open Source Easy to Install and Use International Standards-based Well Supported Extensible Technology Neutral

Plone is an out-of-the-box ready content management system (CMS) that is built on the powerful and free Zope application server.

Open Source

Easy to Install and Use

International

Standards-based

Well Supported

Extensible

Technology Neutral

CoLab Technical Specifications Hardware Environment Dual 1 GHz G4 Processors 1.5 GB RAM 65 GB Hard Drive Software Environment Mac OS 10.2 Zope 2.6.1 Python 2.1 Plone 1.0.5

Hardware Environment

Dual 1 GHz G4 Processors

1.5 GB RAM

65 GB Hard Drive

Software Environment

Mac OS 10.2

Zope 2.6.1

Python 2.1

Plone 1.0.5

Features of the CoLab Interface Calendar Who’s Online Personal Bar Messages Site Tabs Breadcrumbs Site Search

Developer Workspace Developer Portrait Dynamic Navigation Module Content

Developer Workspace: Content Manager File/Folder Management Add New Content Content Tabs

Developer Workspace: Document View Module Navigation Module Content Editor/Peer Comments

Developer Workspace: Document Editor Full-featured HTML Editor Description (Metadata) Page Title File Name

Developer Workspace: Metadata Metadata: -Keywords, -Format, -Language, -Rights, -Contributors Add New Keywords

Developer Workspace: Workflow Publishing History Current Status Workflow Transitions

Export module using WebDAV… Module Content

… to separate content from CoLab…

… and publish to the public web site Different Template Same Content

… then submit to MERLOT

Looking Back & Moving Ahead So Far… CoLab was initiated in Fall 2003 23 faculty have participated 30 modules have been developed On the Horizon… Plone Upgrade to 2.1 Metadata Taxonomy RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Thanks for your time today!

So Far…

CoLab was initiated in Fall 2003

23 faculty have participated

30 modules have been developed

On the Horizon…

Plone Upgrade to 2.1

Metadata Taxonomy

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Thanks for your time today!

Texas Collaborative: http://www.texascollaborative.org CoLab: http://colab.nwc.hccs.edu Guest Account: user - guest password - colab

Texas Collaborative:

http://www.texascollaborative.org

CoLab:

http://colab.nwc.hccs.edu

Guest Account:

user - guest

password - colab