- The webinar introduced Blackboard's Open Database, which provides client access to Blackboard Learn database structures and data to enable system tool and module development, reporting, diagnostics, and more. - Documentation on the Open Database requires acceptance of a license addendum outlining allowed activities like using Blackboard APIs but not direct database alterations. - The webinar provided examples of how to obtain usage data like logins, content, discussions, enrollments and tools from database tables, and introduced tools to help like ASTRO and UMBC Reports.

1. TechBUG Inaugural webinar: Blackboard’s Open Database March 15, 2011

2. Intro to TechBUG

4. Driven by the need that System Administrator need to rely upon each other to get insights and helpful tips

5. Feb. 2011 – Teamed up with the Developer Community leaders to deliver a broader scope of content to both groups: developers as well as system administrators

6. Who is this group for?

7. Blackboard Administrator

8. Building Block Developers

9. Database Administrators

10. Directors of Information Technology

14. Build reports for Determining Usage and Adoption

15. Perform Diagnostics

16. Activity Forensics/Reconstruction

17. Assess PerformanceAccessing the Open Database Documentation requires acceptance of a license addendum which states the allowed activities pertaining to the client’s Blackboard Learn™ database. In short altering of the database beyond using Blackboard Building Block™ APIs is not allowed; Read access using external tools is now allowed. http://bit.ly/cFXPcb

18. The Blackboard® Database

19. 1 - Documentation http://bit.ly/ak6hKR

22. Embedded Comments SQL Server select t.name, c.name, p.value from sys.extended_properties p left outer join sys.tables t on p.major_id = t.object_id left outer join sys.columns c on p.major_id = c.object_id and p.minor_id = c.column_id where t.name like 'activity%' and p.name = 'MS_Description' Oracle select * from user_tab_comments where table_name = 'MY_TABLE'

23. Embedded Comments…

25. Schema installation uses the same definitions as core code – schema.xml, etc.http://bit.ly/hYpSvf

26. 3 - Reporting Built In Reports Course and Tool Level Track views and activities at the course and tool level View usage at a course by course basis Content Level Grade book System Reports Textbook Reports

27. Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) http://bit.ly/ce8EmM

28. Common Use Cases and Needs Explore Usage and Adoption Tool Usage Performance Management and Planning Instructor and Student Adoption Assess Programs and Performance Blackboard Outcomes Assessment Data Diagnostics – e.g. what is going on with my data Forensics / Reconstruction –e.g. what did this user do

30. Thresholds

31. Trends

32. Patterns

33. Activity streams More difficult, but more interesting Who logs in the most Who access the most pages Who teaches the most courses Who adds or accesses the most content Who uses the most available tools

34. Examples: Logins Content Discussion forums Enrollments Tools Page hits Questions: bb_bb60 vs BBLEARN? _stats (eg: bb_bb60_stats) is populated when you run PurgeAccumulator.sh/.bat Activity_accumulator_queue (flushed every 10 mins)

35. Logins & Page Hits activity_accumulator event_type (LOGIN_ATTEMPT, PAGE_ACCESS) user_pk1 timestamp users pk1 user_id institution_roles_pk1 institution_roles pk1 role_name description role_id

36. Logins & Page Hits (examples) Obtain total logins for a given time period SELECT count(*) FROM activity_accumulatorWHERE event_type = 'LOGIN_ATTEMPT' ANDtimestamp BETWEEN convert(datetime, '2011-01-01', 120) AND convert(datetime, '2011-02-28', 120) SELECT count(*) FROM activity_accumulator WHERE event_type = 'LOGIN_ATTEMPT' AND timestamp BETWEEN to_date('2011-01-01','YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') AND to_date(‘2011-02-28','YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS') MS SQL Oracle

38. Content content_handlers pk1 handle Name course_content_handlers crsmain_pk1 content_handlers_pk1 available_ind course_contents pk1 cnthndlr_handle dtcreated dtmodified crsmain_pk1 available_ind title parent_pk1 course_contents_files links course_contents to files files storage_type (CS or LOCAL) file_name link_name file_size course_main pk1 ...

39. Content Obtain total content count by type SELECT count (*) FROM course_contentsWHERE cnthndlr_handle = 'resource/x-bb-document' Obtain content added in the past day SELECT count(*) FROM course_contents WHERE dtcreated BETWEEN convert(datetime, '2011-02-27', 120) ANDconvert(datetime, '2011-02-28', 120)

40. Discussion forums Conference_main Forum_main (course-level, group-level) Msg_main (parent-child relationship for replies) Example: Obtain total messages SELECT count(*) FROM msg_main

41. Enrollments users course_main course_users Links pk1 of users and courses tables course_roles Example (enabled instructor enrollments) SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT users.pk1) FROM course_users, users WHERE course_users.row_status = 0 AND course_users.available_ind = 'Y' AND course_users.role IN ('B', 'G', 'P', 'T') AND users.pk1 = course_users.users_pk1 AND users.row_status = 0 AND users.available_ind = 'Y'

42. Tools navigation_item application (indicator of product subsystem) internal_handle course_navigation_item internal_handle enabled_ind application presence of plugins_pk1 indicates a Building Block Blogs, journals, groups Others have relevant data beyond on/off – but in their own tables

43. Activity Streams (example) User streams SELECT pk1, event_type, user_pk1, course_pk1, timestamp, data FROM activity_accumulator WHERE user_pk1 IS NOT NULL ORDER BY user_pk1, timestamp Course streams SELECT pk1, event_type, user_pk1, course_pk1, timestamp, data FROM activity_accumulator WHERE course_pk1 IS NOT NULL ORDER BY course_pk1, timestamp DO NOT run in production without limiting query STOP

44. Tools to help (pick the right one) SQL Server Management Studio Oracle SQL Developer Aqua Data Studio Blackboard-specific development

45. SQL Server Management Studio

46. Oracle SQL Developer

47. Aqua Data Studio

48. Blackboard-specific: ASTRO http://bit.ly/9gim3j

49. Blackboard-specific: UMBC Reports http://bit.ly/gP2f6E

51. Navigating Behind the Blackboard

52. Leveraging Reports

53. Troubleshooting Logs

54. ??? Tim? Bryan?

56. Navigating Behind the Blackboard

57. Leveraging Reports

58. Troubleshooting Logs

59. How Secure Is Your E-learning Environment?