The document describes TutorStack, an open source platform developed by Waterford Institute of Technology to improve the student and lecturer experience for online learning. TutorStack allows lecturers to more easily structure and publish rich learning materials. It includes TutorsLIVE, which simulates live classroom labs, and TutorsTIME, which provides insights into student interaction and engagement patterns. The platform has helped WIT transition to fully online learning and adopt an agile semester model. This has led to higher completion rates, employment outcomes, and lecturer success compared to traditional models. Going forward, the team hopes to formalize TutorStack as an open source project with support from Red Hat.

1. 1
Leigh Griffin, Senior Engineering Manager Red Hat
Colm Dunphy, Lecturer, Waterford Institute of Technology
DevConf.cz, January 2021
TutorStack:
A student centric learning experience

2. The WIT HDip in Computer Science
2
● Running 10 years
● 3 cohorts at any time - 155 students total currently
○ All working, 90% funded by Springboard
● First fully online programme at WIT
○ Fifth online cohort
● Needed:
○ New approach to academic delivery
○ Single user operated online course production & delivery
○ Similar workflow for both sync & async

3. Motivations - 1
3
● Improve
○ Student Experience (SX)
○ Lecturer Experience (LX)
● MOOC quality delivery (Coursera)
○ No budget!
○ Open, free, low cost
● Framework for BOLD
● Unbundle the LMS (Moodle)
● Coherent toolset for teaching online.
TutorStack

4. Motivations - 2
4
● Tutors
Open Source platform
enabling lecturers to structure & publish
rich learning materials more easily
● TutorsLIVE
○ Simulate live classroom lab experience
○ Who’s here? what are you doing?
○ Promote community online
● TutorsTIME
○ Student interaction & engagement patterns
○ What?, When?, How long?
● Facilitate early interventions for student success

5. The Feature Set
5

6. 6
Open, free, low cost

7. 7

8. TutorsLive & TutorsTime
8
● Insights driven approach
● Community behavior and presence
● Student interaction patterns
● Student progress
● Goal: Early intervention for student success (addressing the 3 week curse)

9. 9
● Assistance as and when needed
● Encourages peer to peer learning and support
● Ability to look over a shoulder remotely
TutorsLIVE

10. Engagement : The student viewpoint
10
TutorsTIME
John Doe

11. Engagement : The instructors viewpoints
11
TutorsTIME
Calendar Summary

12. Tutors: The underlying tech
12
● Open Source from Day 1
● Embraces JamStack
● Initially authored in Python, migrated to JavaScript, then TypeScript
● Node Command Line apps + Single Page Applications
● SVELTE & TAILWIND
● User publishing
○ Github/Bitbucket using git in Terminal, SourceTree, GitDesktop
○ Or drag n’ drop to Netlify (no versioning)

13. https://tutors.dev/
13

14. 14
https://web-app-dev-red-hat.netlify.app
Course
Topic
Lab
Slides

15. 15
Course
Reader
Static Site
Generator
Time
Reader
Tutors Components

16. 16
Course
Reader
Static Site
Generator
Time
Reader
File/Folder
Structure
Markdown
PDF
Code
Highlight
JSON
encoded
assets
netlify/vercel
hosted
Front End Javascript
Application
Svelte / TypeScript
Application
Front End Javascript
Application
Github, OAuth, Firebase
Tutors Generators

17. All code & sample courses on Github
17
Course
Reader
Static Site
Generator
Time
Reader
File/Folder
Structure
Markdown
PDF
Code
Highlight
JSON
encoded
assets
netlify/vercel
hosted
Front End Javascript
Application
Svelte / TypeScript
Application
Front End Javascript
Application
Github, OAuth, Firebase
https://github.com/tutors-sdk

18. The Agile
Semester
19

19. A complementary delivery approach
20
● Traditional Academic experience is Waterfall in nature
● 12 week semester
● Layering of knowledge
● Milestone project 4-6 weeks in
● Capstone project typically at the end of the 12 weeks or sometimes beyond

20. An antipattern
21
● This was an antipattern based on the tooling developed
● Also set the student up for a shock when they came out to industry
● Agile movement dominant in industry for over 20 years

21. 22
Manifesto for Agile Software Development

22. 23
Manifesto for Agile Education

23. 12 Agile Principles
24

24. The Agile Semester
25

25. The Impact
26

26. Student Success
27
● 87% completing all classes in Semester 1
● 80% retention Versus the national average in Ireland of 55%
● Community / Peer Learning > Higher marks overall
● Employment - just by starting the programme
● Career Progression
○ Internal Transfers changing job
○ New Careers
○ New Companies
● Transversal Skills - Remote working experience (even before the pandemic!)

27. Lecturer Success
28
● First fully online programme at WIT
● Excellence awards locally and nationally (Education Awards - EdTech)
● WIT TutorStack (scalable corporate solution to support teaching in the pandemic)
● Pods 1 - 10
● Flexibility
● Professional Development, Openness
● Research Funding
● Opportunities - Conference Talks, 6 EU Universities, 1 US University

28. Open Source Success
29
● 160 Courses using Tutors
● PODs
● NFTL funding
● Team grown to 6 since Sept’ 21
● Accessibility, UX, Media, Svelte, Documentation
● GIT no longer a prerequisite
○ Netlify drag n’ drop publishing
● Planning to move this forward as a formal Open Source Project
○ With the help of our friends in Red Hat

29. Check us out
30
● Find us on Github:
○ https://github.com/tutors-sdk
● We built a tutorial site using the tech
○ https://tutors-docs.netlify.app/
● TutorStack Resources, Links
○ https://bit.ly/tutorstack
● We’re published, The Agile Semester
○ https://bit.ly/theagilesemester

30. linkedin.com/company/red-hat
youtube.com/user/RedHatVideos
facebook.com/redhatinc
twitter.com/RedHat
31
lgriffin@redhat.com @leighgriffin
cdunphy@wit.ie @cdunphy
Thank You
linkedin.com/in/colmdunphythebigblaa
edeleastar@wit.ie