The document discusses the uMobile Courses module, which allows students to access course information like titles, codes, locations, and grades on mobile devices. It summarizes key features like listing courses by semester, deep linking to other modules, and a courses portlet API. It also describes how the module merges course data from multiple sources like learning management systems and student information systems. The document outlines upcoming features like public course listings, configurable authentication, and integration with additional tools.

1. Delivering Mobile Course
Content with uMobile
Jennifer Bourey, Unicon
Jasig-Sakai Conference 2012

2. About Unicon
Trusted Partner since 1993
Expertise in Open Source Software for Education
Professional Services for uPortal, Sakai, CAS, Shib,
Grouper, and soon Student Success Planner
Innovative Cooperative Support Program

3. uMobile Courses Module

4. Features
List of courses for authenticated student by semester
Important course details, recent updates
Deep links to other uMobile modules

5. Courses Portlet API
XSD defines XML data structure
Generate Java object model from XSD
Publish Java object model and use in integration
projects

6. Courses XML Structure
<course-summary>
<term_code>Spring 2012</term_code>
<gpa>3.7</gpa>
<credits>20</credits>
<course>
<title>Graphic Design History</title>
<code>GRA 111</code>
<school>School of Design</school>
<location>
<displayName>WLH 205</displayName>
<identifier>WLH</identifier>
</location>
<meetingTimes>M-W-F, 1:30-2:30pm</meetingTimes>
<url>http://courses.university.edu/dsc101/s11</url>
<instructor>
<abbreviation>Faculty</abbreviation>
<fullName>Joe Faculty, Phd</fullName>
<identifier>faculty</identifier>
</instructor>
<grade>A</grade>
<credits>4</credits>
</course>
</course-summary>

7. Multiple Data Sources
Many universities have multiple LMSs
Chosen by school, professor, etc.
Single student may have courses in each
Some data may be in an SIS system instead!
Merge multiple sources together on a unique identifier

8. SIS
ERP
Moodle Sakai

9. Sakai
Merged ERP
DSC 101
name: Design Awareness DSC 101
DSC 101 announcements:
name: Design Awareness instructor: Cross
Guest lecture Thursday . . . location: North 162
announcements: IND 120
Guest lecture Thursday . . . time: MWF 1:30-2:30
name: Drawing for Industry IND 120
instructor: cross ENG 101
location: North 162 instructor: Cross
name: First-Year Composition ENG 101
time MWF 1:30-2:30
grade: A instructor: Cross
IND 120 MAT 170
name: Drawing for Industry instructor: Cross
instructor: cross GRA 111
grade: B Moodle instructor: Cross
ENG 101
name: First-Year Composition MAT 170
instructor: cross name: Precalculus
grade: A GRA 111 SIS
MAT 170 name: Graphic Design History
name: Precalculus DSC 101
instructor: cross grade: A
grade: B IND 120
GRA 111 grade: B
name: Graphic Design History ENG 101
instructor: cross grade: A
MAT 170
grade: B

10. Controller
Merging Courses DAO
Caching
Moodle DAO Sakai DAO SIS DAO ERP DAO

11. Linking to Other Modules

12. URL Redirection Service
Map well-defined URL to a portlet or external URL
Transform parameter names
Define additional parameters

13. uMobile URLs
<util:map id="redirectionServices">
<entry key="person">
<bean class="org.jasig.portal.redirect.PortletRedirectionUrl"
p:fname="directory" p:mode="VIEW" p:type="RENDER">
<property name="dynamicParameters">
<map>
<entry key="id" value="username"/>
</map>
</property>
<property name="additionalParameters">
<map>
<entry key="action" value="findByUsername"/>
</map>
</property>
</bean>
</entry>
</util:map>

14. External URLs
<util:map id="redirectionServices">
<entry key="person">
<bean class="org.jasig.portal.redirect.ExternalRedirectionUrl"
p:url="http://directory.university.edu/search">
<property name="dynamicParameters">
<map>
<entry key="id" value="query"/>
</map>
</property>
</bean>
</entry>
</util:map>

15. Courses Module Links
Current support for
Directory
Map
Future
other uMobile modules
custom campus resources

16. Authentication

17. uMobile App
Current implementations encrypt and store user
password, replay into web-based auth forms
uPortal local authentication
CAS
Shibboleth
Looking to implement OAuth support

18. Courses Module
Configurable authentication layer will enable
Trust relationships
Credential replay
ProxyCAS
Delegated SAML
Custom authentication schemes

19. Sakai Connector
Implementation

20. Custom Module
Produces XML-formatted REST feed
By default uses Basic Auth but could use ProxyCAS,
etc.
https://source.sakaiproject.org/contrib/jasig-courses-
integration/

21. Sakai Connector
@Controller
public class CourseSummaryFeed {
@RequestMapping("/course-summary")
public void getCourseSummary(HttpServletResponse response, Writer out) throws IOException {
// collect the user's sites
List<Site> sites = (List<Site>) siteService.getSites(params);
CourseSummary summary = new CourseSummary();
// add each course
for (Site site : sites) {
Course course = new Course();
course.setTitle(site.getTitle());
course.setCode(site.getId());
course.setUrl(site.getUrl());
// more stuff: instructors, announcements, etc.
summary.getCourses().add(course);
}
// serialize the course summary out as XML
response.setContentType("text/xml");
JAXBContext jaxbContext = JAXBContext.newInstance(CourseSummary.class);
Marshaller marshaller = jaxbContext.createMarshaller();
marshaller.marshal(summary, out);
}
}

22. Upcoming Features
Public course list
Configurable authentication
Additional synoptic information
Messages
Forum posts
Documentation

23. Integration Improvements
Move from custom feed to Entity Broker
Gather data with fewer HTTP requests
Support for additional tools
XML format improvements

24. Upcoming Features
Public course list
Configurable authentication
Search integration

25. Longer-Term Roadmap
More Interactive features
Create forum posts
Upload media

26. Additional Integration
Targets

27. Search
Merges search results from
multiple search services
Google Search Appliance,
campus directory
Integration point allows
JSR-286 portlets to publish
search results
Planned integration with
courses portlet

28. Calendar
Read-only calendar
aggregator
Supports proxied
authentication, credential
replay

29. Videos
YouTube videos module
News reader module supports
Atom, RSS
Planned improvements to better
support podcasts, other data
formats

30. Notifications
Merges together personalized notifications from
multiple campus services
Planning to add mobile views

31. Creating Custom Content

32. Custom Portlet Modules
Create custom portlet modules using JSR-168 /
JSR-286 specification
Custom maven archetype for quick project creation
Available to both mobile browser and native app
Can potentially share logic with desktop portal views

33. Custom Native Modules
Create custom native modules using Titanium
Appcelerator
Write code once in JavaScript, compile to iOS and
Android native app projects

34. Native Modules using REST
Target
Server
Return user-
Request data from
specific data as
REST service
JSON
Present native components
uMobile based on REST data
App

35. External Modules
Include external browser-based mobile content in
uMobile app
Helps support content created in other languages,
frameworks
Best when combined with SSO

36. External Examples
Sakai PDA portal
Future Sakai browser-based
mobile resources
Mobile library websites
Other useful mobile campus
resources

37. Moving Forward

38. What do our users want?
What content is useful?
How do those answers change by role?
How do new technologies impact what mobile services
we offer?

39. UPMC Video Streaming

40. Mobile Collaboration
Jasig lists
umobile-user
portlet-user
Sakai lists
http://collab.sakaiproject.org/mailman/listinfo/sakai-
mobile

41. Questions?
Jen Bourey
jbourey@unicon.net