Just a quick(ish) update of where we are with the development work:

Item Ratings

At the consultation events with academics, there was a lot of interest in knowing how items on lists are used and how valuable students find them. As part of that, we’ve added a basic rating system (similar to Amazon’s). As with a lot of the features we’re planning to add, you’ll be able to disable ratings if you feel it’s inappropriate for your list(s).

If a student has rated an item, then they’ll see their own rating…

…otherwise, they’ll see the average rating…

If you choose to disable ratings on your list(s), then students will still be able to rate items, but they won’t be able to see how other students have rated the item.

Item Notes

We’re in the process of enhancing the way notes are handled. At the moment, the intention is to support the following types of notes:

1) Lecturer/academic public notes: these are notes that will be visible to anyone looking at the list, e.g.

2) Lecturer/academic notes to the Library: when adding a new item to a reading list, you can include a private note that will be sent through to the relevant Subject Team in the Library

3) Private notes: anyone who’s logged into the system will be able to add a note that only they can see

4) Notes to lecturers/academics: if you want them to, students will be able to leave notes for you

5) Shared notes: if you want them to, students will be able to add notes that will be visible to other students enrolled on the module

Modules

We’re still working on getting the live data link to ASIS set up. Once that’s in place:

1) for new modules, an empty reading list page will be created automatically

2) for modules that aren’t active in the academic year, a note will be automatically added to say that the list is dormant

3) students who are enrolled on the module will automatically gain access to any CLA scanned documents that are attached to the list (e.g. book chapters)

Student access to reading lists will primarily be through Blackboard, so inactive modules will effectively be hidden.

As students may wish to bookmark their reading lists for future reference, we would recommend that lists are not actually removed from the system. If they are inactive in the currently academic year, they will be automatically marked as dormant.

Editing

By early August, we should be in a position to allow you to edit and add items to the lists that you have responsibility for, which will include those lists that you are the named module leader for on ASIS, and also modules that you are attached to on Blackboard/UniLearn (e.g. for teaching purposes).

As the system is still under development, we’re anticipating that formal training will begin in Jan 2012. However, if you’re prepared to accept the occasional rough edges and bugs, please get in touch and we’ll set you up with access as soon as the necessary development work has been completed.

QR Codes

Fianlly, each list should now have a QR Code (of the list’s permanent URL) at the foot of the page, e.g.