This Week's Tweaks

Thursday 21 April 2011 03:25 pm

research admin
updated the REF 'add' journal page to use new db calls, fixed bugs in edit journal.

STS
updated template site to allow for larger 'register' box; updated news management page; added email copy when posting news (additional option to supplement the existing 'mail shot' feature) ; bug fix of 'hot article' news type.

central API
udpated the 'interface' tools with scripts to pull in 'all staff' and 'PG student' information via the central APIs. In process of creating an 'example' PHP script to help others working through this. Data is imported to local mySQL table overnight (staff_MIS and users_postgrad_MIS). Thanks to Mick Lavelle for various tips and pointers in calling 'CREATE_STUDENT_DATA' proc.

PG database
started to integrate the API data into the postgrad student record (supervisors, start date, dob, address etc). Mostly completed on DEV, just need to test before moving to live (and check with primary users that 'locking' data to the central record wont cause issues).

RICAS
updated registration system to show listing of 'registrants' with .csv export.

That's about it, enjoy the long weekend!

blog reminders

Wednesday 20 April 2011 12:00 pm

re-instated blog reminder code on myHome (line 132, un-commented) so that we could insert a 'reminder' for a student who is not replying to email but is still logging in to SPIDER.

This Week's Tweaks

Friday 15 April 2011 03:32 pm

and a bit more, as I've not blogged about the updates I've done in a while...

radiation database v2
updated monitors to store a-,b-,g-,x-ray detection as well as isotope. Updated sealed sources to hold registered + cert or exemption order status. Updated safety services bin store - colour code diposal deadlines, add 'consignments' option to group bins for removal off site (manage consignment, add/remove bins, calc activity in consignment by isotope). Updated limits to be split in two - authorisation (waste) and registration (holdings) limits. Bin decay/ history fixes/ tweaks to reflect changes to ss store/ consignments. Completed 'probes' creation/ disposal. Fixed temp store move to update all bins (was missing update of move out/in bin totals). Started to rework 'monthly actions' script (reset sinks, generate email reports, decay stocks/ temp stores).

registration
bug fix to handle cases of staff registering with a DS account that was used when they were students - was picking up degree course and attempting to update username to be old registration number.

groups
updated groups to use AJAX chat instead of old shockwave chat.

assignments/ showContent
reverted 'file-less' assignments to show link to myAssignment submission page.

staff/assignments
updated to prevent spaces at start/end of assignment name (caused an issue with file name mis-match for batch download of submissions)

ePDP
reflect_plan extension updated to only require 2 sets of data for MPharm (to account for students also having to complete a clinical diary exercise).

Postgraduate records database
bug fix in show_report to enforce workflow which wasn't blocking students from completing reports prior to supervisor. Back-fixed reports where student had saved before supervisor. Various data fixes for missing reports for pre-2008 students. Bug fix staff view of students to allow access to 'old' reports when student has no current reports in session.

PharmaLinks
udpated site to remove navigation links to removed pages. Updated custom pdf file information generator to include/remove new/old options.

RICAS
added registration/ abstract submission tool.

ODBC/ Oracle interface
started work on hooking SPIDER up to the central API via ODBC/Oracle to allow for better data connection with the central records system.

pageLoader/pageBuilder
spec/researching how the content in these tools will be translated to run in Moodle/ myPlace.

exam paper database
now handles inclusion of images in questions. Fixing/ modifying to handle 3rd party imported question banks.

SIPBS website
minor changes and content update/ fixes.

This Week's Tweaks

Friday 08 April 2011 04:22 pm

migration (quizzes)
after a lot of tweaks to deal with moodle idiosyncracies, all questions and quizzes have now been successfully imported. These will now be passed to the teaching staff for checking. There may be issues in individual questions but testing the complex ones and a random subset everything worked correctly

Biopharmacy II lab exercises
Updated Exercises 1 - 3 with new material. Exercise 4 had been updated with corrected figures / calculations a couple of weeks ago.

exam paper database
imported the campbell mcq content (3795 questions) onto the system. The images aren't embedded yet due to word saving hundreds of 1 x 1 pixel images out and messing up all the numbering. Modified question editor to work with these and made a separate index page with custom filters.

migration (web modules)
made some corrections to the MSc Pharmaceutical Analysis material. looked at migrating these to myplace but there doesn't seem to be anything to do this properly / easily. They may need to be packaged up as SCORM modules. The standard quiz elements should be available but linking them in may be tricky to do automatically. These and the lab exercises need a way to read and write to the gradebook on some identifier & student ID

Posted by tim

assignments

Wednesday 06 April 2011 02:30 pm

SPIDER has 2 ways of setting up assignments - file based, or no-file 'auto check-out'. The former involves staff uploading a file (with information about the assignment). The latter just involves setting an assignment name. Both result in an assignment submission option for the students in the class, which they submit via the myAssignmetns tool.  Prior to the mobile version of SPIDER, there was a link on the class "assignments" category page to myStuff > myAssignments for no-file assignments. I've a vague recollection of there being a reason for taking the link away, but I've checked the mobile view on DEV and it looks ok with the link back in, so the link is now back on live too.

March Stats update

Monday 04 April 2011 02:40 pm

Updated stats for this academic session with March figures. Total page visits by mobile is still relatively low, growing slightly over previous month. The % of users making use of mobile access is now up 1.4% to 27.4%.

2010

*October login tracking started on 15/10/10
** ~15min downtime for reboot after ClamAV update

2011