This page details the functionality of generalized collection editor that is part of sourcing solution.

Overview

Generalized collection editor can be used for creating, viewing and editing multiple types of learning assets that are collection objects. The collection objects can be - a collection of content (like textbook, course, program etc.), a Question set (collection of questions) or any other object type that is a collection of other objects. The generalized collection editor will have following benefits:

Ensure all existing collection categories like textbook, course use the same code. The effort for maintaining different code is saved.
New collection categories can be enabled with minimal or no coding.

Following sections detail the functionality to be provided by the generalized collection editor.

View and Edit Metadata

Collection editor should have capability of viewing and editing metadata at three levels:

Root (at the collection/question set level)
Node (each node in the hierarchy of the collection)
Learning asset linked to a node

Metadata at a node level - as of now we can assume all the nodes in the hierarchy will have same metadata.

Both the set of fields as well as the layout should be configurable.

Hierarchy

Following should be configurable as part of primary category definition related to collection hierarchy:

Number of maximum levels in the hierarchy

User should be able to add child nodes based on this. For example if this is configured as “2” for a collection category, user should not be able to create more than two levels in the hierarchy. Note: Root node is NOT considered as part of the hierarchy.

This is an option optional config. Default should be “4”. The maximum value that this configuration can take is also 4.

Labels for each level in the hierarchy

This provides the label to be displayed to each node at a given level in the hierarchy. This is given as hierarchy of level labels - with maximum number of levels as configured above. This is optional. Default shows a label “Unit”. An example of the configuration:

Chapter->Section->Subsection - This configuration specifies that, in this collection category:

There are maximum 3 levels in the hierarchy
Any node at level 1 will be labelled as “Chapter”. Any node at level 2 will be “Section”. Any node at level 3 will be “Subsection”

Linking Assets

Object types that can be linked to a level in the hierarchy

Based on this configuration, collection editor should display the corresponding list of categories of the configured object types, when user tries to either create and link a new asset to a node or link existing asset to a node. It can also be configured that no assets can be linked at a given level.

This is an optional configuration. Default is all categories of all object types for all levels of the hierarchy.

An example configuration:

Level 1: <<None>> (no assets can be linked to a level 1 node)

Level 2: Collection (assets that are of collection object type only be added to a level 2 node)

Leve 2: Content, Question Set (assets that are of content and question set object type only be added to a level 2 node)

Generating and Linking DIAL code

Option of generating and linking DIAL codes to collection should be configurable as part of primary category definition. The configuration can have an option “Enable DIAL code linking” that takes a yes or no values. This is an option configuration. Default is “No”.

If this configuration is “Yes”, the collection editor should have option of generating DIAL codes and link to any node in the collection. Please refer to this page that gives details of DIAL code generation and linking

Generalized Collection Editor