Annotation of loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Slot_Use.tex, revision 1.1.2.1

1.1       raeburn     1: \label{Slot_Use}
                      2: 
                      3: If you wish to restrict access to content in a course to particular IP address(es) 
                      4: and/or dates, one way to do that would be to use the ``Client IP/Name Access Control'' parameter 
                      5: to control access by IP address, and the parameters: Problem Opening Date/Problem Due Date 
                      6: (for problems), and Content Open Date/Content Close Date (for other types of content) to 
                      7: control access by date.
                      8: 
1.1.2.1 ! raeburn     9: LON-CAPA also provides a separate mechanism to restrict access to assessment item(s),
        !            10: i.e., resource(s) with a file extension of .problem or .Task, which can be useful in the
        !            11: case where students will reserve access in advance to content at a particular time and/or place.
1.1       raeburn    12: 
                     13: One example would be a laboratory which has limited seating, and which is offered multiple 
                     14: times over a given time period, but for which students should only be able to reserve access 
                     15: for one particular opportunity.  To support that type of scenario, slots would be used.
                     16: 
                     17: Slots can also provide access control in which a proctor either directly, or remotely, must 
                     18: enter a pre-determined proctor username and passphrase to check-in a student into a slot. 
                     19: Prior to check-in, the proctor can validate that the student who will receive access to 
                     20: content protected by a slot is the actual owner of the username for whom access is 
                     21: being granted.
                     22: 
                     23: One example would be an online exam in a testing center, in which a proctor would type in 
                     24: the proctor username and passphrase into the proctor validation screen after verification of 
                     25: the student's official photo ID.  Another example would be an online exam in which a remote 
                     26: proctor would temporarily take control of the user's keyboard and enter the proctor username 
                     27: and passphrase remotely into the user's web browser.
                     28: 
                     29: Lastly, slots can also be used as a reservation system, e.g., for office hours, where there 
                     30: is no need for a student to actually submit anything to the assessment item for which access 
                     31: is controlled by slots, but the time/date of the reservation itself made by a student to 
                     32: gain access is of value. 
                     33: 
                     34: \textbf{Course Coordinator View}
                     35: 
                     36: There are two parts to the process of using slots to control access to assessment items.
                     37: \begin{enumerate}
                     38: 
                     39: \item An instructor will create the slot using the Slot Management utility
                     40: \item An instructor will assign use of slots to particular resource(s) in the course using 
                     41: the Parameter Manager to set the ``Use slot based access controls'' (useslots) parameter 
                     42: to one of the three ``Yes'' options.
                     43: 
                     44: \end{enumerate}
                     45: 
                     46: The slot management utility can also be used to modify slot settings after a slot has been 
                     47: created.  Slots can be created in two ways:
                     48: 
                     49: \begin{itemize}
                     50: 
                     51: \item Interactively, by using the multi-page slot ``helper'' web form which prompts for the 
                     52: choices to be made when configuring a slot.
                     53:  
                     54: \item By creating a comma-separated-value (CSV) file containing slot attributes and uploading 
                     55: the file using the Slot Management utility.
                     56: 
                     57: \end{itemize}
                     58: 
                     59: \begin{figure}
                     60: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_creation}\end{center}
                     61: \caption{Slot Creation Buttons}
                     62: \end{figure}
                     63: 
                     64: In both cases an instructor will use the multi-page slot ``helper'' web form should modifications 
                     65: be needed to the configuration of a slot after it has been created.
                     66: 
                     67: As Course Coordinator use Settings $>$ Slots to access the Slot Management Utility.
                     68: 
                     69: \begin{figure}
                     70: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_manager}\end{center}
                     71: \caption{Slot Management Utility}
                     72: \end{figure}
                     73: 
                     74: Slots are of two types:
                     75: \begin{enumerate}
                     76: 
                     77: \item instructor-assigned
                     78: \item student-schedulable
                     79: 
                     80: \end{enumerate}
                     81: 
                     82: In the case of an instructor-assigned slot, after a slot has been created, and the 
                     83: ``Use slot based access controls'' (useslots) parameter has been set to yes, the name 
                     84: of the slot needs to be included in the value set for the ``Slots of availability'' (available) 
                     85: parameter. That parameter can contain multiple : separated slot names, if multiple 
                     86: instructor-assigned opportunities are to be provided to students to access a particular 
                     87: resource or folder.
                     88: 
                     89: \begin{figure}
                     90: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_instructor_assigned}\end{center}
                     91: \caption{Parameter setting for instructor-assigned slot}
                     92: \end{figure}
                     93: 
                     94: In the case of a student-schedulable slot, there is no need to set any parameter besides the 
                     95: ``Use slot based access controls'' (useslots) parameter.
                     96: 
                     97: \begin{figure}
                     98: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_params}\end{center}
                     99: \caption{Parameter setting for student-schedulable slot}
                    100: \end{figure}
                    101: 
                    102: Although a Course Coordinator can use parameter management tools to display the ``Slots of 
                    103: availability selected by student'' (availablestudent) parameter, those tools only allow it 
                    104: to be set for the scope of a specific user.  In any event, there is no need to use those tools
                    105: because the Slot Management Utility provides a mechanism to view a list of students who have 
                    106: reserved a slot, and to remove some or all of the reservations, as needed.
                    107: 
                    108: For student-schedulable slots, each slot includes a History link below the Edit link in the
                    109: leftmost column of the table of slots. The History link provides access to information about
                    110: reservations changes for the slot, including who made the change, and in what context. 
                    111: 
                    112: \begin{figure}
                    113: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_summary_cc}\end{center}
                    114: \caption{Reservation listing for student-schedulable slots}
                    115: \end{figure}
                    116: 
                    117: The expectation for student-schedulable slots is that each student will use the `Reservations' 
                    118: item included in the inline menu in a course with one or more such slots, in order to add, 
                    119: change or drop reservations for resources which are using them.
                    120: 
                    121: In the case of a student-schedulable slot, the slot will only be selectable by the student 
                    122: for use for any resources which require a slot (i.e., for which the value in effect for 
                    123: the useslots parameter is yes), if all of the following are true:
                    124: 
                    125: \begin{itemize}
                    126: 
                    127: \item The resource is open, i.e., between open date and due date (if set).
                    128: \item The slot start date is in the future.
                    129: \item Any conditions on slot use based on resource, and/or section, and/or specific users are 
                    130: met.
                    131: 
                    132: \end{itemize}
                    133: 
                    134: Further constraints on whether a particular student-schedulable slot will be selectable by 
                    135: a student are available by setting one or more of:
                    136: 
                    137: \begin{enumerate}
                    138: 
                    139: \item Period of time when this slot can only be uniquely chosen
                    140: \item Time students can start reserving
                    141: \item Time students can no longer reserve
                    142: \item Maximum number of students allowed in this slot
                    143: 
                    144: \end{enumerate}
                    145: 
                    146: \begin{figure}
                    147: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.80\paperwidth]{slots_timeline}\end{center}
                    148: \caption{Reservability and Accessibility Timeline}
                    149: \end{figure}
                    150: 
                    151: Note: a slot may not be reserved by a student after the open date/time of the slot.
                    152: 
                    153: If there are multiple items in a course for which ``useslots'' is set to yes, a student may 
                    154: make multiple reservations with a single slot, if resource-use restrictions on the slot 
                    155: permit it.
                    156: 
                    157: If there are multiple student-schedulable slots available in a course, with start times in 
                    158: the future, more than one slot may be reserved by a particular student for a particular 
                    159: resource, if uniqueness and/or resource use restrictions permit it.
                    160: 
                    161: \begin{figure}
                    162: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.80\paperwidth]{slots_uniqueness}\end{center}
                    163: \caption{Uniqueness constraints for multiple slots}
                    164: \end{figure}
                    165: 
                    166: Furthermore, both instructor-assigned slot(s) and student-schedulable slot(s) can be in 
                    167: effect for a particular student for a particular resource.
                    168: 
                    169: On the student's side, information about items in course for which access is restricted 
                    170: by slot is available from any of the following:
                    171: 
                    172: \begin{itemize}
                    173: 
                    174: \item The ``Manage Reservations'' utility accessed via the ``Reservations'' item in the inline menu.
                    175: \item Status information for each resource in the Course Contents listing.
                    176: \item Attempted display of the resource itself in the course.
                    177: 
                    178: \end{itemize}
                    179: 
                    180: In all three cases, if one or more slots have already been selected to apply to a 
                    181: particular student when accessing that resource, and the end date/time has not yet 
                    182: been reached, the description of the (selected) slot with the earliest (future) opening 
                    183: date/time will be displayed alongside the resource name in the contents listing, or 
                    184: below the message: ``Access requires reservation to work at specific time/place'', 
                    185: when displaying the resource.
                    186: 
                    187: Prior to the start date/time both the ``Manage Reservations'' utility, reached via 
                    188: ``Reservations'' in the inline menu and the URL for the resource itself, will provide buttons 
                    189: to Change or Drop an existing reservation, or to Select another reservation.
                    190: 
                    191: When a student displays a resource for which a pre-assigned or selected slot is now open, 
                    192: i.e., the start date/time of the slot is in the past, and the end date/time is in the 
                    193: future, and any IP-based restrictions included for the slot are satisfied for the student's 
                    194: current IP address, than either the resource will be displayed, or a Proctor validation 
                    195: screen will be displayed in the case where check-in by a proctor has not yet occurred for 
                    196: a slot which needs it.
                    197: 
                    198: If the useslots parameter for a resource is set to yes, and it has a slot scope which 
                    199: applies to the enclosing map/folder, then there are two additional possibilites: either 
                    200: check-in only applies to the resource itself, or check-in for a resource automatically 
                    201: propagates the checked-in status to other resources in the same map/folder.
                    202: 
                    203: Once checked-in, the resource itself will be displayed, and the countdown icon above the
                    204: resource will countdown to the earliest of the following:
                    205: 
                    206: \begin{itemize}
                    207: 
                    208: \item the due date/time
                    209: \item the slot end date/time,
                    210: \item the time-limit, for a resource or folder in which the interval (time-limit) parameter
                    211: is in use (after the ``Show Resource'' button has been pushed to start the timer).
                    212: 
                    213: \end{itemize}
                    214: 
                    215: Once the slot end date/time is reached for the checked-in slot currently in effect for access 
                    216: to the resource, if there are additional slot(s) which may be used to satisfy the ``useslots'' 
                    217: requirement for access, those slot(s) will then come into play.
                    218: 
                    219: If there is a student-schedulable slot, which is reservable (i.e., both the slot start time 
                    220: and end reservation time are in the future, and if a cap on number of students, if set, has 
                    221: not been reached), then a student can reserve the slot in order to resume access to the 
                    222: resource after the slot start time (which could require new proctor validation).
                    223: 
                    224: Conversely, if the student already has a reservation for this second slot for this particular 
                    225: resource, then assuming IP-based restrictions are met, the student will either be shown a 
                    226: proctor validation screen if the slot uses a proctor, or if not, will be checked-in 
                    227: automatically when displaying the resource.
                    228: 
                    229: \begin{figure}
                    230: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.65\paperwidth]{slots_proctor_validate}\end{center}
                    231: \caption{Proctor validation screen}
                    232: \end{figure}
                    233: 
                    234: \textbf{Student View}
                    235: 
                    236: In the case where an open resource has slot-based access, the Course Contents listing will
                    237: include information about the current reservation status.
                    238: 
                    239: \begin{figure}
                    240: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.60\paperwidth]{slots_navmaps}\end{center}
                    241: \caption{Contents Listing with Reservation Status}
                    242: \end{figure}
                    243: 
                    244: The expectation for student-schedulable slots is that each student will use the `Reservations'
                    245: item included in the inline menu in a course with one or more such slots, in order to add
                    246: change or drop reservations for resources in a course which use them. 
                    247: 
                    248: \begin{figure}
                    249: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_student_reserve}\end{center}
                    250: \caption{Interface for Initial Reservation}
                    251: \end{figure}
                    252: 
                    253: If there is no `uniquely-chosen' restriction in force, then Select button(s) will be available 
                    254: for additional slots after making a reservation. If, however, slots can only be selected one at 
                    255: a time then the other Select button(s) will become `Change reservation' button(s) after a reservation 
                    256: has been made.  If a student wants to display just a single resource for which student-schedulable slots 
                    257: are available then if the resource itself is accessed before the slot start time the same `Select' 
                    258: button(s) will be shown for applicable slot(s).
                    259: 
                    260: \begin{figure}
                    261: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_change_resv}\end{center}
                    262: \caption{Interface for Additional Reservation}
                    263: \end{figure}
                    264: 
                    265: If the `Change Reservation' button is pushed then a confirmation page will be displayed 
                    266: which includes a `Process the change' button to push to complete the switch of reservation
                    267: (with `uniquely-chosen' restriction) from one slot to another.
                    268: 
                    269: \begin{figure}
                    270: \begin{center}\includegraphics[width=0.70\paperwidth]{slots_change_confirm}\end{center}
                    271: \caption{Reservation switch confirmation}
                    272: \end{figure}
                    273: 
                    274: Once the slot start time is reached, when a student accesses the particular assignment either
                    275: the resource will be displayed immediately (assuming any location-based conditions are met),
                    276: or if proctor validation is required, a web form will be displayed which requires entry of
                    277: the proctor's username and the secret word used for check-in, as set in the particular slot's 
                    278: configuration.

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