[Zope] Creating a learning environment with CMF

[Flynt]

Hamish Lawson wrote:
> 
> I'm looking at creating a learning environment system for use within
> our institution using the Content Management Framework. The tutor for a
> given course unit would have a space in which they could provide notes
> and other resources - discussion forums, quizzes, etc. The tutor should
> also be to decide who gets to use the resources for their particular
> unit (although they won't be responsible for creating users in the
> first place, such details likely coming from an LDAP directory). I will
> probably want to be able to make custom CMF-aware tools available to
> all builders of course units. My question is whether each course unit
> should be a separate CMF Portal instance, or whether there should be
> one Portal instance and some folderish product being used for the
> course units?
> 
> Hamish Lawson
> University of St Andrews
>
Hi Hamish

I think, there are a lot of administrative and organizational rationals
going into this decision. You are more independent and flexible by
choosing a Portal instance for each course unit. On the other side, if
you have got more similarities shared among the units, it might be
preferable to keep all in one instance.

If you plan to give each course responsible very much freedom on the
design of his course they certainly will be more happy with their own
instance. If one guy has to do the mail part of the work for all units
(developing and administering, maybe he will prefer to have one single
instance.

If you have got separate instances and you catch a problem in one course
unit, the others will not be touched by that.

So, it depends a lot of the details of your (planned) implementation.

There are a lot of other people who have already some working experience
in this area. The only thing I can do, is to point you to one document I
am aware of with some ressources and links inside, which might be of
interest for you:

http://cortex.unice.fr/~jerome/choixzope/
http://cortex.unice.fr/~jerome/choixzope/choixzope.pdf

Maybe, this is of some interest for you.

HTH

--Flynt--