Presentation given at the Special track TORELL at the ICL conference 2010 in Hasselt, Belgium.

1. User-tailored Inter-Widget Communication
Extending the Shared Data Interface for the
Apache Wookie Engine
Bernhard Hoisl, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Hendrik Drachsler, Open University of the Netherlands
Christoph Waglechner, Vienna University of Economics and Business

2. LTFLL INFO
Language Technologies for Lifelong Learning

3. CREATES A SET OF TOOLS
Addressing two
areas of TEL:
• help people to
learn
• help tutors/
teachers support
learners

4. THREE THEMES
•Positioning the
learner
•Feedback Support
•Knowledge retrieval
and sharing
Tutor/Learner support not fully automated system

5. INNOVATIVE NEW DESIGN
Create next-generation support and advice services for
individual and collaborative learning using language technologies
(LSA, NLP, etc)

6. PERSONALISED SERVICES
Individual feedback and support

7. LTFLL INFO
And how we do that ...

8. LTFLL INFO
And how we do that ...

9. WHAT IS A ...
Widget

10. WHAT IS A ...
Widget
• Aka: gadgets, apps, minis,
badges, flakes, desklets ...
• Use common technology
HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
AJAX
• Application stores (e.g.
Apple, Google, ...)
Widgets are rich, interactive
mini-applications that bring
functionality to website and
personal environments.

11. WHAT IS A ...
Widget
• Aka: gadgets, apps, minis, • Open source widget
badges, flakes, desklets ... engine
• Use common technology • Incubator phase at the
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Apache Foundation
AJAX • created by EU project
• Application stores (e.g. TENCompetence
Apple, Google, ...)
Wookie manages widgets
Widgets are rich, interactive to embedded them into a
mini-applications that bring wide range of web
functionality to website and applications (e.g.
personal environments. Wordpress, Elgg, Moodle)

12. PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS

13. PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS

14. PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS

15. PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS

16. PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTS
More
Blog Reader Information
Providers
Social
Bookmarking
Various
Communities

17. THE CONCEPT

18. IN PRACTICE

19. RELATED WORK
• Gadget-to-Gadget
communication
framework
• Static specification of
communication widgets in
the widget manifest file
• Not dynamic extensible
to new widgets that also
need to receive updates

20. RELATED WORK
• Gadget-to-Gadget • In the working draftan
communication API for cross-document
framework messaging is defined.
• Static specification of • More generally described
communication widgets in and not tailored
the widget manifest file specifically to IWC
• Not dynamic extensible • HTML5 is still no web-
to new widgets that also browser standard and
need to receive updates not reliable at the
moment.

21. RELATED WORK
• Gadget-to-Gadget • In the working draftan • EU FP6 project Palette
communication API for cross-document created myWiWal widget
framework messaging is defined. portal.
• Static specification of • More generally described • 1st IWC approach by
communication widgets in and not tailored drag-and-drop facilities to
the widget manifest file specifically to IWC send information
• Not dynamic extensible • HTML5 is still no web- • This approach lacking the
to new widgets that also browser standard and possibility to tailor IWC
need to receive updates not reliable at the to a user-defined
moment. audience (all widgets of
one user or all users that
have one particular
widget)

22. DEMO

23. DEMO

24. SINGLE USER SETUP
PHP

25. SINGLE USER SETUP
Sends search
PHP
term

26. SINGLE USER SETUP
Sends search
PHP
term

27. MULTIPLE USER SETUP

28. IMPLEMENTATION

29. IMPLEMENTATION
config.js config.js

30. IMPLEMENTATION
config.js Shared config.js
Data Key

31. IMPLEMENTATION
config.js Shared config.js
Data Key
searchwidget.js definition.js

32. IMPLEMENTATION
config.js Shared config.js
Data Key
searchwidget.js IWC.js definition.js

33. IMPLEMENTATION
config.js Shared config.js
Data Key
searchwidget.js IWC.js definition.js

34. CONCLUSIONS
• With our work we try to bridge the gap between
highly individual personal environments and the
possibilities for orchestrating services through
IWC.
• We believe that IWC will contribute to more
personalised learning environments, that are
tailored to the functionalities users require for
their personal learning goals.

35. FUTURE R&D
• Optimizing the IWC methods between the
Wookie server and the client widgets by
providing a workflow modelling library to
improve service orchestration.
Current: One IWC policy for the whole server
Target: IWC policy per widget
• Integration of the IWC into all LTfLL widgets
and dissemination to other widget developers
and providers.

36. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST!
This slide is available here:
http://www.slideshare.com/Drachsler
Questions now or later:
Email: hendrik.drachsler@ou.nl
Skype: celstec-hendrik.drachsler
Blogging at: http://www.drachsler.de
Twittering at: http://twitter.com/HDrachsler