How to publish your university catalog and class schedules online using the Cascade Server CMS
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The document outlines the transition of Emory College's catalog and class schedules from paper to an online format, detailing motivations, obstacles encountered, and current status. Key takeaways emphasize the importance of dedicated personnel for content management, understanding data, and usability considerations in workflows. Future plans include improving navigation, refining content structure, and ensuring effective content updates.
How to publish your university catalog and class schedules online using the Cascade Server CMS
- 1. Add, Drop, & Roll out Your CatalogA Cautionary TaleAdelle Frank & Brian Williams Emory College Web Team September 13, 2010Cascade Server User’s Conference
- 2. OutlineWhere we StartedWhy we put our Catalog & Class Schedules onlineBig DreamsObstacles we knew aboutObstacles we found out aboutWhere we are NowPlans for the FutureMain Take-awaysFor more Information…
- 3. A. Where we wereOutdated paper catalogNon-centralized,Differently-formattedclass schedules
- 4. B. Why did we go online?JealousyEasier to use & update our dataPrinting costs
- 5. B. Why did we go online?Jealousy
- 6. B. Why did we go online?Easier to Use & UpdatePrintOnline
- 7. B. Why did we go online?Printing Costs
- 8. C. Big DreamsAll data in one bucket (location) for easier searching, editing & analyzing.Quality control & consistency.CD copy of the catalog for archiving or to send to people without internet access.Shareable, central data.Easy, distributed content editing.Connected, update once data model.
- 9. C. Big DreamsFrom one location (bucket): Search
- 10. Edit
- 11. Analyze online dataC. Big DreamsQuality Control& Consistency
- 12. C. Big DreamsCD copy of catalog for snail mail & to archive
- 13. C. Big DreamsShareable central dataDepartment WebsiteCatalog DescriptionClass Schedule
- 14. C. Big DreamsEasy, Distributed content editing
- 15. C. Big DreamsConnected update oncedata modelcurrent connections or links between content typespossible future links between content types that might be helpful to end users & increase quality control
- 16. C. Obstacles: KnownNo feed from PeopleSoft, only able to manually download a .csv file.Web services learning curve.Catalog and website content intermingled.No standard structures for data.Standard naming & paths needed.Limited time & resources.Manual data entry.Editor training needed.
- 17. D. Obstacles: KnownNo feed from PeopleSoft, only .CSV
- 18. D. Obstacles: KnownWeb Services learning curve
- 19. D. Obstacles: KnownCatalog &Website Contentintermingled (linking & archiving issues)
- 20. D. Obstacles: KnownNo Standard structuresfor data!!
- 21. D. Obstacles: KnownStandardnaming&pathsWeb servicesXSL
- 22. D. Obstacles: KnownLimited Time &Resources
- 23. D. Obstacles: KnownManual entry of catalog dataThank you admin assistants & student workers!!
- 24. D. Obstacles: KnownEditor Training needed: key to adoption
- 25. D. Obstacles: UnknownAsset-render-depth in data definitions & recursion.Index block settings & render time.Weird data quirks.User needs for rolling over data to avoid duplication of effort.Web services & slowness.Variable is a constant in XSL.Usability issues in data entry forms.Uploading files/images confusion.Moving data definition fields No-No.Permissions granularity issues.Metadata indexing only for large data sets.
- 26. E. Obstacles: UnKnownAsset-render-depthin data definitions& recursion
- 27. E. Obstacles: UnKnownIndex block settings & render time: content type for choosing specific blocks &
- 28. automated block creationE. Obstacles: UnKnownWeird data quirks Interdisciplinary classes
- 29. Faculty married names
- 30. Class schedules for multiple times, locations, instructorsE. Obstacles: UnKnownUser needs: rollover data from semester to semester for class schedules, so don’t have to re-type.
- 31. E. Obstacles: UnKnownWeb services+large publish jobs =SLOWNESS for all
- 32. E. Obstacles: UnKnown“Variable” is really a CONSTANT in XSL.Muenchian Grouping SAVES LIVES!W W M D ?
- 33. E. Obstacles: UnKnown Hidden fields not so hidden.
- 34. Can’t make forms user-friendly.E. Obstacles: UnKnown Users find it un-intuitive to upload a file/image BEFORE they can include it on a page
- 35. BUT, we want control over parent folder placement.E. Obstacles: UnKnownDon’t move data definition fields!OR ELSE… data loss
- 36. web services scripts need re-writtenE. Obstacles: UnKnownPermissions: granularity is challenging
- 37. E. Obstacles: UnKnownCommandment I: Thou shall not put data needed for indexing into the data definition, use metadata.
- 38. F. Where are we Now
- 39. F. Where we are NowCatalog online in a Site using version 6.7 at http://college.emory.edu/catalog3 Semesters of class schedules up in Cascade at http://www.college.emory.edu/atlasSharing course descriptions, class schedules, and faculty bios into Departments that are in Cascade http://filmstudies.emory.edu (already seeing quality payback, as departments are noticing errors in catalog data because it lives on their site, too).Saving beaucoup $$$ with online-only catalog and class schedules.
- 40. F. Where we are NowLost main Communications and content coordinator (!), quality checks are not occurring in as organized a fashion.Positive response from students and, after one semester of use, from faculty and staff.No longer use paper publications, just mail out a postcard with the catalog URL or, for non-internet audience or IP-blocked Chinese students, a CD-ROM (using a separate, manually-activated Page Configuration & Publish Set).Analytics
- 41. G. Potential Future PlansChange the way we do class schedules:use a feed from PeoplesoftRollover default textbooks/descriptionsArchive catalog and class schedule versions with Library in a digital format (HTML).Improve navigation & searching after College site is re-designed.
- 42. G. Potential Future PlansRefine content typesDepartment (brevity)Major/Minor (more structured)Faculty (additional XSL for display)Scholarships (create structure)Create XSL transports to PDF or Word.Create more training (videos & documentation), especially re: HTML.Shareclass section pages on Faculty and course description pages.majors/minors with Departmental web sites in Cascade.Hire person to update catalog content.
- 44. H. Main Take-awaysChoose a dedicated person (or persons) to update and quality-check your content.Get to know your data (& data owners) in the BEGINNING.
- 45. H. Main Take-awaysPrioritize which content you’ll structure first (since you can’t do it all).Consider frequency of updates in whether a data-heavy project should go into Cascade or not.
- 46. H. Main Take-awaysConsider usability for editors when designing workflows, data definition field order, & training. Be wary of indexing, metadata & recursion issues.H. Main Take-awaysPlan your naming & organization schemes in the BEGINNING.Invest in acquiring web services and XSL coding skills.
- 47. I. For more InformationXML Data Definitions, XSL Stylesheets, Web Services scripts, and a number of helpful links from this presentation can be found at:http://adellefrank.com/node/244