Data Collection Tool

The Data Collection tool allows Authors to create database style lists for Learners to populate.
Each record list is highly flexible, and the activity can be configured to allow multiple records to exist for each learner.

Click here to view the Learners Documentation for this activity.

View of the Data Collection Activity Basic tab.

There are two features on the basic tab common to all activities:

• Title: All Activities have a web page title which is presented at the top of the activity page when displayed in the Learning Environment. This is NOT the same title as the Title that can be set using the Properties Inspector.
• Instructions: All Activities have a text area that is presented beneath the title. This is where the main activity text to be displayed to learners is entered. The text can be formatted using the Rich-Text Editor. Image, Video, Audio and URL content can also be displayed in the Instructions area.

Specific Features for the Data Collection Activity

The Question List is where the Author creates the fields that will populate each record.

In release 2.1.1, there are ten different field types available for use. Each field type has a different set of Advanced Options, also described below; all questions can be marked as required which means they must contain some data in order for the record to be saved.

• Single Line Text
  • Learner enters a single line of text as an answer.
  • Max Characters specifies how many characters can make up the answer.
• Multi Line Text
  • Learner enters a multi-line text as an answer.
  • Max Words specifies the total words that are allowed as part of the answer.
• Number
  • Learner enters a number as an answer.
  • Minimum specifies the lowest number that can be entered.
  • Maximum specifies the highest number that can be entered.
  • Digits after decimal point requires learners to enter decimal numbers as part of their answer.
  • The Summary can automatically calculate the
• Date
  • Learner enters a date as an answer.
• File
  • Learner uploads a file as an answer.
• Image
  • Learner uploads an image as an answer.
• Radio Buttons
  • Learner chooses one answer from the given options.
  • Summary
• Dropdown Menu
  • Learner chooses one answer from the given options.
  • Summary
• Checkbox
  • Learner chooses one or many answers from the given options.
  • Min Selected specifies the minimum number of options that must be selected.
  • Max Selected specifies the maximum number of options that must be selected.
  • Summary
• Longitude/Latitude
  • Learner enters longitude and latitude (in decimal form) as an answer.
  • Select Maps specifies which internet mapping services can be used to display the answer given. The choices are one or more of either Google Maps, Geabios, Open Street Map or Multimap.

View of the Data Collection Activity Advanced tab.

• Lock When Finished:
  • This option is available on all Activities.
    Enabling this option in Data Collection means that Learners will not be able to edit the records they have created after they click on "Next Activity."
    They are able to return to the activity via the progress bar to view their submissions.
    If this option is disabled, Learners can revisit the notebook and add or edit records for the duration of the sequence.

• Add Notebook... : This option is available on all Activities. Enabling this option creates a Notebook as part of the Activity, which Learner's can use to reflect on the activity just completed. The reflections are personal (ie: not shared with other learners).

Advanced Features Specific to the Data Collection Activity

• Limit Number of Records
  • This option allows Monitors to set the minimum and maximum number of records that learners must submit to complete the activity. Either one or both of the minimum and maximum limits can be set.
• Notify Monitoring Teachers...
  • ... When a learner enters this activity.
    Allows LAMS to send an email notification to monitors when a learner begins this activity as part of a sequence.
  • ... When a learner submits a record.
    Allows LAMS to send an email notification to monitors when a learner submits a record as part of this activity.

View of the Instructions tab. This is the same for all activities.

The Instructions tab contains the same features for all Activities.

It allows the Author to create specific instructions for the activity, as well as upload files that may be useful for running the activity (ie: support documents, etc.). It is a resource that can be used by teachers who are running the sequence for their learners. (In the Monitoring Environment, the Instructions for an Activity can be viewed by double clicking the activity on the Sequence tab and then selecting the Instructions tab.

The instructions can be retrieved by other authors who open the activity, or by monitors running the sequence.

There are two types of Instruction possible, Offline and Online, depending on the mode that the teacher wishes to run the activity. The feature is useful for teachers who are sharing sequences with their colleagues as it provides an area where the Author can describe any learning objectives and/or the specific purpose of the activity.

Conditions Specific to the Data Collection Activity

• *Learner's number of records (range)
  This condition allows authors to branch learners based on the number of records they have entered into the activity.

Where to configure? There is no conditions tab for the Data Collection activity. Instead, authors must link a Data Collection activity to a Branching activity, then configure the conditions using the properties inspector. For more information, see Tool-Based Branching.

View of the Data Collection Monitoring Summary tab.

The Summary Tab for Data Collection provides an overview of each learner's contributions to the activity.

The screen displays the Learners name, login, number of records created and whether or not any notebook entries have been made.

The screen also displays the Advanced Settings dialog, which lists the advanced settings for monitor as defined in the authoring environment.

By clicking View All Records, monitors can view all of the submissions to the activity.

The LAMS Records List screen can be filtered according to Learner, and similarly to the Learning Environment, the records can be tiled across the screen by clicking on .

View of the Data Collection Monitoring Instructions tab.

In the Authoring Environment, Authors can use the Instructions Space to attach support files for a specific activity, or leave comments for othe Monitors about how a given activity should be run.

These comments and files can be viewed from here - the Instructions Tab.

View of the Data Collection Monitoring Statistics tab.

The Statistics screen for Data Collection displays either Average or Cumulative data for fields that have had the summary field selected in the Authoring environment.

The view can be configured to display individual statistics for each learner as compared to the cumulative statistics for the group.