6 Configuration Options

In addition to the reference data that is expected to be loaded into the system, there are some other configurations that can be made to OSL. These fall into the following categories:

6.1 List of Values

There are two types of List of Values (LOVs) – those which can be customized and those which cannot. If a LOV can be customized, therefore either:

some seeded values can be removed or end-dated; and/or
additional values can be added.

Regardless of whether the LOV can be customized or not, the Description (that is displayed to users) of any LOV and any value can always be changed.

The complete set of LOVs is listed in Appendix A.

6.1.1 Updating LOVs

The LOVs are seeded at the installation of OSL and cannot be updated by an administrator in the LTAdmin UI. The LOVs must be updated by a technical administrator using the DLS. The process for updating the LOVs through DLS is outside the scope of this guide and is described in the OSL Programmer's Guide.

6.2 Resource Bundles

The text labels, error messages, icon sets, and images that appear everywhere throughout the LT (that is all of the visual elements of the LT) are controlled by "resource bundles". The resource bundles are a set of name-value pairs that the UI uses to interpret the values rendered in the UI.

For example:

DEFAULT.DATE.FORMAT=dd MMM yyyy

Specifies the dates are displayed like "17 Sep 2010" by default in the LT.

If this was changed to

DEFAULT.DATE.FORMAT=mm/dd/yyyy

Then the dates would be displayed like "09/17/2010" by default.

The resource bundles are contained (as embedded files) in Appendix B. The OSL Learning Tool Customization Guide describes the location of each image and label across OSL.

6.2.1 Deploying Updated Resource Bundles

Like LOVs, Resource Bundles are seeded at the installation of OSL and cannot be updated by an LTAdmin user through the UI. Updated Resource Bundles must be deployed (onto the web server) by a technical administrator. The process for deploying resource bundles is outside the scope of this guide and is described in Oracle Student Learning Installation and Deployment Guide.

6.3 Preferences

Unlike LOVs and Resource bundles, "preferences" are set through the UI. Preferences are used to control specific behaviors of the LT, for example whether teachers are able to hide feedback (assessment) from their students or not.

The complete set of preferences is listed in Appendix C.

Some preferences are site-specific, which means that they apply to the enterprise as a whole. For example: OSL_PARENT_ACCESS_TO_DISCUSSIONS, which controls whether parents can access discussion posts, is site-specific and so applies to all parents.

Other preferences are user-specific, which means that they apply to individuals. For example: OSL_STUDENT_WORKSPACE, which controls which UI (Advanced, Intermediate or Basic) is presented to each student, is user-specific and can be set differently for different students.

Furthermore, some user-specific preferences may also be controlled by the users themselves (user-modifiable). For example: OSL_STUDENT_WORKSPACE_BACKGROUND_IMAGE, which controls which background image is presented on a student's UI, is user-modifiable and so can be controlled by the student him/herself.

6.3.1 Site-Specific Preferences

Site-specific preferences can be set by Department Administrators only^Foot 1 through the LTAdmin UI as follows:

Select the Preference tab.
Enter a search term and click the Search button (if no search term is entered then all preferences will be returned).

Figure 6-1 Preference tab
Select a preference (by clicking on the row) and click the Edit icon.

Figure 6-2 Edit Preference page
Change the Site Value as required and click the Save and Return button (or alternatively, click Cancel to make no change).

6.3.2 User-Specific Preferences

User-specific preferences can be set by both the Department and School Administrators. However, only Department Administrators can change the default value of the preference (which applies where the preference has not been specified for a given user). The preferences are set through the LTAdmin UI as follows:

Select the Preference tab.
Enter a search term and click the Search button.
Select a preference and click the Edit icon.
Since this is a user-specific preference, a dialog is presented that enables the administrator to (optionally) select the users' for whom the preference will be set. If the Department Administrator wishes to set the default value, then proceed to the next step. If, instead, the School (or Department) Administrator wishes to set the preference value for some specific users, then proceed to step 7.

Figure 6-3 Search and Select Users page
Do not perform a search, just click the OK button.
Change the Site Value as required and proceed to the last step.
Enter some search terms and click the Search button.

Figure 6-4 Search for Users
Select the desired users and click the OK button
Select the users (from the bottom half of the screen) whose preference values are to be set/changed and click the Edit icon.

Figure 6-5 Edit User Preference Value
Set the preference value for the selected users and click the OK button. Notice how the Preference Value column is updated.

Figure 6-6 Updated Preference Value
Click the Save and Return button.

6.3.3 User-Modifiable Preferences

Some user-specific preferences can also be modified by the user. That means that the user can set the preference directly from the LT. Figure 6-7 illustrates the User Preferences dialog that is presented to in the teacher LT UI.

Figure 6-7 LT User Preference Dialog

6.4 Technical Configuration Properties

The technical configuration of OSL is described in the Oracle Student Learning Installation and Deployment Guide and, in the main, has no bearing on feature functionality. However, there is a configurable property called osl.lt.web.enable.FrameworkDataCaching that determines whether Curriculum Framework data is cached in the web layer.

Functional administrators must be aware that if this property is enabled, then any changes made to a Curriculum Framework (by a Department Curriculum Administrator in the LT Admin UI or through Data Loading Services) do not take effect until after a restart of the OSL LT application.

Footnote Legend

Footnote 1: School Administrators are able to view site-specific preferences