Contributors Meetup Async Update - Nov 21st - Dec 5th, 2024

Working Groups Core Contributors
,
1

Core Contributor Update: Nov 21st - Dec 5th, 2024

Use the jump links below to view the section that interests you:

  1. Working Groups Updates
  2. Events
  3. Projects
  4. Next async update and meetup

1. Working Groups Updates

Working Groups Calendar

1.1. BTR Working Group

Chair: @jalondonot

:paperclip: Latest news

1. Release Blockers

  • Programs URL in Header:
    • The issue with configuring the programs URL in the learner dashboard header has been resolved. A new environment configuration option has been introduced.
    • The fix is merged into the master branch, but a backport PR may still be needed to include it in the Sumac release.
    • Team emphasized the importance of documenting this update in the release notes to inform users about its behavior and configuration.
  • Release Notes Issue:
    • The docs build problem caused by Sphinx checking dummy URLs has been fixed. Farhaan clarified the root cause and confirmed the fix applies to both master and Sumac branches.
    • However, automating the generation of waffle flags and other settings changes for inclusion in the release notes remains unresolved.
    • Chris plans to address this after returning from Thanksgiving break, with Maria offering additional support.
    • The team discussed the criticality of this section in the release notes. Maria will follow up with Chris to provide help if needed.
  • New Sidebar Navigation:
    • Discussions focused on whether to enable the new left sidebar navigation by default for users upgrading from Redwood.
      * Current behavior: Existing installations must manually enable the feature.
      * Proposed change: Automatically enable the feature for upgraded users while maintaining a fallback option to disable it.
  • Concerns:
    • Potentially overriding intentional configurations by users who previously disabled the feature.
    • Ensuring proper communication in the release notes about this change and the eventual deprecation of the legacy navigation.
  • Action items:
    • Add a manual upgrade command to enable the feature as a transitional measure.
    • Prepare a deprecation notice for the legacy navigation, targeting removal in an upcoming release.
  • Forums v2:
    • The new discussion forums feature, which transitions from MongoDB to MySQL, is ready for inclusion in Sumac.
    • Testing in the sandbox has been successful. Pending merge conflicts on related PRs are expected to be resolved within the week.
    • For existing installations, forums will remain on MongoDB for now, with MySQL used only for new installations.

2. Testing Process

  • Progress Update:
    • Completion rate: 83.9%.
    • Some tests are unassigned or pending setup for specific configurations (e.g., single sign-on).
    • Maria volunteered to handle single sign-on tests; AndrĂŠs and Adolfo to assist with other pending tests.
  • Sandbox Issues:
    • Outline generation failing for demo courses; root cause investigation underway.
    • This is a high-priority issue as it blocks further testing.
  • Mobile Testing:
    • Discussions on including mobile application-related tests; a sandbox for mobile is available.

3. New Features Testing

  • Plugin Slots:
    • Header updates verified; plugin slots are ready for testing in the sandbox.
    • Coordination with plugin maintainers needed to finalize integration.

4. Release Management

  • Forums v2:
    • Ready for inclusion in Sumac; pending resolution of merge conflicts for final PRs.
    • No blockers anticipated.
  • Tagging Responsibility:
    • Farhaan confirmed readiness to handle tagging for the release.

5. Debugging

  • Prioritization:
    • High-priority issues reviewed; prioritization to be finalized by Chelsea and Jenna.
    • Ongoing triage to identify additional potential release blockers.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.2. Contributor Coordination Working Group

Chair: Jorge LondoĂąo

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-10-29 CC Working Group Meeting Notes

  • Next Steps
    1. Implement a simple polling system for voting, ensuring that only core contributors are eligible to vote.
    2. Cassie Zamparini to announce the voting schedule within the week to prepare contributors.
    3. Direct follow-up with proposers who need to clarify their summit proposals before voting.
    4. Plan to use the existing ticketing system for tracking project progress post-vote, ensuring all updates are meticulously documented.
    5. Encourage thorough testing and review of proposals by all core contributors.
      Meeting participants left with clear tasks and timelines, looking towards an efficient voting process and subsequent implementation of the summit’s outcomes.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.3. Data Working Group

Chair: @e0d & @blarghmatey

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-11-13 Meeting notes

:memo: Meeting notes

1.4. DEPR Working Group

Chair: @feanil

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes DEPR Meeting Notes (2024)

:memo: Meeting notes

1.6. Tutor Users’ Group

Chair: Kyle McCormick

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes Tutor Users GW 2024-11-18

:memo: Meeting notes

1.7. Educators Working Group

Chair: @john_curricume

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-10-07 Educator WG

  • In this session of the Open edX Educators Working Group, Eric J. Larson discusses AI literacy, focusing on the distinction between AI capabilities and human-like reasoning. Participants, primarily educators, explore the implications of AI in education, emphasizing the potential and limitations of current AI technologies. Larson elaborates on his book ‘The Myth of Artificial Intelligence,’ highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of AI as an educational tool. They discuss issues such as hallucinations, the impact of AI on student learning, and the importance of maintaining critical and creative thinking. Larson promotes leveraging AI thoughtfully to complement human cognitive abilities, especially in educational settings, while acknowledging the inherent challenges and unpredictable errors of AI systems.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.8. Frontend Working Group

Chair: @arbrandes

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-10-24 Frontend Working Group Meeting Notes

  1. “Frontend Base” Initiative:
    • David Joy introduced a unified library to replace various frontend components, such as headers and footers, enhancing configurability and usability.
  2. Header Configurations:
    • New headers are configured through a “site config” file, enabling dynamic updates tailored to specific modules without major code changes.
  3. Footer Development:
    • A prototype for an adaptable footer was showcased, inspired by layouts like edx.org, offering structured link layouts and improved internationalization.
  4. Module Federation and App Configuration:
    • David presented three app configuration methods (internal apps, federated modules, and external apps) to support modular, flexible builds with potential default configurations for easier integration.
  5. Plugin and Module Slot Configurations:
    • The team discussed organizing plugins and modules for a balance between flexibility and simplicity, suggesting helper functions and default setups for easier configuration.
  6. Internationalization Improvements:
    • Updates were shared on language selection, leveraging browser APIs for language options based on configured translations, eliminating the need for large external libraries.

Outcomes and Next Steps:

  • The group expressed overall approval for the proposed configurations and recommended further testing to explore complex use cases.
  • David will summarize the current work and gather additional feedback on Discourse.
  • The team acknowledged the importance of balancing configurability with usability and agreed to continue refining the system.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.9. Large Instances Working Group

Chair: @braden & @Felipe

OpenCraft

  • Braden MacDonald - has been reviewing some of the PRs from Cristhian Garcia, and happy to see those coming through.
  • GĂĄbor Boros - same thing. Is starting the work on adding more Terraform scripts etc. so expect some PRs soon.

eduNEXT

:memo: Meeting notes

1.10. Marketing Working Group

Chair: Eden Huthmacher

:paperclip: Latest news

:memo: Meeting notes

1.11. Maintainers

Chair: Feanil

:paperclip: Latest news

  • Sumac.1 will happen on Monday: If you have any last minute fixes that need to land, do it this week.
  • Maintainers-at-large: maintainers-at-large group that has write access to all openedx repos but with the restriction that you can only do work that is related to maintenance tasks driven by the maintenance working group or to fix issues to keep CI and other underlying tools working.
  • Paver update:
    • Still in progress removing paver
    • Slowed down by the fact that paver was obfuscating that some of the tests were not running properly
    • Keep CI simple so that we reduce the chances of this happening again.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.12. Product Working Group

Chair: Jenna Makowski

:paperclip: Latest news

  • LTI
  • UX/UI Working Group
    • ASU Graded Discussions: interest in learning from previous graded discussion effort associated with EduNext
    • EduNext created a previous graded discussion XBlock; unsure of backer for that project
    • Topics coming up soon (bolded topics are a good fit for next meeting)
      • In next 1-2 weeks, should be ready to share out updates on mobile course content view / visual course progress
      • Sequence navigation
      • Mobile notifications
      • Visually configure content blocks

:memo: Meeting notes

1.13. Security Working Group

Chair: Feanil Patel

:memo: Meeting notes

1.14. TOC

Chair: Ed Zarecor

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-10-08 TOC Meeting Summary

Next Steps

  • Continue discussions with the potential new TOC member and finalize commitments.
  • Once finalized, communicate these developments via email to ensure transparency and inform the community about the expanding TOC.
  • Discuss and plan the integration and roles of new members to the TOC in the next meetings, ensuring these additions align with the strategic goals and needs of the Open edX project.

:memo: Meeting notes

1.15. Translation Working Group

Chair: Eden Huthmacher

:arrow_down: Past meeting notes 2024-11-06 Translation WG Meeting notes

:memo: Meeting notes

2. Events

  • Registration for the 2025 Open edX Conference is open! Join the Open edX Conference 2025 in the TĂŠlĂŠcom Paris, Polytechnic Institute of Paris

  • Call for Papers: Open edX Conference 2025: Proposals are due by December 4, 2024, with early feedback available for submissions before November 11.

  • Would anyone like to highlight any past or upcoming events? Let us know in the comments!

3. Projects

Are there any new or ongoing projects you’d like to discuss? Get the conversation started in the comments below.

4. Next async update and meetup

  • Friday December 20th - Async update
  • Tuesday November 24th - Join the meetup here!
  • Details and draft agenda on Confluence

:speech_balloon: Anything to add?

If there’s anything else you’d like to mention, please let us know in the comments below.

2

Core Contributor Check-in: Nov 21st - Dec 5th, 2024

giphy

:sparkles: That’s a wrap for 2024! :sparkles: What an incredible year it’s been for our community - full of growth, and exciting changes. :tada:

I can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store! My next post will be coming your way in early January, but in the meantime, if you need any help or want to collaborate, don’t hesitate to connect with the community on the Forum or Slack.

:stopwatch: Core Contributor Hours

There was a total of 201 hours of contributions reported this past sprint with a 21% response rate.

Response Rate
Response Rate666×251 11.5 KB

:notebook_with_decorative_cover: Summary of Responses

Do you need any help? Or is there anything you’d like to collaborate on?

No answers

What did you accomplish this sprint?

@pdpinch

  • Sumac testing

@Felipe

  • Maintenance of edx-organizations
  • Sent conference talk proposals
  • Evaluated conference talk in sessionize

What do you plan to work on in the upcoming sprint?

@pdpinch

  • Planning for xBlock Asides support

What went well this sprint?

@pdpinch

  • Good coordination on Sumac release, although we are getting down to the wire

:speech_balloon: Questions or comments?

Please add any questions or comments you might have below. We’d love to hear from you!

And if you’d like to take a peek at the full report, see it on Listaflow