[IAEP] [Design] Multiple instances of same activity (Was: First steps with Sugar)

[Christoph Derndorfer]

Am 16.06.2010 11:40, schrieb Sean DALY:
> Keep in mind that this precise functionality is provided by what Gary
> is describing - a single instance, but multiple documents open, what
> used to be called "MDI" (Multiple Document Interface) back in the 90s.
> 
> Today, this is usually presented as tabs (no pun intended ;-) with
> focus showing the active tab, possibility of closing a tab wiithout
> returning to it, rearranging tabs, etc.
> 
> Perhaps the larger question is how to present multiple windows of the
> same type of data (text, images) simply to children.  Stacked windows
> versus navigating between windows and so on. Apple faced with a
> similar problem for the iPhone shows a row of grey dots for each
> "page" of app icons, the white dot indicating the active "page". A
> similar representation may be preferable to tabs.
> 
> This could become complicated in collaboration. Are all open documents
> in the instance shared?

That's indeed an interesting discussion to be had. I think at some point
a while ago (I might be wrong though) it was suggested that per default
Activities should be shared. I guess such a behavior would then also
apply to all within an Activity tabs.

(Not that I neccessarily think that sharing be default is a good idea...)

Christoph

> Sean
> 
> 
> 
> On 6/16/10, Tabitha Roder <tabitha at tabitha.net.nz> wrote:
>>
>>> Has anyone seen good real world cases where allowing multiple instances of
>> the same activity to be run was useful or a vaguely common practice?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I use multiple instances all the time. Particularly for comparing things,
>> but also for copying bits out of one and into another.
>>
>> Example
>> 1. write about how you describe yourself
>>  2. write about how your family describe you
>> 3. write about why they might be different
>> You need to see the first two texts to carry out the third part of the
>> exercise.
>>
>> You can have the same requirement for multiple instances in many activities
>> - using a calculator, browsing the internet, drawing pictures, all sorts.
>>  What if I create something in phsyics or etoys or scratch, and want to
>> create something else to go with it but want to do it in another place so I
>> don't wreck the first bit, then want to join them both together. I want to
>> build on my first concept in one way and another way, then compare the
>> different paths I took and see which was better.
>>
>> These are valuable to the learning process. I think multiple instances are
>> very important.
>>
>> I have experienced the frustration of low memory issues and would rather
>> have the option to wait for the laptop to recover or even restart the
>> laptop, than not have multiple instances as an option. IMHO.
>>
>> Tabitha
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>  IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>>  IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>  http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>
> _______________________________________________
> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
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> 

-- 
Christoph Derndorfer
co-editor, www.olpcnews.com
e-mail: christoph at olpcnews.com