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Derivative or Relating MLX Packages

I am just trying to flesh out a new idea for the Maricopa Learning eXchange. Since we have now real stories of how our faculty are using and modifying MLX content. I am hoping we can set up some new tools that can allow someone to create a new MLX item, and add that it is related to or derived from another MLX package.

For example, from our video interviews, we had an Estrella Mountain adjunct faculty (Marylyn) who teaches economics who described how she used the human organs supply and demand lesson package developed at Chandler-Gilbert, but in doing so, Marylyn had added some new components. We would like it if people like Marylyn could ultimately post a new MLX item to describe how the existing one was adopted and perhaps modified.

A tool for showing relationships would recognize use and re-use...

Technically it is simple, as it is just another database table to relate MLX packages to other ones. The easist route would be to build a tie into the Trackback tools already built into the MLX, but eventually trackbacks will drop off older TBs (I am ambitious after all that the traffic would grow that high).

I may just do both- build the relationships into the MLX structure but when they are created, also use the trackback function as well.

My thought is to provide another input field that would allow our package creators to provide the MLX package ID and a short blurb that can describe how their new package is related or derived from an existing items.

This way, new Package "Q" that gives credit to old package "D", would have a link from "Q" to "D" that states this relationship, AND, package "D" would have a link to the package "Q" as a "descendant" or "derivative".

And then (getting wild), let's say someone else creates new package "Z" based on "Q"- we could have a chain or relationships as packages are re-used, adopted, augmented.