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Firebase removal in Evolve

  • By Intellum Team
  • Published: Jun 2, 2022
  • Duration 5m
  • Difficulty Beginner
  • Rating
    Average rating: 0 No reviews

Outline

This guide is for all Evolve users who use Firebase-enabled items in Evolve (Storage Extension, Survey, Discussion, Open Input and Social MCQ Components).

Fast facts

  • Courses in Evolve could historically be linked to third-party storage provider Firebase for use responses and real-time updates.
  • Firebase is an open database which means the data being stored is not secure. We are removing it due to this security concern.

The ability to connect to Firebase and Firebase-enabled Evolve items will be removed on June 28, 2022. This page contains full details of how your Firebase-enabled content could be affected as well as actions you need to take and alternative solutions.

The Lowdown

This removal will affect your Evolve content if you have enabled the Storage Extension in any of your Evolve content and linked to a Firebase account, and use any of the following components connected to it:

  • Survey (providing a rating and feedback),
  • Discussion (sharing thoughts with others who take the course),
  • Open Input (answer an open question with a long text response) or
  • Social MCQ (respond to a question then see how others have answered the question)

Heads up!

If you are using the Open Input component and have NOT connected Firebase, (e.g. using them to collect responses for the Reflection Extension or for non-reported reflections) your content will not be not affected.

What is happening?

On June 28, 2022 Evolve will:

  • Remove the ability to connect to Firebase
  • Remove the Storage Extension entirely from the Extension library
  • Remove the Discussion Component entirely from the components list
  • Update Survey and Open Input to work with the Intellum Platform so they can continue to operate as they do now, just not with Firebase.
  • Change how Social MCQ works

What does this mean for:

Published courses:

  • Discussion components will remain in any published SCORM package/zip file and in any courses you have published previously and uploaded to an LMS or similar.
  • Discussion, Open Input, Social MCQ and Survey components in these courses will continue to work in the same way.
  • However, the next time you publish any of these courses after the changes (to make a new version or to update the content), they will change as outlined below.

All courses containing these Evolve items:

  • The Storage Extension will no longer be active or visible

  • Will not display Discussion components to learners

  • Open Input, Social MCQ and Survey components will remain but will not operate with Firebase any longer.

New courses:

  • You will not be able to use the Storage Extension or the Discussion Component at all.

  • Read "Alternative Options" below for the remaining components

Discussion components will reflect a deprecated status.
  • Open Input, Social MCQ and Survey components will remain but will not operate with Firebase any longer.

New courses:

  • The Storage Extension or the Discussion Component are no longer available.

Read the Alternative Options section below for the remaining components.

Actions you should take

  • As the changes won't affect already published courses, you can make changes to those courses only when you need to next publish them.

    All Evolve users should:

    • Proactively locate affected components across courses in your Evolve instance (watch the video below to see how). Modify them and references to how they work elsewhere in your content.
    • OR wait until the next time you need to edit/re-publish a course, check for any of these components, and make modifications at that time.
    • Check all courses for any remaining empty Blocks due to the removal of Discussion.
    • Check out the alternative solutions below for ways to use the other Components.

Alternative solutions

If you want to keep the following items in your course, read below for your options.

Open Input Component

  • Use purely for reflective interaction for the learner
  • Use the Reflection Extension so the user can see all their answers. Learners can email the downloaded PDF to a manager, tutor or similar if they need to see it
  • Intellum Clients can see the responses given in any Open Input using the Platform's reporting features

Survey Component

  • Use purely for reflective interaction for the learner

  • Intellum Clients can see the responses given in any Open Input using the Platform's reporting features

Social MCQ

  • Add dummy data to the Component settings in advance that will be shown to the learner