VIDA Project: Phased Implementation Plan

Project Overview

VIDA (Virtual Instructional Design Assistant) is an evolving platform designed to support educators in creating digital learning experiences. The project will develop through three distinct phases, each building upon the previous one to create an increasingly sophisticated and accessible ecosystem of educational technology tools.

See :User Stories by Implementation Phase

Phase 1: Infrastructure & Process Development

Duration: Months 1-4

Focus: Establishing the foundational infrastructure, workflows, and initial tools to demonstrate the concept and value proposition.

Key Deliverables:

1. Development Environment Setup

   • Configure VS Code with necessary extensions
   • Implement UV package manager for Python dependency management
   • Create GitHub organization and repository structure
   • Establish standardized project templates

2. Core AI Integration Pipeline

   • Develop natural language to code generation workflow using Claude/similar AI
   • Create integration layers for Hugging Face models
   • Build templated Streamlit application frameworks
   • Design automated deployment scripts for GitHub

3. Automation Scripts

   • Virtual environment creation and management
   • Library dependency resolution
   • Containerization procedures
   • Deployment automation to AWS

4. Prototype Applications

   • Alt Tag Generator (accessibility tool)
   • Initial version of Syllabus Creator
   • Simple template for educational mini-games

5. Documentation

   • Technical documentation for internal developers
   • Process workflows and guidelines
   • Integration capabilities documentation

Success Criteria:

• Complete end-to-end workflow from natural language request to deployed application
• At least 2-3 functional prototype applications demonstrating the technology
• Deployment process requiring minimal technical intervention
• Version control and collaboration mechanisms established

Phase 2: Tool Dashboard & Resource Hub

Duration: Months 5-8

Focus: Creating a centralized platform for accessing tools and resources, expanding the available tool set, and refining the user experience.

Key Deliverables:

1. VIDA Dashboard

   • User authentication and account management
   • Tool discovery and catalog interface
   • Usage analytics and tracking
   • User feedback mechanisms

2. Expanded Tool Collection

   • Enhanced versions of Phase 1 tools
   • Educational Game Creator
   • Character Generator
   • Course Material Formatter
   • Quiz Generator
   • Learning Objective Generator

3. Resource Hub

   • Curated educational technology resources
   • Best practices documentation
   • Use case examples and case studies
   • Tutorial videos and guides

4. Integration Capabilities

   • Initial API integrations for common educational platforms
   • Export functionality to various formats
   • Content sharing mechanisms

5. User Testing & Refinement

   • Usability testing with faculty and instructional designers
   • Refinement of user interfaces
   • Optimization of AI-generated outputs

Success Criteria:

• Functional dashboard with at least 8-10 specialized tools
• Comprehensive resource library for educators
• Improved user experience based on testing feedback
• Increased tool quality and reliability
• Growing adoption among initial user groups

Phase 3: End-User Tool Creation Platform

Duration: Months 9-12+

Focus: Empowering end users to create their own tools through an intuitive interface, expanding platform capabilities, and creating a sustainable ecosystem.

Key Deliverables:

1. Self-Service Tool Creation

   • Natural language tool specification interface
   • Template selection and customization
   • AI-guided tool development process
   • Preview and testing environment

2. Personal Dashboards

   • User-created tool management
   • Sharing and collaboration features
   • Usage analytics for created tools
   • Version management and updates

3. Advanced Integrations

   • LMS (Learning Management System) connections
   • Student data integration (with appropriate privacy measures)
   • Advanced export and publishing options
   • Third-party service connections

4. Community Features

   • Tool sharing marketplace
   • Collaborative development capabilities
   • Rating and review systems
   • Featured tools and showcases

5. Enterprise Features

   • Team management
   • Institutional branding
   • Advanced analytics
   • Governance and compliance tools

Success Criteria:

• End users successfully creating customized tools without developer intervention
• Growing library of user-generated tools
• Active community of educators using and sharing tools
• Measurable impact on course development efficiency
• Pathway to sustainability through defined business model

Cross-Phase Considerations

Technical Infrastructure

• Scalable cloud architecture (AWS)
• Security and data protection measures
• Performance optimization
• Monitoring and maintenance

User Experience

• Consistent design language across all components
• Accessibility compliance
• Progressive disclosure of complexity
• Intuitive interfaces for non-technical users

Quality Assurance

• Testing protocols for AI-generated code
• User feedback integration process
• Continuous improvement cycles
• Performance benchmarks

Documentation & Training

• End-user documentation
• Administrator guides
• Training materials
• Knowledge base

Strategic Alignment

Each phase of the VIDA project aligns with key strategic objectives:

1. Phase 1 supports the strategy of establishing technical capability and proving the concept.
2. Phase 2 advances the strategy of creating practical, immediate value for educators.
3. Phase 3 fulfills the strategy of democratizing educational technology development.

This phased approach allows for:

• Incremental value delivery
• Opportunity to learn and adapt
• Risk management through staged investment
• Building a community of users gradually
• Testing assumptions before full-scale implementation