Sprint 4 Updates - RutgersGRID/VIDAHub GitHub Wiki

VIDA Project - Sprint 4 Update

Sprint 4: May 19-30, 2025
Phase: Phase 1 - Infrastructure & Process Development
Sprint Focus: Infrastructure Completion & Initial Applications

📋 Executive Summary

Key Achievements

This sprint marked significant progress in establishing the VIDA project's technical foundation. We setup the AWS infrastructure integration and automation setup, achieving a major milestone with our automated deployment pipeline. This infrastructure now needs to be tested. once verified, this enables rapid deployment of educational tools from development to production.

Application Development

The Learning Objectives Assistant continues to be refined based on early user feedback, with improvements to its AI-generated suggestions and user interface. This iterative development approach is helping us create more effective educational tools. update: 6/3 - Maka met with Dena and provided feedback that will direct further development. Maka has created a design doc for the new version.

Process Improvements

We've enhanced our project management capabilities by implementing GitHub and Monday.com integration, creating a seamless workflow for tracking development progress and managing tasks across teams.

Technical Priorities

Two critical infrastructure needs have been identified:

Streamlit template documentation requires updating to reflect our current deployment process
DNS/SSL setup for the cloud infrastructure is needed to ensure secure, professional access to our applications

Strategic Direction

Based on user needs and institutional priorities, we've established a clear prioritization for our AI agents:

ALLY Assistant - Accessibility-focused tool for creating inclusive educational content
Learning Objectives Assistant - Helping faculty create well-structured learning outcomes
Voice Assistant - Enabling voice-based interactions for enhanced accessibility
HUHY - Supporting specialized instructional design needs

Current Focus: Stakeholder Engagement

The project manager is currently focused on developing comprehensive project onboarding materials to introduce UOES stakeholders to the dual goals of the VIDA project:

The VIDA Tool Suite - AI-powered educational applications
The VIDA Development System - Framework for rapid tool creation

Work is in progress on a presentation to onboard stakeholders and initiate collaboration on AI agent design. This engagement will also involve developing the project's guiding pillars through collaborative input from instructional designers and educational technology experts.

Looking Ahead

With our core infrastructure in place, we're positioned to accelerate application development in Sprint 5 while beginning the transition to Phase 2 of the project.

📊 Sprint Overview

Sprint Statistics

Total Items: 31
Completed: 18 items
In Progress: 8 items
Not Started: 5 items
Completion Rate: 58%

Status Distribution

📋 Backlog: 8 items
🔄 Current Sprint: 12 items
✅ Done: 18 items
🔍 Review: 4 items
📅 Phase 1: 31 items (total)
📅 Phase 2: 15 items (planned)
📅 Phase 3: 10 items (planned)

🎯 Sprint Goals & Progress

Primary Goals for Sprint 4:

Complete AWS Infrastructure Setup ✅ Done
Finalize Docker Configuration 🔄 In Progress
Deploy Initial Applications 🔄 In Progress
Establish CI/CD Pipeline ✅ Done
Complete Phase 1 Documentation 🔄 In Progress

📝 Completed This Sprint

Infrastructure & DevOps ✅

AWS Infrastructure Setup - Completed core AWS services configuration
ECS Cluster Configuration - Set up container orchestration
Load Balancer Setup - Configured for application distribution
CloudWatch Monitoring - Implemented logging and monitoring
GitHub Actions Workflows - Automated deployment pipeline established

Development Environment ✅

UV Package Manager Setup - Standardized dependency management
VS Code Configuration - Team development environment ready
Docker Templates - Created reusable container templates
Development Scripts - Automation tools for common tasks

Initial Applications ✅

Learning Objectives Assistant - Basic version deployed
Definition Match Game - Prototype completed

Documentation ✅

Technical Architecture Docs - Comprehensive system documentation
Developer Onboarding Guide - New team member resources
API Documentation - Initial API reference completed

🔄 Currently In Progress

High Priority Items

Multi-App Docker Container
- Status: Working on Nginx configuration
- Expected completion: End of sprint
Streamlit App Deployment
- Status: Testing deployment pipeline
- Blockers: AWS permissions need adjustment
Cost Analysis Dashboard
- Status: Implementing cost tracking
- Progress: 75% complete

Medium Priority Items

Canvas LMS Integration Research
- Status: Evaluating integration options
- Next steps: POC development
Phase 1 Documentation Completion (Team)
- Status: Final reviews and updates
- Progress: 85% complete

🚀 Ready to Start

Phase 2 Planning
- Priority: High
- Dependencies: Phase 1 completion
User Testing Coordination
- Priority: Medium
- Dependencies: Application deployments
Security Audit
- Priority: High
- Dependencies: Infrastructure completion

⏸️ Not Started (Deprioritized)

🚧 Blockers & Risks

Current Blockers

AWS IAM Permissions
- Impact: Delaying some deployments
- Resolution: IT ticket submitted, expected resolution by 5/22
Docker Registry Access
- Impact: Slowing container deployment
- Resolution: Working with DevOps team

Identified Risks

Timeline Pressure: Phase 1 completion deadline approaching
Resource Allocation: Team stretched across multiple priorities
Testing Coverage: Need more comprehensive testing before Phase 2

👥 Team Highlights

Key Accomplishments

Technical Team

Led AWS infrastructure setup
Resolved critical Docker configuration issues
Implemented containerization best practices

App Development Team

Learning Objectives Agent development in progress
Iterating based on user feedback
Implementing AI integration features

Project Management

Implemented project tracking improvements
Facilitating cross-team collaboration

📅 Upcoming in Sprint 5 (June 2-13)

Phase 1 Completion

Finalize all remaining Phase 1 deliverables
Conduct comprehensive system testing
Complete all documentation

Phase 2 Kickoff

VIDA Dashboard initial development
User authentication system design
Expanded tool collection planning

💡 Lessons Learned

What Went Well

AWS infrastructure setup smoother than expected
Early prototype applications receiving positive feedback
Documentation practices improving team knowledge sharing

Areas for Improvement

Collaboration between development and instructional design teams
Earlier involvement of security team recommended
More frequent deployment testing needed
Communication between shifts could be enhanced

🎉 Celebrations

🏆 Successfully deployed first AI-powered educational tools!
🚀 Achieved automated deployment pipeline ahead of schedule

🔗 Quick Links

For questions about this sprint update, please contact the Project Management team or post in the #vida-project Slack channel.

Last updated: May 26, 2025