Issue: Decodable and Leveled Reader Parameters in Existing Collections Are not Updated by Installing a New Reader Template Bloom Pack

Preparing for a workshop this coming week (May 1-4). After preparing a set of decodable and leveled reader templates on my laptop, running Bloom 4.1.12, I made a Reader Template Bloom Pack to install on another laptop. On the other laptop, I uninstalled Bloom, deleted the Documents\Bloom folder and also the app_data\local\SIL\Bloom folder to get a clean installation of Bloom 4.1.12 on that Windows 10 laptop. Then I installed the Bloom Pack on that second laptop, made a Collection using the templates that had been installed and that appeared in the Sources for New Books pane. So far so good.

Then, as often happens in workshops, I edited the Decodable Reader parameters a bit on the second laptop, adding a new sight word and adding one additional letter to Stage 1.

Next, I went back to the source laptop and made a new Bloom Pack, but not having changed the parameters for Decodables or Leveled Readers. The I installed the new Bloom Pack on the second laptop.

Results: The decodable reader parameters in the existing collection were not updated to those in the freshly installed Bloom Pack. Making a new book in that same collection using one of the templates did not update the parameters either. I made a new collection in the same language, made a book using a template, and the parameters were as expected based on the Bloom Pack.

Next, I went back to the source laptop, changed the Decodable reader parameters, made a new Bloom Pack and then installed that Bloom Pack on the recipient computer. Again, a new collection made using the installed Reader templates imported the Decodable and Leveled Reader parameters as expected, but the parameters in neither of the two existing Collections (in one of which the parameters had been altered after creating the collection, and the other of which the parameters had not been altered after creating the collection) were updated.

My expectation was that by installing a fresh Bloom Pack, the Decodable and Leveled Reader parameters for all Collections of that language would be updated. Is that not correct? Is this a bug, or is it expected behavior?

Thank you.

Hi Bruce,

My expectation was that by installing a fresh Bloom Pack, the Decodable and Leveled Reader parameters for all Collections of that language would be updated. Is that not correct? Is this a bug, or is it expected behavior?

I share your expectation; I’ve created a bug report for it here.

Thank you, John. I read your notes that you mention in the bug report. Two comments that seem particularly relevant to me are (1) “It might also have something to do with an expectation that someone getting reader tools data from a bloompack will be making books according to settings someone else made, not messing with the settings themselves. Indeed, as long as Bloom is used that way, what we have works.” and (2) “How might we fix this? 1. We could decide that when you get reader specifications from a bloompack, you are bound by them and can’t modify the settings. (Possibly, we could allow you to unlock things, discarding the ReaderToolsWords file and letting you find your own sample texts and words)”

What we see in workshops is that many - maybe most - participants will edit the settings they have been given. It leads to anarchy! :wink: And to inconsistency that supervisors and trainers are not very happy with. We would like to see the proposed solution of locking the settings, possibly allowing for an option to unlock, As it stands now, it seems that the only ones who cannot change the decodable and leveled reader parameters are the ones who set them up for the participants IF those who set up the templates install the Bloom Pack they make on their own laptops. We now advise trainers NOT to install their Bloom Packs and show them how to delete everything in case they have installed them; and advise them to make example readers by making a new collection and then copying the .json files to it from the Reader Template collection from which they made the Bloom Pack. Then if they want to update the Bloom Pack for participants, they can modify the settings in either the Reader Collection or the Reader Template Collection and copy the modified .json files to the other.

We feel it would be helpful to have the option to lock the settings for Bloom Pack recipients even if an unlock feature is included. For one thing, we believe that the sight words that should be included in a Decodable Stage are only those that have already been taught to the pupils. There could be exceptions, but the temptation to add sight words and even adjust the sequence of introducing characters/sounds to make it easier to write readers seems to be quite strong.

Since there’s already a feature to lock collection settings, I wonder if it might be possible to include the “Set up stages” and “Set up levels” buttons in that scheme. Especially since the Settings Protection dialogue already says, “This may also hide other buttons which are not needed by the non-advanced user.”
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Yes, I like that idea, Paul.

The issue with Decodable and Leveled Reader parameters not being updated by installing a new Bloom Pack is now resolved in Bloom release version 4.1.14.

I’m glad to hear that.