1. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT The Hull Portal - Gateway to Managed Information PEPC 2003 Ian Dolphin Robert Sherratt

2. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT The Digital University Project Planned over the summer of 2001 Initially to develop a student intranet Senior Management buy-in and support Flexible structure with cross-institutional steering group Four main development strands

3. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT 2 Web Content Resolving Chaos Process and Technology Accessibility 3 New Services A chance to get it right… Development Model Organisational Change 4 External The UK Information Landscape The PORTAL Project Business Partners 1 Portal Layer AIPP Aggregate Integrate Personalise Present Obstacles & Progress

4. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT 2 Web Content Resolving Chaos Process and Technology Accessibility 3 New Services A chance to get it right… Development Model Organisational Change 4 External The UK Information Landscape The PORTAL Project Business Partners 1 Portal Layer AIPP Aggregate Integrate Personalise Present Obstacles & Progress

5. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Aggregate and Integrate what? Core database applications - Ingres Web based email client – IMP Library systems - Innovative Staff Intranet - home-grown, PERL etc VLE/LMS/PFE – BlackBoard L1 + Merlin External applications - identification

6. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT What users want … not the weather! Further Education Students: Review marks Library admin Deadline alerts Careers info Teaching materials Higher Education Undergrad: Deadline alerts Review marks Library admin Teaching materials Search favourite resources Postgraduate Students: Library admin Search favourite resources Deadline alerts Library & Internet resource alert Access reading lists Higher Education Staff: Search favourite resources Personal information = 2nd Library admin =2nd University e-mail Library & Internet resource alert Forms & documentation

7. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Further Education Students: Higher Education Undergrad: Postgraduate Students: Higher Education Staff: Search favourite resources Library admin Library admin = 2nd Library admin Review marks Deadline alerts Careers info Teaching materials Personal information = 2nd Library & Internet resource alert University e-mail Forms & documentation Deadline alerts Library & Internet resource alert Access reading lists

8. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Why uPortal? Procurement = 1 st with commercial offering –Against modified San Diego State U. rubric Development community Integration: more rapid, less effort Ease of visual adaptation –Aesthetic & distinctive branding –Accessibility Standards-based interfaces

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10. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”

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14. Portal Deployment Timetable Autumn 2001 –Portal Procurement –Content Management Development Spring & Summer 2002 –Integration and testing Autumn 2002 –Live with Geography, Internet Computing Autumn 2003 – Live with all staff and students for key services

15. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Content Management: Resolving Chaos The Web: it’s not amateur hour anymore Web tools by Heinz – 57 varieties of editor –Technical support nightmare –Human Resource nightmare Accessibility “test case” – any volunteers? Aggregating web pages through portal: GIGO

16. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Content Management: Solutions Solution for sites and portal channels Caveat: 2 years ago, but watching… Almost universally expensive/overpriced Frequently inflexible Not designed for use by HEI

17. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Content Management: Technology Not “Build or buy, but build and buy” db solution utilising current licences Edit basic content within secure web page Design templates –XHTML output (now) > XSLT (future) –“standard” design – WAI level 1 –“accessibility enhanced” design – WAI level 3 Support rudimentary, but flexible workflow

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21. Content Management Process Sensitivity to cultures of departments “What do you need to do?” Information design & architecture first Flexible “toolkit” approach Clear responsibilities and ownership

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25. Proposed New Structures eService Integration LibrariesComputingCorporate SystemsArchives Interactive MediaLibrariesComputing Corporate Systems Archives

26. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT External Resources & Interactions The UK FE/HE information landscape –JISC funded resources & services –JISC provided resources & services –Commercial subscriptions –Athens (central authentication service) The bank, the bus and the bar …

27. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT PORTAL Presenting natiOnal Resources to Audiences Locally JISC funded, U. Hull and UKOLN + RDN –Duration 18 months Range of external quality-assured content Meaningful integration (not lists of links) Extracting functionality from external sites Surveying stakeholder and user preferences

28. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT PORTAL Survey Method –Online card sort –Focus group –Interview (one to one)

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30. Portal Survey Responses –630 completed card sort –50 involved in focus groups –30 one-to-one interviews PORTAL project URL: –http://www.fair-portal.hull.ac.ukhttp://www.fair-portal.hull.ac.uk

31. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Obstacles Institutional readiness –Changing culture & process redevelopment Technology issues include … –LMS/VLE: overfeatured, overpriced, and over here… –Readiness of external sites to disclose data or services rather than web pages Human resource issues include … –Track emerging standards (who and how much time?) –Changing and redeveloping skill bases

32. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT Risks “Don’t like it, won’t use it” –Stakeholder survey work from PORTAL informs development “Will it sort my network connection out?” –Managing expectations Staff Development open sessions Dissemination activities “It’ll fall over” –Hardware identification and investment Load balancing & SSL acceleration –Observe and stress test

33. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT New Architectures: Web Services Standards-based layer enabling inter-application communication over IP network Addresses technology and HR issues –Legacy applications and developers Informs the creation of new services … … and the redevelopment of older services Maintaining a “thin” portal layer

34. DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT New Projects & Collaborations Web Services & Learning Services –Single or aggregated clusters of web services which are used to support learning –Which can be rapidly assembled in response to need Deconstruct the CMS/VLE/PFE –Re-use components in a non learning context –Develop/refine macro services in response to pedagogical research and experience

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36. JA-SIG UK http://www.ja-sig.org.uk/ Digital University Project http://www.digital.hull.ac.uk PORTAL Project http://www.fair-portal.hull.ac.uk i.dolphin@hull.ac.uk r.sherratt@hull.ac.uk