Transcript EDINA Learning and Teaching Projects Moira Massey Background • JISC - strategic aim to enhance its services for use in learning and teaching •

EDINA Learning and Teaching Projects
Moira Massey
Background
• JISC - strategic aim to enhance its services for use
in learning and teaching
• 1999 - Request for Proposals to JISC Services and
Projects: Enhancing JISC Services for L&T
• Circular 5/99 to all HEIs: Developing the DNER for
L&T
• EDINA has a number of projects funded under each
call:
– Using Numeric Data in L&T, Geo-data Browser and GeoCrosswalk under RfP
– MapScholar, Xgrain and ZBLSA under 5/99
– Xgrain and ZBLSA part of JOIN-UP Programme
– RDN Subject Portals, as Associate Partner
Use of Numeric Datasets in L&T
• Project began February 2000
• Numeric datasets (e.g. population census,
government survey, economic time-series) underused in L&T
• Project is an enquiry, which has:
– Established a Task Force to promote use of data in learning
and teaching
– Undertaken surveys to investigate use in L&T and existing
forms of local support
– Established open mailing list to generate discussion
– And will deliver a report to the JISC by the end of its 18
month lifecycle
Geo-data Browser
• 9 month collaborative project between EDINA and
the History Data Service. MIMAS and the
Archaeological Data Service are associate partners.
• Project is a feasibility study, to investigate the
establishment of a Z39.50-compliant, geo-spatial
portal for UK HE as part of the DNER, looking at:
– Barriers that confront users of geo-spatial data:
• how to find out what exists
• how to ascertain quality and suitability for use
– Solution is to provide comprehensive,
standardised metadata
• Portal would provide new opportunities for use of
geo-spatial data in L&T
Geo-Crosswalk
• Six month collaborative project, between EDINA
and the History Data Service, started Autumn 2000
• Aim of the project is to assess the feasibility of
developing and providing an online, Z39.50
compliant, fast, scaleable and extensible British
and Irish gazetteer service
• Gazetteer would play a crucial role in supporting
geographic searching in the DNER
• Project involves identification of HE community
requirements
• Subsequent funding will be sought, to establish an
operational service
Digimap MapScholar
• Project starting January 2001 with consortium of
developers from a number of HEIs /LTSN Subject
Centre staff /evaluation staff
• Three work packages to be developed:
– Case studies
– Tools and tutorials in:
• Working with Digital Map Data
• Data integration
• Visualisation
– Virtual placement (proof of concept)
The Digimap Skills/Concepts Gap
Learning/skills curve
Digimap obtaining a
map
Using data
from
Digimap in
a GIS
Users need help to negotiate barriers arising from
lack of skills/knowledge
Bridging the Skills/Concepts Gap
Tutorials
Digimap obtaining a
map
Learning/skills curve
Tools
Increasing user sophistication
Using data
from
Digimap in
a GIS
An example - enhanced visualisation
Overlay
Roads
Settlements
Land-use
Water features
Programme JOIN-UP
• Programme JOIN-UP is one of the ‘clusters’ of projects
funded under 5/99 and focuses developing infrastructure for
the discovery and location of articles
• The lead partners in JOIN-UP are EDINA, King’s College
London and the British Library
• JOIN-UP consists of four projects, which will each contribute
compatible and inter-operable component parts to the DNER
• The four projects are:
– Xgrain (EDINA)
– ZBLSA (EDINA)
– DOCUSEND (King’s College, London)
– ZETOC (British Library/MIMAS)
RDN/DNER Subject Portals
• 4 ‘MODELS’ verbs underpin development of DNER:
Discover (Resource) -> Locate (Service on Resource) ->
Request -> Access
• Resource Discovery Network
– based on eLib Subject Gateways (EEVL, SOSIG, OMNI)
– 6 Hubs
– 3 ‘mature’ Hubs in 5/99 project: EEVL, SOSIG, BIOME
•
•
•
•
SAD: Subject-based Access to DNER
EDINA playing support role for EEVL, but could be wider
SAD1: building prototype of subject portals for Summer 2001
SAD2: extending implementation to other subject portals
– RDN Subject Portals will make use of Xgrain & ZBLSA Brokers
• Xgrain for Abstract & Index databases
• ZBLSA for access to services on journal articles
Xgrain
• Project start date 1 November 2000, 31 months
• Led by EDINA, with Associate Partners RDN and BIDS
• Three work packages:
– Development of Z39.50 broker for use by DNER
and local portals, to allow cross-searching of
Z39.50-compliant databases
– Development of Web-based portal for the enduser to use cross-searching facility and access
native database interfaces - to allow both broad
and in-depth searching
– Requirements analysis for A&I portal for learning
and teaching
Xgrain Learning and Teaching Portal
• Aim of third work package is to work with 10 ‘Learning and
Teaching Associate’ sites to produce a requirements analysis
for a L&T portal
• Staff and students at the 10 institutions will be given field test
access to the successive versions of the cross-search portal.
The L&T Associates will take part in focus groups (2 per year)
to contribute to the requirements analysis for L&T portal
• L&T portal features are eventually likely to include:
– cross-searching, with links to native databases
– http links to non-Z databases
– user friendly presentation, allowing selection by subject
areas, degree of specificity and level of complexity contents level descriptions - and presentation of results
– supporting tutorial materials, case studies and links to
relevant web resources
Contacts
EDINA Director: Peter Burnhill
Email: [email protected]
MapScholar and Xgrain
EDINA L&T Support Officer/L&T Projects Co-ordinator: Moira Massey
Email: [email protected]
Geo-Crosswalk and Geo-Browser
Dr David Medyckyj-Scott
Email: [email protected]
Using Numeric Datasets in Learning and Teaching
Robin Rice
Email: [email protected]