JISC

Background / Context Project Final Report

People use a wide range of information sources and publishing channels, with a wide range of interfaces. Managing all these different resources can present difficulties to an individual. Learners can face many challenges, with institutions requiring them to use certain technologies alongside their own personal preferences, this coupled with trust issues, prevent many learners from engaging in collaborative learning. The MeAggregator project was inspired as a solution to problems that we saw facing our educational community.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this project is to develop an open source application that can be web based or on the desktop, that will serve as a Me Aggregator. The Me Aggregator will configure the total set of technologies that an individual is using at a specific point of time, on a flexible and modular basis.

The specific objectives are to:

• Produce an aggregator framework, on which to base modular development
• Provide a tool for students and staff to manage their online communities and channels, through advanced use of content aggregation technologies such as RSS and others
• Provide seamless access to academic content in institutionally-owned systems
• Provide a new space in which to create academic-related content, which can subsequently be remixed with their personal content in any way they wish
• Provide access to a new source of academic online communities that will foster links across disparate groups of students and staff who may not normally meet, yet share similar interests
• Provide a large social network of students and staff through which the dissemination of ideas can more easily flow

Project Methodology

The approach taken will be based on gathering user practice details through surveys and focus groups.  Priorities for development will be determined against need and risk. Prototyping will be used to ensure a close fit of the product to user requirements.

Implications/ Deliverables

• Use-case portfolio
• Me-Aggregator framework
• Prototypes to be initially used within local institution at various scales.
• Evaluation reports
• Open source application and documentation
• Training materials
• Address the needs of the educational community with regard to their emergent trust networks, collaborative learning, social networking and other personal learning landscape issues.

Stakeholders

• Students on full and part time courses, undergraduate and postgraduate
• Other learners
• Staff
• Alumni
• Careers Staff
• Existing service providers
• Larger community