JISC

Overview

Shared architecture for employer, student & organisational networking (SAMSON) seeks to integrate processes for employer engagement which are currently supported across both partner HEIs in numerous, separate pockets of activity, mostly with low levels of use of technology. It will provide a joined-up experience for Nottingham postgraduates on work placements, for employers and employees interacting with the universities for CPD, and for HE staff developing employer engagement activities. The technical developments prioritise re-using working systems and transforming existing data in real time into open standards, moving via web services. Some ontology work will be provided in one area, to match competences and learning outcomes between academia and business.

Aims and objectives

• To support data-sharing and communications between learners/employees, businesses and HEIs to achieve greater efficiency and integration of activities around employer engagement in the universities and region
• To develop and implement a scalable, modular web services infrastructure to present a platform for users and service providers to collaborate securely and dynamically, through hosted services.
• To support a cycle of workplace learning activities, including processes required by a wide array of stakeholders, enhancing e.g. progress tracking, feedback and relationship-building
• To engage at least 100 learners and 10 businesses in at least 3 different disciplines/sectors.

Project methodology

An initial skeleton architecture will be developed with some internal HEI departments to achieve an early demonstration of web services supporting collaboration between different stakeholders and distributed data sources. While working institution-wide, through the two Graduate Schools, the project team will engage with SMEs in a range of sectors. Development of technology will be phased, ensuring stability and suitability for two pilot phases – one in each university - through to full implementation. Development work will be iterative, involving close interaction through ongoing consultation processes with users, who will develop use cases, provide feedback and pilot training processes and materials.

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

Outputs:

• technical infrastructure and application-specific services
• use cases, specifications, documentation
• models of existing and new processes, including integration of legacy systems
• demonstrations
• workshops for usergroups
• training materials and evaluation reports
• dissemination activities at institutional, regional and national level.

HE will gain access to a generic, scalable infrastructure model which will support the continued evolution and multiplication of processes and services as business/HE partnerships and learning activities expand. It will be capable of drawing in an ever-widening range of stakeholders across institutions and generating increasingly rich information and connections.

Technology / Standards used

• XCRI
• LEAP2A
• SAML/ XACML
• Shibboleth
• OWL-S
• RDF
• BPEL4PEOPLE
• HR-XML

Lead Institution

• University of Nottingham Centre for International ePortfolio Development (CIePD)

Project partners

University of Nottingham:

• CIePD
• Graduate School
• Business School Ingenuity Centre
• Engineering Faculty
• Research and Innovation Services
• Information Services
• Director of Learning and Teaching

Nottingham Trent University

• Graduate School
• Libraries and Learning Resources
• Business Innovation and Creation