Using SharePoint to Link Research and Teaching Sonja Eisenbeiss ([email protected]) University of Essex, June 2009 Overview ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ Virtual Research Environments (VREs) and user needs the Psycholinguistic Research Group (PRG) and its needs earlier solutions and problems a solution: myLife and Sharepoint a VRE for a research methods module other examples and some issues creating a VRE Virtual Research Environments “The purpose of a VRE is to help researchers in all disciplines manage the increasingly complex range of tasks involved in carrying out research. A VRE will provide a framework of resources to support the underlying processes of research on both small and large scales, particularly for those disciplines which are not well catered for by the current infrastructure. Virtual Research Environments, cont. VREs will add value to the research process across all disciplines by complementing and inter-working with existing resources and by being flexible and adaptable to changing requirements. The approach being taken is based on an architecture which is extensible and supports, but does not restrict, the resources needed by individual research teams.” [1]. Typical User Needs for VREs Share digital resources Share information Coordinate actions document and software repository, sometimes access to library resources messages and announcements shared calendars or task lists Manage resource access shared calendars for bookings The Psycholinguistic Research Group [2] Members staff and PhD-students in the Language and Linguistics Department Research Topics language processing 1st/2nd language acquisition language disorders Resource Management for the PRG ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ 4 laboratories; portable recording, measurement and presentation equipment; a physical stimulus archive (toys, etc.) an online archive for ̌ ̌ ̌ ̌ sample experiments stimuli for experiments publications, training materials and other documents links to webpages for (psycho)linguists Resource Management for the PRG ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ 4 laboratories; portable recording, measurement and presentation equipment; a physical stimulus archive (toys, etc.) an online archive for ̌ ̌ ̌ ̌ sample experiments stimuli for experiments publications, training materials and other documents links to webpages for (psycho)linguists User Needs ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈ up-to-date overview of available resources, tutorials, guidelines book time slots for laboratories; borrow portable equipment and stimulus materials; download stimuli, experiments and other documents from the online archive; find links to web-pages for psycholinguists alert the laboratory-coordinator(s) and other users to technical problems. Earlier Solutions Share digital resources Share information online archive: shared folder for members of email list email to dedicated list Coordinate actions emails to dedicated list Manage resource access emails to dedicated list and/or lab coordinator for access to labs, equipment or physical archive Problems Shared folder Email list assigning access rights requires involvement of computing services access rights all at the same level (write/read/delete for everyone for all components) large attachments complicated co-ordination for bookings, etc. constant involvement of coordinator A Solution: myLife and SharePoint ̈ ̈ ̈ a myLife site as a VRE for the PRG an email list for the PRG access rights to the different components of the VRE can be bound to email-list membership or granted on an individual basis by the site-owner Components Share digital resources shared document folders, with write/read access for members and read access for guests Share information shared document folders and link lists Coordinate actions calendars for events Manage resource access calendars for labs and equipment, with write access for members only A VRE for a Research Method Module Share digital resources shared document folders Share information shared document folders, link lists and announcements Coordinate actions calendars for events, deadlines, etc. Manage resource access calendars for labs and equipment, with write access for members only A VRE for a Research Method Module General Space read access for all write access for lecturer Shared document folders and link lists with read access for all students Calendar (deadlines, labs, etc.) and announcements Group Spaces Shared documents and link lists read/write access for group members Calendar (deadlines etc.), announcements and task lists Some other myLife Sites Skills Training Resources Language & Staff Space for sharing teaching materials etc. Linguistics Child Language Reading Group CSEE Individual PhD-/Supervisor sites Coordination of RAE submission University Coordination of Global Alliances Some Issues Size not suitable for large files (>50MB) size limitations for sites Access myLife is restricted to Essex users (though collaborators can easily become Essex users) deposited materials may become copyrighted later Copyright Creating a VRE Creating a Site set up by Web Support set up within individual myLife site Populating a Site selecting components assigning access rights to components adding documents, links, events, etc. References ̈ [1] ̈ [2] JISC Virtual Research Environments Programme. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/programme_vre.aspx#VRE[1] Homepage of the Psycholinguistic Research Group, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex. http://www.essex.ac.uk/psyling/. Further Reading ̈ Newhouse, S.; Schopf, J.M.; Richards, A.; Atkinson, M. 2007. Study of User Priorities for eInfrastructure for e-Research (SUPER), draft version, 10th February 2007. http://www.nesc.ac.uk/talks/743/draft_report.pdf ̈ ̈ ̈ Kirkham, R.; Pybus, J. 2006. Building a Virtual Research Environment for the Humanities. Report of the User Requirements Survey. http://bvreh.humanities.ox.ac.uk/files/User_requirementsBVREH.doc Sim, Y.W.; Wang, C.; Gilbert, L.; Willis, G.B. 2005. User Requirement Study for a Virtual Research Environment. http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/10969/01/ecstr_iam05_003.pdf Fraser, Michael A. (2005) Virtual Research Environments: Overview and Activity. Ariadne 44(July) [unpaginated online journal]. http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue44/fraser/