JISC

Start date: 1 January 2003

End date: 30 June 2003

Funding programme: Portals programme

JISC theme(s): Information environment

Introduction  

There is wide range of potential users for a time-based media portal and their requirements are as yet unidentified. The JISC User Requirements Study aims at investigating what users within HE/FE would need when accessing to moving pictures and sound via a portal. Understanding the users’ experiences and requirements are essential to inform the development of any service provider such as a portal. The study will be undertaken through a consultation process involving a range of methods such as interview, inquiry group, telephone survey and workshop. The study will report on the users’ experiences of discovering, developing and using such resources, the main barriers preventing the use of video and audio, and the requirements identified by the users for a new portal.  

Aims and Objectives

1. To discover who uses moving picture and sound collections and data within HE and FE and select a representative sample for analysis. 
2. To find out what the requirements of these users are for a time-based media portal.
3. To discover what developments would enhance the use of such materials beyond their current requirements.
4. To assess how users discover, locate and use such data at this time to inform the enhancement of such processes through the portal.
5. To consider how access to time-based media could be enhanced within learning, teaching and research.
6. To consider those users who do not currently use time-based media in their work/study and to report on what requirements they might have for use of such materials, and what barriers there are preventing their use.
7. To investigate what relationship a time-based media portal might usefully have with a portal for still images.

As part of the project, a workshop was organised in tandem with the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) to raise awareness of JISC's work in the area of moving pictures and sound content and delivery and to encourage discussion of user needs when using such materials within learning and teaching.  The workshop, entitled  'Getting the picture: accessing and using moving images and sound for HE and FE', was held on Friday 27th June at Glasgow Caledonian University.  

The final report from the study is now available.