JISC

Start date: 1 November 2004

End date: 1 January 2008

JISC theme(s): Information environment

Committees: JISC Integrated Information Environment committee

With an ever-increasing number of information resources becoming available via the web there is a pressing need to make sure that these resources are presented to staff and students in a way that makes them relevant, valuable and easy to use. This programme has been initiated to investigate how JISC resources can be made more accessible and usable and inform the development of the JISC Information Environment.

Aims and objectives

This programme aims to investigate and discover how different types of resources can be presented within a variety of web environments in ways that best benefit users. This will include both presentation through dedicated websites and the integration and embedding of resources into exsisting web environments such as an institution's website. Specific objectives are to:

• assess the most appropriate methods for presenting different data types in an educational context
• develop software tools to enable resources to be integrated in different web environments
• explore the usability of resources within a variety of web environments
• examine the processes and issues associated with presenting information through these environments, including interface design and visualisation
• investigate the role of personalisation in presenting services to users and the technologies required
• create advice and best practice guidelines

Work under this programme will be undertaken through projects and studies in conjunction with the Portals programme and other routes, for example VLEs and institutional portals, through which JISC funded resources are delivered.