Start date: 1 January 2008
End date: 31 March 2009
Funding programme: Users & Innovation: Personalising Technologies
Project website:
http://elgg.jiscemerge.org.uk/awesome/
JISC theme(s): e-Administration, Information environment
Committees: JISC Integrated Information Environment committee
Overview
Changing purposes and composition of UK higher education increases the challenge of providing effective and timely academic writing development. User-group representatives identified the dissertation as a part of the student experience that is especially challenging and where students often lack appropriate support.
Many technological solutions for writing development have been tried with varying degrees of success. ADE creates a step change by using social software to both develop a reflective, critical voice and to provide networked social support for UG and PG dissertation writing based on sound pedagogical models, using authentic examples, and following Web 2.0 tenets.
Aims and objectives
The project aims to:
- develop a methodology for using social software to support dissertation projects and writing;
- design, develop and deploy a novel social virtual environment (extending MediaWiki by integrating a range of social technologies and relevant open source software tools to support the processes associated with dissertation writing and to do so based on sound pedagogical models and following Web 2.0. tenets, notably collective intelligence and active engagement of users in collaborative creation and sharing of content;
- disseminate findings to UK and International academic development and learning technology networks, including the EMERGE network.
Project methodology
- Dimitrova : software development, integrate with institutional and external systems, manage project web site and file repository.
- Highton: integrate system within institutional Web 2.0. strategies and lead (with Walker) on dissemination and sustainability activities.
- Lau: user-centred implementation; lead agile methodology
- O’Rourke: project implementation, liaison with JISC project manager and institutional champion, lead engagement with Emerge CoP, provide academic writing development expertise and pedagogic insight.
- Walker: user trials and deployment, lead integration with external partners and (with Highton) on dissemination and sustainability activities, provide pedagogic expertise.
- Partners: user engagement, content creation, pilot and evaluate ADE
Anticipated outputs and outcomes
- Raise awareness of Web2.0 technology’s role in supporting dissertation writing.
- Prototype a social virtual environment, Awesome Dissertation Environment [ADE].
- Report on the process of its user-centred design, development and deployment.
- Launch Staff Development Events and Training documents.
- Case Studies evaluating use with different cohorts and disciplines.
- Research papers at appropriate, peer-reviewed international research conferences.
- Insight into the process of developing institutional support for the introduction of pedagogy-led learning technology.
- Capacity building for further interdisciplinary research into computer-based learning, specifically pedagogies of social networking, within Leeds and across the UK HE community.
Technology / Standards used
MediaWiki and open source plug ins.
Web 2.0. tools are not linked to particular standards. To minimise this risk, the ADE demonstrator will follow as closely as possible both the JISC and the W3C standards with regard to accessibility and usability. Compliance with standards will be addressed in the technology audit and technical requirements, and will be included in the evaluation stages.
Lead Institution
Project partners