Introduction to JISC and the Web Community

Abstract

This optional session will provide an introduction to the Web community. The talk will:

• Review the main challenges which are faced by members of institutional Web management teams.
• Give an introduction to JISC and describe the services and support provided by JISC which can be of use of members of institutional Web management teams.
• Describe sources of information relevant to members of institutional Web management teams.
• Provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions of the speakers.

Resources

Brian Kelly's slides are hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-introduction-to-jisc-and-the-web-community-1 Louisa Dale's slides are hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-introduction-to-jisc-and-the-web-community-2

Welcome

Abstract

This brief talk will give an introduction to this year's Institutional Web Management Workshop.

Resources

The slides are hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-introduction  

Trials, Trips and Tribulations of an Integrated Web Strategy

Abstract

This session will examine some of the issues that Birmingham has faced over the last year of further developing and integrating its web strategy across the institution. From personal Web pages to major Portal projects and VLEs to VREs the session will build on the presentation given at last year's Institutional Web Management Workshop to address some of the technology, business and cultural issues that continue to bring together a number of roads towards the future.

Resources

The slides are hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-trials-trips-and-tribulations-of-an-integrated-web-strategy  

E-business: Why Join In?

Abstract

The presentation will focus on the broader issues behind a move to e-business, and will examine the strategic and operational objectives of why an organisation should decide to make such a move. The presenters will also highlight the significant cultural changes needed in the organisation to make e-business work by using examples from the successful e-business implementation in at the University of St Andrews.

Resources

The slides are hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-ebusiness-why-join-in  

Parallel Sessions A

Delegates could attend one of the following parallel sessions.

• A1: Defining the Role of the Web Editor, Ian Upton, University of Birmingham. Is a Web editor a technical guru or an information specialist? This session will reflect on the changing role of a Web editor.
• A2: Developing an E-content Strategy for your Web Site, Tracey Stanley, University of Leeds. With many Web sites are now reaching breaking point in terms of volume and near-anarchy in terms of content creation, the workshop session addresses the need for Web site managers to take a strategic standpoint on Web content.
• A3: Blogs & Wikis: Herding Cats?, Paul Browning, University of Bristol> Blogs & Wikis - what are they? How do they relate to each other? What role can they play in the provision of institutional Web services? Attend this session to find out the answers to these questions.
• A4: Using your Ayes and Noes: Creating a Business Case for an Institutional Portal, Bo Middleton, University of Leeds> Considering implementing an institutional portal but confused by some who say 'Aye' and others who say 'No'? Then this workshop is for you.
• A5: Paper Prototyping in Practice, Paul Milne & Peigi McKillop, EDINA, University of Edinburgh. This workshop will give a practical demonstration of how paper prototyping can aid rapid Web development.
• A6: Give The Dog A Plone, Dominic Hiles & Dr Kieren Pitts, ILRT, University of Bristol> This session will provide an introduction to the real-world implementation of the Plone Content Management System (CMS).
• A7: Measuring the Impact of a CMS Implementation, Grant Malcolm, University of Western Australia. What effect will the increasing deployment of Content Management Systems have on the role of the Web manager?
• A8: Integrating Legal Compliance into Web Management, Jason Campbell, University of Strathclyde. A workshop session which will address the legal issues of providing Web services.

Socrates: Building an Intranet for the UK Research Councils

Abstract

The Research Councils: effectively eight separate departments of a single organisation, each with its own information systems, but sharing common information requirements. The benefits of a shared intranet were obvious .... who knows, in time such a system could even transform the way the Councils worked together. The problem: there was (and is) no central body to make the decision to develop such a system, no one body that could decide what it should be, and no central resource to carry out the work. The presentation covers how it was achieved, and how the various issues, considerations and problems encountered on the way were addressed. Finally, we ask the tricky question, now that it's here, what do we do next?

Resources

See slides hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-socrates-building-an-intranet-for-the-uk-research-councils  

Beyond Web Accessibility: Providing A Holistic User Experience

Abstract

The publication of the DRC's Formal Investigation report: Web Accessibility has generated much interest and debate. In this talk Lawrie Phipps, TechDis and Brian Kelly, UKOLN will argue the need for a broader approach to Web accessibility than is currently taken and will outline a holistic model for Web accessibility.

Resources

See slides hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-beyond-web-accessibility-providing-a-holistic-user-experience

Beyond Free Beer: Is Using Open Source A Matter Of Choosing Software or Joining A Political Movement?

Abstract

Is becoming a developer of open source the most effective way to deploy open source applications? Or can users and deployment be separated cleanly from programmers and development? We will revisit the story of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" in laying out how open source software is typically developed, but also consider the many other different support and development models out there. The important feature of open source is the licence; but the second most important thing is how the communities work on the ongoing development of the software. Is working with enterprise solutions from Red Hat or IBM the long-term answer, or is it an attempt to stifle true open source? This talk will attempt to look beyond the free beer of open source for UK HE and FE institutions.

Resources

Slides are not available.

Discussion Groups 1

In the first discussion group, on "Discussion Group 1 - Where's The Gap", held on Wednesday 28^th July from 11:45-12:30 participants will be asked to outline the main challenges in their area of discussion. They will then agree on the top three areas to focus on in the second discussion group. The topics to be covered include: (1) strategy and management issues; (2) technical issues; (3) usability and accessibility issues; (4) information management issues; (5) e-learning issues and (6) staff development issues.  

Life After Email: Strategies For Collaboration in the 21st Century

Abstract

A strength of Web developers in the UK Higher Education community is the willingness to share resources and experiences. The Web development community makes use of collaborative tools such as JISCMail mailing lists and face-to-face events such as the Institutional Web Management Workshop series. Increasingly within our institutions we are finding use being made of a range of additional collaborative tools, such as instant messaging, blogs and Wikis. In this talk Brian Kelly reviews these emerging collaborative tools, outlines the challenges we will face in providing and managing such tools for use in teaching and research and will argue that we should use such tools ourselves.

Resources

See slides hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-life-after-email-strategies-for-collaboration-in-the-21st-century  

LSE for You: From Innovation to Realism and Beyond

Abstract

From the highs of the 2002 awards for excellence through the 2003 "trough of disillusionment" LSE for You is now taking a broader more inclusive and sustainable direction. Tracking its move away from purely self-service administration, this presentation will describe how the LSE is tackling the difficult interoperability issues of authentication and authorisation to institution wide resources including proprietary student record and virtual learning systems, groupware, e-journals, working papers, e-prints, research data sets and Library catalogues. The aim being to make the portal into a gateway to the School's fully managed information and knowledge environment. As well as describing the changes to the architecture and design of LSE for You to reflect user needs, Stephen will touch on the important issues surrounding integrating departmental strategies and how individual service providers must work collaboratively to achieve a shared institutional goal.

Resources

See slides hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-lse-for-you-from-innovation-to-realism-and-beyond

Parallel Sessions B

Delegates could attend one of the following parallel sessions.

• B1: It Always Takes Longer Than You Think (Even If You Think It Will Take Longer Than You Think), Peter Walker, ILRT, University of Bristol. This workshop will provide hints and tips on project management and how to prevent time scale slippage in Web development work.
• B2: Implementing Web Standards Across The Institution - Trials And Tribulations Of A Redesign, Patrick H. Lauke, University of Salford. Many Web managers seek to develop standards-compliant Web sites. However this is not always easy. This session addresses the issues.
• B3: Taxonomy: The Science Of Classification, Chris Milne and David MacCabe, University of Abertay Dundee. A workshop session which will address the role of taxonomies within portals.
• B4: From Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen, Heidi Fraser-Krauss & Ester Ruskuc, University of St Andrews. The workshop will be a hands-on/discussion session with the aim of making participants aware of e-business implementation issues.
• B5: QA For Web Sites - What Goes Wrong And How Can We Prevent It?, Amanda Closier and Brian Kelly, UKOLN. A discussion group session covering the approaches to quality assurance for Web sites when automated checking will not suffice.
• B6: Cheesy And Sad Images, Joel Porter (St Martin's College) / Claire Gibbons (University of Bradford). Why do prospectuses and Web sites look nothing like the experience we are trying to portray? This workshop addresses the challenges in providing attractive and usable Web sites by considering the diverse needs of the institution and the requirements of the client.
• B7: Being Open Source, Sebastian Rahtz and Randy Metcalfe, University of Oxford. This workshop session will provide practical guidance on how to set up projects using open source methodologies.
• B8: Choosing a Search Engine for your Web Site, Helen Sargan, University of Cambridge. A workshop session which will address requirements of search facilities for institutional Web sites.

Discussion Groups 2

The discussion groups provide an opportunity for participants to take part in discussions on one of several key topics on interest for members of institutional Web management teams. The topics to be covered include: (1) strategy and management issues; (2) technical issues; (3) usability and accessibility issues; (4) information management issues; (5) e-learning issues and (6) staff development issues. In the second discussion group on "Bridging The Gap", held on Thursday 29^th July from 09:15-10:30, participants will be asked to identify approaches and solutions for addressing the top challenges which were identified in the first discussion group.

Strategic Staff Development for the Web-enabled Organisation

Abstract

The Web is transforming educational institutions but the skills of the staff are not keeping pace with this transformation. Ad hoc and small scale training courses are the most that many institutions offer to improve staff skills. Staff development and training plans need to be created at a strategic level. A majority of staff now need to be able to use the wide range of Web-based services that have become "mission critical". Information provision, documentation, management systems, e-learning, marketing, e-commerce are just some of the services provided in many institutions. There is a need to create strategic staff development plans and programmes in order to take full advantage of these services. An integrated programme will provide the appropriate level of training for the appropriate staff at the appropriate time. Examples of training and development might include:

• Technical training programmes for web service managers and providers
• Content provision training for administrators and teaching staff
• Policy, standards and legal issue seminars for managers
• Information skills sessions for students

A staff development plan will aim to integrate programmes of this type in a complimentary way. This presentation will provide an insight into developing such a plan and how it can help in terms of providing career development and staff retention. It will also discuss the issue of convincing senior managers of the need for this strategic approach to staff development and training in a web-enabled institution.

Resources

See slides hosted on Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/iwmw/iwmw-2004-strategic-staff-development-for-the-webenabled-organisation

Defining the Role of the Web Editor [A1]

Abstract Until recently, authoring for the Web required a battery of technical skills and know-how. The role was seen as a technical one that required technical wizardry to undertake. Here at the University of Birmingham we are installing systems and processes that remove many of the technological hurdles that used to exist when creating Web pages for the corporate Web site. In the process we have to redefine our views of what is the role of the Web editor. This workshop will give the opportunity to discuss and define the role of the Web author as technology becomes more transparent.

Developing an E-content Strategy for your Web Site [A2]

Abstract Your Web site is one of your major public services, delivering your own brand of information and expertise, and as such is one of our most potent marketing tools. However, many websites are now reaching breaking point in terms of volume, and near-anarchy in terms of content creation. Many sites have a huge amount of content and a large a distributed group of web authors. As sites continue to grow at a rapid rate, volume becomes disproportionate to need, and the task of keeping content up to date becomes increasingly difficult. In addition, many sites are inconsistent in content or style, and fail to adhere to accessibility guidelines. Web site managers increasingly need to take a strategic standpoint on web content. This workshop will use the Leeds University Library website as a case study for the development of a coherent e-content strategy encompassing design, accessibility, maintenance, editorial control and integration. The primary audience will be those who may be new to leading project developments (suppliers) or people commissioning software development (customers). Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Identify the key issues in relation to managing e-content effectively.
• Consider a strategic approach to e-content management.
• Identify a set of steps which they could take to review their e-content and the business processes associated with e-content creation and management.
• Consider standards and policies in relation to e-content creation and management.

 

Blogs & Wikis: Herding Cats? [A3]

Abstract Blogs & Wikis sit in the spectrum of Collaborative Groupware. This workshop will explore:

• The relationship of Blogs & Wikis to other forms of groupware
• The infrastructure required to implement Blogs & Wikis in-house
• The externally-hosted options
• The support issues of either in-house or externally-hosted facilities
• The opportunities in terms of the current and future landscape (e.g. VLEs, VREs, ePortfolios)
• The need (or not) for strategy or policy in this area

Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will be aware of what Blogs & Wikis are and the opportunities and risks they present  

Paper Prototyping in Practice [A5]

Abstract This workshop will give a practical demonstration of how paper prototyping can aid rapid Web development. Paper prototyping is a well-known method of simulating interface elements with low-res paper models.

Using your Ayes and Noes: Creating a Business Case for an Institutional Portal [A4]

Abstract Considering implementing an institutional portal but confused by some who say 'Aye' and others who say 'No'? An institutional portal is intended to provide a seamless, Web-based interface to a range of systems and services, potentially offering a customised and personalised Web environment for staff and students. A good idea maybe - but the days when a good idea was enough to convince are long gone; new projects need SMART objectives to progress. This session will provide an overview of creating a business case for an institutional portal using experiences from the University of Leeds and group discussion. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Identify types of Ayes and Noes and methods of getting feedback from them
• Identify the cases for and against an institutional portal
• Identify counter arguments for the Noes
• Identify appropriate methods for collecting evidence to support the Ayes

 

Give The Dog A Plone [A6]

Abstract This session will provide an introduction to the real-world implementation of the Plone Content Management System (CMS). The session will explore the problems and solutions that underpinned the commercial development of two Web sites. The presentation will be followed by a discussion session. Participants will be invited to contribute potential Plone use cases, for discussion by the group at large. Users of Plone at other institutions are encouraged to attend and contribute their experiences, to aid the group discussion. Learning Outcomes: Participants will:

• Have an understanding of how Plone works.
• Have a better understanding of whether Plone is suitable for local use.

 

Measuring the Impact of a CMS Implementation [A7]

Abstract The impact and performance of a CMS implementation is traditionally measured against internally agreed objectives and key performance indicators. But how does your CMS implementation stack up against other implementations and what might this tell us about the relative in/effectiveness of differing strategies and CMS products in achieving particular goals? Participants will be encouraged to critically examine the metrics that might be used in order to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of CMS implementations between organisations. A case study will examine the results of a detailed analysis of the impacts of a far reaching CMS implementation at The University of Western Australia. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will be able to:

• identify frequently stated goals for CMS implementations
• identify metrics useful in comparative evaluation of CMS implementations
• understand limitations of comparative evaluation based on these metrics
• apply this understanding to the measurement and comparison of the relative performance and impact of CMS implementations

 

Integrating Legal Compliance into Web Management [A8]

Abstract This workshop explores in practical terms how issues of legal compliance can be proactively included within web management. It will be shown how such preventative steps can avoid costly and troublesome problems and disputes later on. The session will be conducted through the presentation of scenarios related to the areas of intellectual property rights, e-security, ISP liability, data protection and privacy, freedom of information and cyber-crime. There will also be a question and answer session. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will:

• have an awareness of the benefits of considering legal compliance within Web management
• understand in practical terms how legal compliance can be combined into a Web management strategy

 

It Always Takes Longer Than You Think (Even If You Think It Will Take Longer Than You Think) [B1]

Abstract This workshop will provide hints and tips on project management and how to prevent time scale slippage in software development projects. The session will not focus of major development methodologies (SSADM, UML, DSDM, Extreme Programming, etc.) but on a collection of practical, real-world techniques and lessons from 15 years of software development in Local Government, private industry and higher education. The primary audience will be those who may be new to leading project developments (suppliers) or people commissioning software development (customers). Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will be aware of techniques to identify and/or prevent development schedule slippage.

Implementing Web Standards Across The Institution – Trials And Tribulations Of A Redesign [B2]

Abstract Coding to Web standards - only a few years ago considered the sole domain of fussy purists with little or no connection to the real world - has become a central concern for both designers and developers. The increasing number of large, commercial Web sites making the transition from "tag-soup", browser-specific code to clean, structural markup, is proving that Web standards may well be a viable technology of today, rather than just of a theoretical, utopian tomorrow. The benefits are many, and often highly publicised: separation of content and presentation, easier reusability of content, potential for increased accessibility (high on the agenda of anybody striving not to fall foul of SENDA), better search engine rankings and decreased bandwidth requirements, to name but a few. But the path towards achieving these benefits is not free of obstacles... Having relaunched the core site for the University of Salford in September 2003, with a new design based almost exclusively on CSS-driven, table-less layouts, Patrick H. Lauke will provide the opportunity to consider and discuss the main motivations behind such a relaunch, the problems that can be encountered along the way, and the far greater (and, in the case of Salford, still ongoing) challenge of implementing web standards and good practices across the institution. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will:

• Be familiar with the concepts of "standards-compliant coding"
• Have gained an insight into the advantages of standards-based markup and the separation of content and presentation
• Have identified areas in which this technology can be easily implemented
• Be aware of potential barriers to effective use of this technology (particularly on large scale projects with multiple authors)
• Be aware of possible solutions to some of the barriers to effective use of this technology
• Have gained an insight into an actual test case in which this technology was implemented

 

Taxonomy: The Science of Classification [B3]

Abstract A workshop to discuss the role of taxonomy within portals and to clarify the processes concerned with creating a Taxonomy by linking the stages of taxonomy development to the information retrieval techniques successfully used to effectively organise and retrieve knowledge within libraries. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will gain / develop:

• A clearer perspective on the processes surrounding the development of a portal taxonomy, using the analogy of classification, cataloguing and indexing techniques as deployed in libraries to manage information
• A realisation that the combined skills sets of 'information professionals' and 'Web developers' can be brought together to develop a relatively inexpensive 'in-house' solution to taxonomy development minimising the requirement to draw upon external consultancy

 

From Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen [B4]

Abstract The workshop will be a hands-on/discussion session with the aim of making participants aware of e-business implementation issues. The discussions will be based on case studies and examples to illustrate the main changes required in business processes and the importance of tackling issues such as integration with legacy systems, the need for robust processes and procedures, fall-back options and a fit-for-all solution. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Assess what is involved in implementing a modern on-line payment system
• Have an overview of external and internal user requirements
• Be aware of the issues of conflict between the requirements
• Examine the drivers and constraints of implementation

 

QA for Web sites – What Goes Wrong And How Can We Prevent It? [B5]

Abstract Putting procedures in place to maintain the quality and functionality of any Web site can be a daunting prospect but this session aims to explore simple methods which will help ensure functionality, useability and accessibility of your Web site. This workshop will discuss Quality Assurance procedures for managing Web sites. Participants will be asked to consider what can go wrong on their Web site, why exactly things are going wrong, how Web site owners can find out when things go wrong and finally what can be done when things have gone wrong. In this session we will consider how you can integrate important QA aspects, like testing, into your current procedures and in doing so significantly improve your Web site, its infrastructure and content. The workshop will address both technical and non-technical issues. Learning Outcomes: At the end of the session participants will:

• Be aware of how quality assurance (QA) procedures can help to minimise problems
• Have seen how how QA can be used in the context of the provision of Web sites
• Be aware of the QA resources which have been developed by the JISC-funded QA Focus project
• Have explored the potential for embedding QA into their Web development work

 

Cheesy And Sad Images [B6]

Abstract Why do Web sites and prospectuses look nothing like the experience we are trying to portray? Tired and unimaginative images and text risk putting off the audiences most institutions are trying to attract. With an ever-increasing image-conscious audience how can we adapt our brand and keep up with the trends, without losing sight of our message? This hands-on workshop/discussion group addresses the diverse needs of the institution where image and message are concerned, and considers the requirements of the client (from researcher to academic department, from services to students to conference organiser and everything in between). Learning Outcomes: The learning outcomes from the session are:

• What students really think about the images we use (do they believe what we tell them or what they see!?)
• 10 top tips for using (and re-using) images for the web and beyond
• Photography/images on a budget
• Useful web sites and books

Learning outcomes will come from the workshop/discussion group, as well as a range of Focus Groups conducted with students from Bradford and St. Martin's and the experience of Bradford's approach to 'photography on a budget'  

Being Open Source [B7]

Abstract This workshop session will provide practical guidance on how to set up projects using open source methodologies. What are Sourceforge and CVS? How do I put a licence on my software? How do I involve a community? How does a distributed set of developers work? How do you document the work? How do you keep control, or not?

Choosing a Search Engine for your Web Site [B8]

Abstract What does your Web site need from a search engine and can you find software that meets that need and a price you can afford or will be prepared to pay? The session will explore how to reconcile your needs with what is available.