EDINA Learning and Teaching Projects

1. EDINA Learning and Teaching Projects Moira Massey

2. Background • JISC - strategic aim to enhance its services for use in learning and teaching • 1999 - Request for Proposals to JISC Services and Projects: Enhancing JISC Services for L&T • Circular 5/99 to all HEIs: Developing the DNER for L&T • EDINA has a number of projects funded under each call: • Using Numeric Data in L&T, Geo-data Browser and Geo-Crosswalk under RfP • MapScholar, Xgrain and ZBLSA under 5/99 • Xgrain and ZBLSA part of JOIN-UP Programme • RDN Subject Portals, as Associate Partner

3. Use of Numeric Datasets in L&T • Project began February 2000 • Numeric datasets (e.g. population census, government survey, economic time-series) under-used in L&T • Project is an enquiry, which has: • Established a Task Force to promote use of data in learning and teaching • Undertaken surveys to investigate use in L&T and existing forms of local support • Established open mailing list to generate discussion • And will deliver a report to the JISC by the end of its 18 month lifecycle

4. Geo-data Browser • 9 month collaborative project between EDINA and the History Data Service. MIMAS and the Archaeological Data Service are associate partners. • Project is a feasibility study, to investigate the establishment of a Z39.50-compliant, geo-spatial portal for UK HE as part of the DNER, looking at: • Barriers that confront users of geo-spatial data: • how to find out what exists • how to ascertain quality and suitability for use • Solution is to provide comprehensive, standardised metadata • Portal would provide new opportunities for use of geo-spatial data in L&T

5. Geo-Crosswalk • Six month collaborative project, between EDINA and the History Data Service, started Autumn 2000 • Aim of the project is to assess the feasibility of developing and providing an online, Z39.50 compliant, fast, scaleable and extensible British and Irish gazetteer service • Gazetteer would play a crucial role in supporting geographic searching in the DNER • Project involves identification of HE community requirements • Subsequent funding will be sought, to establish an operational service

6. Digimap MapScholar • Project starting January 2001 with consortium of developers from a number of HEIs /LTSN Subject Centre staff /evaluation staff • Three work packages to be developed: • Case studies • Tools and tutorials in: • Working with Digital Map Data • Data integration • Visualisation • Virtual placement (proof of concept)

7. The Digimap Skills/Concepts Gap Learning/skills curve Digimap - obtaining a map Using data from Digimap in a GIS Users need help to negotiate barriers arising from lack of skills/knowledge

8. Bridging the Skills/Concepts Gap Tutorials Digimap - obtaining a map Using data from Digimap in a GIS Learning/skills curve Tools Increasing user sophistication

9. An example - enhanced visualisation Overlay Roads Settlements Land-use Water features

10. Programme JOIN-UP • Programme JOIN-UP is one of the ‘clusters’ of projects funded under 5/99 and focuses developing infrastructure for the discovery and location of articles • The lead partners in JOIN-UP are EDINA, King’s College London and the British Library • JOIN-UP consists of four projects, which will each contribute compatible and inter-operable component parts to the DNER • The four projects are: • Xgrain (EDINA) • ZBLSA (EDINA) • DOCUSEND (King’s College, London) • ZETOC (British Library/MIMAS)

11. RDN/DNER Subject Portals • 4 ‘MODELS’ verbs underpin development of DNER:Discover (Resource) -> Locate (Service on Resource) -> Request -> Access • Resource Discovery Network • based on eLib Subject Gateways (EEVL, SOSIG, OMNI) • 6 Hubs • 3 ‘mature’ Hubs in 5/99 project: EEVL, SOSIG, BIOME • SAD: Subject-based Access to DNER • EDINA playing support role for EEVL, but could be wider • SAD1: building prototype of subject portals for Summer 2001 • SAD2: extending implementation to other subject portals • RDN Subject Portals will make use of Xgrain & ZBLSA Brokers • Xgrain for Abstract & Index databases • ZBLSA for access to services on journal articles

12. Xgrain • Project start date 1 November 2000, 31 months • Led by EDINA, with Associate Partners RDN and BIDS • Three work packages: • Development of Z39.50 broker for use by DNER and local portals, to allow cross-searching of Z39.50-compliant databases • Development of Web-based portal for the end-user to use cross-searching facility and access native database interfaces - to allow both broad and in-depth searching • Requirements analysis for A&I portal for learning and teaching

13. Xgrain Learning and Teaching Portal • Aim of third work package is to work with 10 ‘Learning and Teaching Associate’ sites to produce a requirements analysis for a L&T portal • Staff and students at the 10 institutions will be given field test access to the successive versions of the cross-search portal. The L&T Associates will take part in focus groups (2 per year) to contribute to the requirements analysis for L&T portal • L&T portal features are eventually likely to include: • cross-searching, with links to native databases • http links to non-Z databases • user friendly presentation, allowing selection by subject areas, degree of specificity and level of complexity - contents level descriptions - and presentation of results • supporting tutorial materials, case studies and links to relevant web resources

14. Contacts EDINA Director: Peter Burnhill Email: p.burnhill@ed.ac.uk MapScholar and Xgrain EDINA L&T Support Officer/L&T Projects Co-ordinator: Moira Massey Email: moira.massey@ed.ac.uk Geo-Crosswalk and Geo-Browser Dr David Medyckyj-Scott Email: d.j.medyckyj-scott@ed.ac.uk Using Numeric Datasets in Learning and Teaching Robin Rice Email: Robin.Rice@ed.ac.uk