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    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools For Communication and Collaboration

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    Spark is a suite of web-based tools for communication and collaboration at Tufts University that includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, forums, maps, and media annotation. It aims to create a localized network of people and ideas at Tufts. Spark has been in use since 2006 and won an innovation award. It is developed using open source software and virtualization to allow flexibility. Future plans include improving the user interface, better connecting content and people, and increased outreach.

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    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools For Communication and Collaboration

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    Spark is a suite of web-based tools for communication and collaboration at Tufts University that includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, forums, maps, and media annotation. It aims to create a localized network of people and ideas at Tufts. Spark has been in use since 2006 and won an innovation award. It is developed using open source software and virtualization to allow flexibility. Future plans include improving the user interface, better connecting content and people, and increased outreach.

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    Web2.0Grogan

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    Spark is a suite of web-based tools for communication and collaboration at Tufts University that includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, forums, maps, and media annotation. It aims to create a localized network of people and ideas at Tufts. Spark has been in use since 2006 and won an innovation award. It is developed using open source software and virtualization to allow flexibility. Future plans include improving the user interface, better connecting content and people, and increased outreach.

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    22 views21 pages

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools For Communication and Collaboration

    Uploaded by

    mrameshp
    Spark is a suite of web-based tools for communication and collaboration at Tufts University that includes wikis, blogs, podcasts, forums, maps, and media annotation. It aims to create a localized network of people and ideas at Tufts. Spark has been in use since 2006 and won an innovation award. It is developed using open source software and virtualization to allow flexibility. Future plans include improving the user interface, better connecting content and people, and increased outreach.

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    David Grogan Manager, Curricular Technology Group UIT Academic Technology Tufts University

    Spark Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration


    What is Spark? What do we hope it will be? How is it used? Whats under the hood? Whats next? Questions

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?
    An extensible suite of highly flexible, web-based tools for communication and collaboration that support teaching, learning, research, and other cocurricular activities. A little history APT Grants

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?
    Freely available to entire community. Tool set currently includes: Wikis (Confluence) Blogs (MovableType) Podcast Publisher (homegrown) Forums (JForum) Maps (Google Maps/homegrown) Media Annotator (homegrown) SparkMeetings (Adobe Connect Pilot)

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?
    Launched in August 2006. Continues to grow in features and use. Won a Campus Technology Innovators Award in 2007. Core project team includes: Project manager Lead developer Interactive media designer All sharing support roles

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?
    Baseline features of the commercial/opensource products we use: Must allow for LDAP integration. Must allow for customization of interface. Must have robust API. Must have access to source code and database.

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?
    Common features across tools as implemented in Spark: Single sign on using Tufts LDAP directory. Easy one-click creation of new items. Tufts directory integrated for setting individual permissions. World, Tufts-wide, and private permissioning. Tagging

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is Spark?

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What do we hope Spark will be?

    A Tufts-based localized network of people and ideas. (getting there slowly)

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    How is Spark being used?

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    How is Spark being used?


    Some Interesting Recent Use Cases Wikis: Workflow and social networking for citizen scholars. Blogs: Anthropology of Media MediaMarkup: Feedback on patient examinations. SparkMaps: Mapping Tufts conservation medicine projects. Podcasts: Podcasting biology lectures.

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Evolution of our systems infrastructure Started small, using VMWare for 3 dev systems and 3 prod systems (wikis, blogs, spark)

    Expanded incrementally, adding dev and prod VMs for new services as needed
    Using central resources whenever viable (network storage, authentication)

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Virtualization is one of our keys to staying agile, keeping costs low, and maximizing scalability within our constraints.

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Next generation infrastructure: Greater utilization of central resources Better support for dev-test-staging-production workflow and automation Explore opportunities for improvements in performance, load balancing, availability, change management using advanced VMWare functionality

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Typical Tool Development Effort: 5 Pages, 3500 Lines of Code

    JSP 1500 Servlet 1200 JavaScript 800 Database 200

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Development Approach 1.5 Programmers, Designer, Manager, Sys. Admin Support. 2 Calendar Months JSP, Tomcat, MySQL, YUI, JIRA, SVN, etc. Secret release

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Development Challenge: Always Something New! MediaMarkup uses Adobe Flex

    SparkMaps uses Google Map API.


    Always incorporating JavaScript libraries. Drag and drop, Ajax tables, etc. Impacts: Schedule, Plan, Design, Staff

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    What is under the hood?


    Future Directions Ajax is good For the user and the code. Focus on reducing LOC for tools. Shared Java database layer. Shared JSP files. Stick with existing technology suite. Automated testing?

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    Whats difficult?
    Supporting people beyond the basics. Finding ways to market the site to students.

    Competition from freely available 3rd party sites (e.g. Google, Wordpress etc.)

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    Whats Next for Spark?


    A new user interface. Bring activity to the front.

    Start connecting people and content.


    Better communication and outreach.

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    Whats Next for Spark?

    Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

    Any Questions?
    Contact: David Grogan (david.grogan@tufts.edu) Some of my own What are you doing with these tools? How have you been successful in marketing tools to your students? How have you been successful in scaling support?

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