Knowledge Base Working Group
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The Knowledge Base Working Group is responsible for developing the Knowledge Base in particular, and the Campus Climate Exchange in general.
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We have been working with AVED to explore online programming with BC Campus, an online educational service connecting learners and educators to programs and resources across all BC institutions.
They have generously donated the online community software and are helping us develop new online tools for the Campus Climate Network. But we need to know what you want.
Please check out the Online Community Use Cases to describe what services and needs you would like our online technology to provide/met. Once you have let us know, we will do our best to make your wildest dreams come true- at least as far as technology goes.
The Technology
Program 1: | Elluminate - This is a program we would use in place of conference calls. It's kind of like skype in that it's not through a phone line but through speakers/mics/cameras over the internet. Some of the functions it has:
- a real-time chat (like gchat)
- a shared screen that everyone on the program can see at once
- a white board (to draw pretty pictures and diagrams on that everyone can see on the shared screen)
- a "web tour" feature that allows the moderator to guide everyone through websites
- the ability to record all sessions and create a link for others to access it
- the ability to upload a powerpoint on the shared screen so you can do virtual presentations or workshops
Discussion: The major limitation that I see with this is that if everyone is able to participate fully (ie. being able to talk, and not just using the chat function) everyone would have to have access to a computer and a mic. There isn't any real way to have this software and a phone line compatible, unlike skype, where people on the computer can call out to people's landlines who don't have skype. -Maggie
Program #2: | Online Communities This would be an information sharing website, something to complement the wiki. Like the wiki, it's user-generated content, but could perhaps help us make our content more navigable, and expand the functions of the site. We could integrate the wiki into this, although I'm not entirely sure what would be seen as our 'front page'. The most comperable site I've seen to the online communities is | walkingthetalk. The functions of this are:
- Discussions
- File sharing
- Discussion sections
- Databasing
- Calendar functions
- "Group" sections - private spaces for discussions we wouldn't want public
- Polls
- Blogs
- Chat function, etc
Discussion: My primary concern is that I wouldn't want to lose the focus we've put into the wiki and I'd be concerned about how we would maintain this since the wiki would be integrated and we'd have to maintain that as well- Maggie
From Paul: in our experience the online community becomes the home integrator for all of the technologies (wiki, Elluminate, calendar, ...) providing an overaching framework for accessing tools and applications to support whatever interaction or communication activity that needs to happen.
Update from AVED/BC Campus
April 2, 2008 minutes from meeting with BC Campus In attendance: Paul Stacey(BC Campus), Sylvia Cornwell(BC Campus), Tria Donaldson, Jamie Biggar.
WE discussed the history of the Campus Climate Network, and our diverse members and needs. We outlined the original purpose of the wiki:
- to share information
- help with organizing and building capacity
- encloypedia function
- institutional memory
We identified that the wiki is doing some things well (enclyopedia, organizing classes online etc)
Sylvia and Paul were excited about what we are doing and our projects
- want to really understand our needs so they can find software that meats our needs
- want us to develop case use scenarios which outline what functions we see our ideal online community to have. EXAMPLE: A student group using the wiki to organize initiatives, and build capacity.
The deal:
- Paul with work with AVED to ensure the costs are covered. Paul and Sylvia will help us figure out what software will suit us best, and help us learn the ropes.
- We will have the summer to develop the technology and try things out
- They want to ensure that the website is useful and we get our money out of it.
- We will work to incorporate the wiki seamlessly
Timelines:
- April: develop case use scenarios and MOU
- May: figure out what software/technology meets our needs
- July/June: developing the new site
- August: troubleshooting, refining, final revisions
- September: LAUNCH
Action Items:
- Paul will set us up an Elluminate meeting room.
- Paul will follow up with AVED
- Sylvia and Paul will draft MOU
- The Campus Climate Network will draft use case scenarios
Members
Current members include:
- Andrew Bateman, UVic
- Fraser Hayes, Selkirk
- Cameron Owens, SFU
- Jamie Biggar, UVic
- Emily Menzies, Sierra Club
If you would like to sign up to join the working group, please contact bc@syc-cjs.org
