http:nle'ncl'ac'uknledocuments

1
The Joined up Web - Newcastle University, a case
study

• Dr Tony McDonald
• Faculty of Medicine Computing Centre (FMCC)
• Medical School
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne

2
Background

• Networked Learning Environments (NLE) project
  (TLTP 3-86)
• Four Consortium partners
• Newcastle University Medical Programme
• scalability issues led to development of
  curriculum database
• Nottingham University Medical Programme
• Durham University Biomedical Sciences
• Northumbria University Subjects Allied to
  Medicine
• non-funded partner - Sheffield University
  Medical School
• Scalable Systems
• - eg no individual web pages written
• - extract from Database and output to other
  formats (HTML, RTF, PDF, XML-RPC, SOAP, etc)

3
DevelopmentSoftware/Hardware systems

• Core System - Zope
• Object orientated web delivery system
• Rapid development of systems (Sheffield site
  created in lt 1 week).
• Excellent database connectivity / very rich
  permissions structure. Plug-in products,
  separation of code/content
• Extensive use of open-source / free software
• Zope, Python, PHP, MySQL, Omnimark
• UNIX servers / Solaris
• Important for moving to other sites

4
Choice ofContent Management System

• Project start - July 1998
• System requirements
• Low cost, scalable, easy to use
• System chosen - Zope
• Freedom from file tyranny (.php3, .pl, .html
  etc.)
• Excellent permissions system
• Extensive database connectivity
• Novel features - undo, versions

5
Integration -MIS

• Pivotal to a scalable system
• Eg module codes, works for 10, works for 10,000
• Possible users/Simultaneous users distinction
• Data Dumps - preferable to live systems
• Data warehousing
• Student staff info.
• Leads to authentication systems
• DONT
• Write single pages for a course, derive from
  database

6
Integration -Other MLEs

• Data dumps from MIS
• Need primary key
• eg Module code, student UCAS number
• Reuse existing management material
• eg module -gt exam info, student-gt course taken
• Dont reenter student data
• Dont reenter module, course data

7
Working with other sites

• Scalability
• Entering data a no-no
• Data source of staff/student/module information
  is essential
• Zope allows editing site wherever a browser is
  available
• Data Ownership (hosting our data at Newcastle? -
  no chance!)
• Different Data structures not a problem

8
NLE in action

• All sites hosted at Newcastle
• Designed for portability in mind
• Notts bought server to run their NLE
• UNIX backend, MySQL, Zope, Python, PHP3
• Consortium sites have great autonomy
• Can use ZEO to distribute load over other servers

9
Successes

• Newcastle using NLE technologies extensively
• MOFS (6200 modules, authenticated editing,
  resource upload and PDF output)
• Nottingham purchased server
• Addition of non-funded partner - Sheffield
  University
• Generally high regard from staff/students
• Remote Admins taking to Zope quite well

10
Problems

• NIH?
• Not generally a problem
• Data Ownership
• Reluctance to share data, eg staff pet projects
• Not always evident who owns the data
• Resistance to change
• Senior mgmt might agree, but at ground zero
• F2F communication - Invaluable

11
The NLE way

• Scalability
• One source of data, ideally one data owner
• Repurpose existing data
• Create conduits (eg editing/uploading screens),
  not terminii (eg Ill upload that for you)

12
Summary

• Obstacles (data ownership, data structures) can
  be formidable, but committed people at the sharp
  end make a real difference
• Open source systems help greatly
• Easy to move to other sites, open data
  structures, lower cost
• Need bottom-up and top-down driving
• Staff/student Dean/PVC
• Hosting many sites at one location
• No big deal (disk, processor and OS permitting)

13
Information Sources

• Zope - Object Orientated Web Delivery Platform
• http//www.zope.org/
• MySQL - Open Source RDBMS
• http//www.mysql.com/
• Python - Scripting Language
• http//www.python.org/
• Omnimark - Text Processing Language
• http//www.omnimark.com
• Roxen - Graphically Rich Web Server
• http//www.roxen.com