cloudengine: supporting the sharing of ideas across professional boundaries
DESCRIPTION
Presentation for JISC webinar June2011TRANSCRIPT
Cloudworks and CloudEngine: Supporting the sharing of ideas across professional boundaries
Nick Freear – Cloudworks/ CloudEngine (Lead Developer)Rebecca Galley – Open University Learning Design Initiative (Project Officer)JISC Regional Support Centre South West Online Webinar
First concepts...
Design...•Object centred rather than
ego-centred in nature
juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/
“The fallacy is to think that social networks are just
made up of people. They're not; social
networks consist of people who are connected by a
shared object.” (Engestrom, 2005)
Design...•Design framework based on
sociality
juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/
•The system needs to accommodate both the evolution of practices and the inclusion of newcomers
•That individual identity is important so the system needs to support this
•People are more likely to use software that resemble their daily routines, language and practices
Approach...
•Design-based approach (DBR)– Development of the Alpha Cloudworks prototype
in Drupal Feb 2008– Launch of the Beta Cloudworks prototype in
CodeIgniter July 2009– Release of CloudEngine free and open source
software October 2010
• A place for sharing and discussions learning and teaching ideas
• Application of the best of Web 2.0 practices • Launched July 2009• Over 4000 registered users • Over 95,000 unique visitors (on average over 1000 unique
visitors a week)
Cloudworks...
CloudEngine...
What?CloudEngine is an easy way to create a social web site - using 'Clouds' and 'Cloudscapes'. Ideal for events & discussion.
CloudEngine is lightweight, fast & fully-featured. CloudEngine powers Cloudworks, http://cloudworks.ac.uk
And it's free & open source software, licensed under the GPL!
Features• Clouds, Cloudscapes • ** Direct messaging - NEW ** • Host & archive events - workshops etc. • Search, tags, user profiles, Cloudstreams • Favourite & follow • Embed video, slides, Twitter ... (oEmbed) • RSS feeds, API • Internationalized – currently English & Greek! • Admin: statistics, moderation• Accessible, extensible, themable
Search
Messaging
Get involved• Contribute feedback, publicity• Contribute documentation• Contribute code• Contribute translations• Ideas for integration
Try out Cloudworks...
Support & guidance...
Evaluation...• Evaluation
methodology• Conceptual
community framework
Community framework...
Supporting interaction and productive activity
Participation Cohesion
Identity Creative capability
•Sustained over time•Commitment from a core group of participants•Emerging roles and hierarchy
•Group self-awareness•Shared language and vocabulary•Sense of community
•Igniting sense of purpose•Multiple points of view expressed, contradicted and challenged•Creation of knowledge links and patterns
•Support and tolerance•Turn taking and response•Humour and playfulness
Finding out more...• Go to http://getcloudengine.org • Take the Cloudworks Virtual Field Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HjlyU8OAU
• Visit the ‘Using Cloudworks’ Cloudscape http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1911
Further reading...Conole, Grainne (2010). Facilitating new forms of discourse for learning and teaching: harnessing the power of Web 2.0 practices. Open Learning, 25(2), pp. 141–151. Alevizou, P., Galley, R. and Conole, G., (forthcoming) Collectivity, performance and self-representation: Analysing Cloudworks as a public space for networked learning and reflection in Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning. Ed. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L., Hodgson, V. and McConnell, D. London: SpringerConole, G. and Culver, J. (2009), The design of Cloudworks: applying social networking practice to foster the exchange of learning and teaching ideas and designs, special issue of CAL09, Computers and Education, doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.013
Contacts...Nick Freear (Cloudworks developer) [email protected] Galley (OULDI project officer) [email protected]