Portal consultation exercise 14 th November 2007 20 th November 2007

Agenda 10 mins Introduction 10 mins Work so far Survey Pilot Project Beta launch (est: January 2008) Fully live (date tbc.) 30 mins Portal Demo 10 mins Future plans Improve existing portlets New portlets that need developing Version upgrades Expanding user groups 30 mins Questions

10 mins Introduction

10 mins Work so far

Survey

Pilot Project

Beta launch (est: January 2008)

Fully live (date tbc.)

30 mins Portal Demo

10 mins Future plans

Improve existing portlets

New portlets that need developing

Version upgrades

Expanding user groups

30 mins Questions

INTRODUCTION

Portal, n 1a. A door, gate, doorway, or gateway, of stately or elaborate construction; the entrance to a large or magnificent building, esp. when emphasized in architectural treatment; any door or gate (chiefly poet. ). Oxford English Dictionary

1a. A door, gate, doorway, or gateway, of stately or elaborate construction; the entrance to a large or magnificent building, esp. when emphasized in architectural treatment; any door or gate (chiefly poet. ). Oxford English Dictionary

Portal, n 5. Computing . Originally: a server or web site that provides Internet access. Later also: a web site or service that provides access to a number of sources of information and facilities, such as a directory of links to other web sites, search engines, e-mail, online shopping, etc. More fully portal site . Oxford English Dictionary Portals (also called ‘gateways’) Collections of pages on a similar subject The Virtual Library, http://vlib.org/ Labyrinth, http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/

5. Computing . Originally: a server or web site that provides Internet access. Later also: a web site or service that provides access to a number of sources of information and facilities, such as a directory of links to other web sites, search engines, e-mail, online shopping, etc. More fully portal site . Oxford English Dictionary

Portals (also called ‘gateways’)

Collections of pages on a similar subject

The Virtual Library, http://vlib.org/

Labyrinth, http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/

Kent Student Portal ‘ Old school’ gateway site or link-farm Aimed at students only A metaphor for university life Targeted news stories Search facilities Some small application integration Managed by C&DO – reliant on information from departments and searches of departmental web pages

‘ Old school’ gateway site or link-farm

Aimed at students only

A metaphor for university life

Targeted news stories

Search facilities

Some small application integration

Managed by C&DO – reliant on information from departments and searches of departmental web pages

More modern definition A portal is a single web interface that provides personalised access to information, applications, business processes and much more. www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsserversystem/portals/what-is/

A portal is a single web interface that provides personalised access to information, applications, business processes and much more. www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsserversystem/portals/what-is/

Why have a portal? Different roles require different information. (Customization) Different people with the same role work differently. (Personalization) Efficiency - people get directly to the info they need. (Work Flow) Customization insures they don't miss anything. Link Integrity - Software insures that links work or go away. http://campustechnology.com/techtalks/events/000120portal.asp

Different roles require different information. (Customization)

Different people with the same role work differently. (Personalization)

Efficiency - people get directly to the info they need. (Work Flow) Customization insures they don't miss anything.

Link Integrity - Software insures that links work or go away.

http://campustechnology.com/techtalks/events/000120portal.asp

WORK SO FAR

Web consultation exercise 2005 Included Survey of students (1100 respondents) Student forum (19 course and union reps) Resulted in 'Key challenges and areas for web support' submitted to ISC and EG Resources helped enable formation of IS Web Team with portal projects as one priority http://www.kent.ac.uk/cdo-local/web/wsg/consult05/

Included

Survey of students (1100 respondents)

Student forum (19 course and union reps)

Resulted in 'Key challenges and areas for web support' submitted to ISC and EG

Resources helped enable formation of IS Web Team with portal projects as one priority

http://www.kent.ac.uk/cdo-local/web/wsg/consult05/

What services would you like? Access your kent.ac.uk email Access lecture notes or other course information Pick up assignment marks and exam results as soon as they are released - view all the marks for your programme of study Access the student data system Be alerted to assignment deadlines or exam times Access timetable information about your modules Check your library record and reserve or renew books Select the modules you want to take and register for them online - review the modules you are taking and change them if you need to Access your module, department or faculty handbook Search across your favourite library resources or websites Access or update links to the library catalogue, websites or articles recommended for your modules Have links to new journal articles, websites or books relevant to you Update your contact address, preferred email address, telephone number etc Receive careers information such as news of careers events or workshops View your institutional financial record - pay library fines and course fees online Get news about campus events and issues Access your personal email from hotmail etc Internet search using a search engine like Google

Access your kent.ac.uk email

Access lecture notes or other course information

Pick up assignment marks and exam results as soon as they are released - view all the marks for your programme of study

Access the student data system

Be alerted to assignment deadlines or exam times

Access timetable information about your modules

Check your library record and reserve or renew books

Select the modules you want to take and register for them online - review the modules you are taking and change them if you need to

Access your module, department or faculty handbook

Search across your favourite library resources or websites

Access or update links to the library catalogue, websites or articles recommended for your modules

Have links to new journal articles, websites or books relevant to you

Update your contact address, preferred email address, telephone number etc

Receive careers information such as news of careers events or workshops

View your institutional financial record - pay library fines and course fees online

Get news about campus events and issues

Access your personal email from hotmail etc

Internet search using a search engine like Google

Demand for portalisation If the university created an individualised set of pages for you that brought together a number of the services listed above (a "portal"), would you find it useful? 888 - Yes 24 - No 205 - Not sure

If the university created an individualised set of pages for you that brought together a number of the services listed above (a "portal"), would you find it useful?

888 - Yes

24 - No

205 - Not sure

Pilot Project May – June 2007 1300 undergraduates Computing Science and English Feedback available: www.kent.ac.uk /web/development/portal/

May – June 2007

1300 undergraduates

Computing Science and English

Feedback available: www.kent.ac.uk /web/development/portal/

Pilot feedback Overall popular Liked personalised data in single place University-focused content most important Timetables, modules, assessments, news, email Tab layout useful First ‘look and feel’ was dull, slow and clunky Great technical test

Overall popular

Liked personalised data in single place

University-focused content most important

Timetables, modules, assessments, news, email

Tab layout useful

First ‘look and feel’ was dull, slow and clunky

Great technical test

Beta launch Soft launch Not a lot of publicity Works for all undergraduates Allows load levels and support levels to be monitored Allows for mistakes

Soft launch

Not a lot of publicity

Works for all undergraduates

Allows load levels and support levels to be monitored

Allows for mistakes

Fully live If we’re (all) happy… Full launch for start of academic year 2008 Full support via helpdesk Resilient servers, Disaster recovery, backups

If we’re (all) happy… Full launch for start of academic year 2008

Full support via helpdesk

Resilient servers, Disaster recovery, backups

DEMONSTRATION

FUTURE PLANS

Consolidate and improve SDS tab More personalised and comprehensive content Kentmail View emails directly in portal Additional email clients (non-Kentmail email) Library tab Better usability and look and feel Kent student news and emergency information Integration WebCT Better usability and look and feel

SDS tab

More personalised and comprehensive content

Kentmail

View emails directly in portal

Additional email clients (non-Kentmail email)

Library tab

Better usability and look and feel

Kent student news and emergency information

Integration

WebCT

Better usability and look and feel

In development Single Sign-On Direct access to Kentmail Student Guide Student Finance Custom content for departments and colleges Print credits Subscribe to user's choice of RSS feeds Computing Science portlet project work

Single Sign-On

Direct access to Kentmail

Student Guide

Student Finance

Custom content for departments and colleges

Print credits

Subscribe to user's choice of RSS feeds

Computing Science portlet project work

Versions of uPortal Current version: uPortal 2.5.3.1 with ALM Summer 2008: upgrade to 2.6 with DLM Benefits… More control over adding and removing content via tabs Drag and drop portlets

Current version: uPortal 2.5.3.1 with ALM

Summer 2008: upgrade to 2.6 with DLM

Benefits…

More control over adding and removing content via tabs

Drag and drop portlets

Expanding the scope of user groups Staff? Applicant Undergraduate Alumni Postgraduate

QUESTIONS

Credits Images sourced from Wikipedia Commons Flickr (under Creative Commons) www.flickr.com/photos/richardlowkes/52664110/

Images sourced from

Wikipedia Commons

Flickr (under Creative Commons)

www.flickr.com/photos/richardlowkes/52664110/