This document summarizes a presentation about a finance learning center's use of collaboration software. The center was facing challenges like fragmented information and lack of online discussion. It implemented the Ontario Research & Innovation Optical Network (ORION) collaboration platform to centralize documents, allow messaging, and engage students. While some features worked well, adoption has been limited and email still dominates. The future may involve using the software more for planning and integrating it into student assistant workflows.

1. Ge#ng
socialized:
experimen4ng
with
collabora4on
so9ware
OLA
Super
Conference
Toronto,
Ontario
January
29,
2015
Helen
Kula
helen.kula@utoronto.ca
@helenkula
Andrew
Graham
andrew.graham@utoronto.ca
@andrewjgraham
Ali
Abbas
Mehboob
Hirji
ali.hirji@orion.on.ca
@abbaspeaks

2. Agenda
• Li
Koon
Chun
Finance
Learning
Centre
– What
we
do
– Challenges
• SoluHon
– CollaboraHon
soIware
• 03
&
ORION
• ImplementaHon
• The
story
so
far
• The
future
for
03
• Discussion

3. Who
we
are

4. Li
Koon
Chun
Finance
Learning
Centre

5. Li
Koon
Chun
Finance
Learning
Centre
• What
we
do:
– Teaching
• In
FLC
and
in
classrooms
– Reference
&
research
support
– Programming
• Speakers,
trading
compeHHons,
film
nights,
etc.
– FLC
Student
Assistant
program
• New
orientaHon
this
year…

6. Li
Koon
Chun
Finance
Learning
Centre
• Challenges:
– FragmentaHon
• Content
spread
out
across
mulHple
‘homes’
– Email
in-­‐box
cluZer
–
no
vehicle
for
messaging
– Online
discussion
&
decisions
‘
buried’
in
email
– Limited
engagement
with
FLC
student
assistants
as
a
team
– No
pla]orm
to
encourage
group
learning
&
sharing

7. Li
Koon
Chun
Finance
Learning
Centre
• Challenges
– New
team
member’s
previous
experience:
Where’s my JIVE?

8. Solu4on:
Collabora4on
so9ware
• Defini4on:
“So%ware
that
allows
people
to
work
together
on
the
same
documents
and
projects
over
local
and
remote
networks….
“[G]roupware”
was
the
first
term
coined
to
describe
collaboraAve
so%ware.
Also
called
"social
so%ware,"
collaboraAve
so%ware
embraces
the
communicaAons
systems
as
well,
including
e-­‐mail,
videoconferencing,
instant
messaging
and
chat.”
Source:
PC
Magazine’s
Encyclopedia
(accessed
online
at
hZp://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/39968/
collaboraHve-­‐soIware)

9. Solu4on:
Collabora4on
so9ware
• Typical
features:
– Messaging
– Discussion
groups
or
forums,
with
access
controls
– Document
sharing
&
group
ediHng/commenHng
on
same
– Blogging
&
other
‘social’
features,
e.g.
updates,
‘likes’
+/or
upvoHng,
polling,
user
profiles
– Search
&
tagging
• Examples:
– MicrosoI’s
Yammer
&
360,
JIVE,
Socialcast,
Oracle’s
Beehive,
IBM
Notes
&
Domino
(formerly
Lotus),
&
Igloo,
Facebook
at
Work,
Slant…
&
03

10. Ontario
Research
&
Innova4on
Op4cal
Network

11.
What
is
• A
cloud-­‐based
digital
lab/classroom
for
collaboraHon
that
can
be
deployed
instantly
• Enables
researchers
to
share
findings
through
mulHple
devices
within
an
SSL
secured
space
• Empowers
students
to
overcome
classroom
shyness
and
develop
a
digital
voice
• Engages
educators
to
create
private/public
interfaces
to
engage
with
parents
and
other
educaHon
stakeholders
• Encourages
BYOD
uptake
with
mobile
apps,
email
enabled
capaciHes
and
responsive
design

12. Ontario’s backbone of innovation
!
!
!
!
!
!
Who’s using O3 powered by Igloo? !
q Students!
q Researchers!
q Educators!
!
!
→ Over 4000 members in 80+ !
spaces & communities !
!
!
!
Research Collaborations

13. Ontario’s backbone of innovation
Ontario College Library Services
Over 150 library technicians from college libraries
across Ontario share and evaluate resources on O3.
Via AskON librarians also receive live support
during work hours.
Research Intranets

14. Implementa4on
• March
2014
– Implemented
with
2
users
• March
–
June
2014
– CustomizaHon
&
uploading
of
content
• Dec
2014
– Roll-­‐out
to
FLC
Student
Assistants
&
selected
UTM
Library
staff

15. Implementa4on

16. Implementa4on

17. Implementa4on

18. Implementa4on

19. The
story
so
far
• What’s
working
– Centralized
space
for
documents,
templates,
forms
– Use
of
wiki
to
capture
important
informaHon,
e.g.
passwords
– Messaging
between
2
staff
– Periodic
updates
provided
by
staff
– Use
of
poll
to
solicit
student
feedback
on
how
to
use
potenHal
cash
donaHon
– Security
and
privacy
concerns
addressed
– Responsive
support
&
technical
help

20. The
story
so
far
• What’s
not
working
– Email
sHll
dominates
• If
a
thread
begins
on
email,
tends
to
stay
there
– Need
criHcal
mass
of
users
to
shiI
conversaHons
to
03
– Very
liZle
use
of
forums
– Students
using
03
as
a
central
document
repository
–
but
liZle
else
• No
connecHon
to
exisHng
workflow?
• CompeHHon
from
Facebook,
SnapChat
and
other
social
media?
– Structural
incenHves
not
there
to
adopt
pla]orm

21. The
story
so
far
• What’s
not
working
– No
real
task/project
management
capability
• Asana
‘competes’
with
O3
– Other
limitaHon
in
funcHonality
and
features
• RestricHng
access
to
forum
discussions
or
documents
is
awkward
• Limited
group-­‐ediHng
of
documents
– Very
‘funcHonal’
UI
– Not
‘preZy’

22. The
future
for
03?
For
FLC:
• Use
03
to
support
annual
FLC
planning
– Discussion
forum
– Planning
document(s)
• More
integraHon
of
03
into
FLC
student
assistant
program
• Sharing
what
we
have
learned
with
UTM
Library
&
IMI
• Working
with
ORION
to
enhance
funcHonality

23. What is Next For !
Ontario’s backbone of innovation
Project Nexus

24. Discussion
• What
tools
do
you
currently
use
–
or
are
you
considering?
• What
success
have
you
had
using
collaboraHon
soIware?
• What
challenges
have
you
experienced
using
collaboraHon
soIware
–
or
would
you
anHcipate
–
in
your
workplace?
• Can
one
tool
do
it
all?
YOUR
TURN!