1. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The UARC/SPARC Experience: 1993 - 2002 Tom Finholt School of Information University of Michigan

2. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Outline n SOC functions –Primary –Secondary n Description –System –History –Organization –Funding –Incentives –Collaboration readiness

3. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Outline (continued) n Access n Resource diagram n Technology involved n Successes and challenges n Usage –Analysis of user behavior Action logs Chat logs –Analysis of user attitudes n Conclusions

4. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SOC functions n Primary –Shared instrument n Secondary –Distributed research center –Virtual community of practice

5. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: System n Functional –real time remote control of instruments –access to archival and real time data –communication with remote colleagues n Technical –Web-based, thin client model –CHEF n Support –1-3 FTEs at Michigan (migrating to NCAR)

6. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Aurora image

7. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: History n UARC v.5 –NeXTstep-based system, in use 1992-97 n UARC v.6 –java applet-based system, in use 1996-98 n SPARC –Web-based, thin client system, in use 1999 - present

8. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UARC 5.0 interface

9. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UARC 6.0 interface

10. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SPARC interface

11. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Organization n 14 investigators –3 computer science –2 human-computer interaction –9 space physics n 15 students –6 computer science –6 human-computer interaction –3 space physics n 8 staff –7 programmers –1 system administrator

12. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Funding n UARC (IRI 9216848) –cooperative agreement between Michigan and NSF CISE & ATM –approximately $800 K per year, 1992-97 n SPARC (ATM 9873025) –KDI award from NSF CISE –approximately $500 K per year, 1997-01

13. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Incentives n Funding –scientists recruited through sub-contracts n Recognition –innovative system –highly visible to space science and computer science communities n Novel capabilities –new ways of combining data –respond to opportunities (e.g., UCB sounding rocket campaign)

14. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Collaboration readiness n Multiple authorship the norm n Ubiquitous email adoption 1992-2001

15. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Access: People n Space physicists n Concentrated in N. America and Europe (approx. 300 researchers) n Affiliated with the American Geophysical Union –aeronomy and space physics sub-divisions

16. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Access: Instruments n Observational –ground-based active –incoherent scatter radar (e.g., convection reversal boundaries) –all-sky cameras (e.g., auroral morphology) –interferometry (e.g., winds) passive –riometry –magnetometer chains

17. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Sondrestrom observatory Sondrestrom, Greenland

18. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Access: Instruments (cont.) n Observational –space-based satellite imagery (UV and visible light) shuttle imagery sounding rockets n Theoretical –computational simulations

19. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Polar spacecraft

20. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Instrument scope, 1993

21. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Instrument scope, 2001

22. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Resource diagram

23. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Technology involved n 1992-97 –UARC v.5 built on NeXT machines, migrated to NeXTstep OS n 1996-98 –UARC v.6 built as java applets (MURAL), Web- based n 1998 to present –SPARC built as thin client (e.g., HTTP), migrating toward CHEF-based system (e.g., portlet technology)

24. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Success and challenges n Scientific –first simultaneous real-time display of incoherent scatter radar chain (April, 1998) –first combined real-time simulation and observation campaign (April, 1997) –first archival campaign (December, 1993) –Simultaneous views of observational and simulation data n Educational –first student campaign (February, 1995) n Future –model for dozens of collaboratory efforts

25. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Simulation and observational data

26. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Social network 2/95 campaign Michigan Scientist Student Scientist No one Scientist Florida California B California A Student Site crew Greenland Scientist Engineer

27. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Usage n UARC v.5 –total scientific users = 27 –peak usage = 8 –80% of use by four users n UARC v.6 –total scientific users approximately 100 –peak usage = 40 –80% of use by six users n SPARC –usage data in progress for the workshop

28. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Analysis of user behavior n Analyzed chat and action logs in order to summarize users’ experience with the UARC and SPARC systems n Focused on: –Hours of use –Frequency of use sessions –Content of use sessions (actions and chat) –Growth in use over time

29. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Methodology n Extracted data from automated usage and chat logs –UARC 5.0 completed (1993-97) n Standardized data n Loaded standardized data into an Access database n Used SPSS to analyze sub-sets of data from the Access database

30. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Results from action logs n Aggregate use –Total frequency of sessions per year –Total hours of use per year n Individual use –Frequency of sessions per year –Hours of use per year n Change in system use –Cumulative number of users over time –Number of new users over time

31. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Total sessions per year

32. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Total hours of use per year

33. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Change in system use

34. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Results from chat logs n Aggregate use –Total frequency of turns per year –Total frequency of words per year n Individual use –Frequency of turns per year –Frequency of words per year

35. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Total chat turns per year

36. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Total words per year

37. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Key findings n Rapid start, 1993-94 –Number of sessions triples –Hours of use increases six-fold –Number of users doubles n Dramatic shift after 1994 –Use declines –Growth in use stops n Overall use concentrated in a small number of scientists –25% of users generated 75% of total use

38. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Analysis of user attitudes n Analyzed longitudinal survey responses, 1993-2001, comparing UARC sample with matched control sample n Focused on: –Communication choices –Use of Web resources –The relationship between communication, Web use, and outcomes

39. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Methodology n Longitudinal survey –The 2001 survey administration was the sixth wave of data collection dating to 1993 n Response rate –87% for UARC sample; 60% for matched control sample n Mode of administration –90% via a Web-based questionnaire; 10% via telephone interview n Content –2/3 repeat items; 1/3 new items – focused on Web use

40. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Results from longitudinal survey n Communication choices –Change, 1994 to 2001 –Difference, UARC vs. Control n Web use –Change, 1994 to 2001 –Difference, UARC vs. Control n Effect on outcomes –Relationship of communication to funding –Relationship of Web use to funding

41. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Key findings, 1994 vs. 2001 n Substitution effect of email for other forms of communication –More pronounced for Control n Significant decline in UARC use and satisfaction after 1994 –Relationship in the decline of UARC use to respondents’ use of Web sites –Defectors

42. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Key findings, 2001 n Some use of data intensive websites –Concentrated in a small proportion of scientists n No predominant Web site n Scientists do not read core space science journals on-line n Low use of collaboration technologies –Data conferencing –Videoconferencing

43. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Conclusions n Teleobservation dominates teleoperation n Proof of concept – but not killer application n Primary success in terms of emulation, not total use or scientific impact n Thin client ensures universal access, but compromises capabilities n The Web has not yet revolutionized the practice of space physics