1. Spark Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration David Grogan Manager, Curricular Technology Group UIT Academic Technology Tufts University What is Spark? What do we hope it will be? How is it used? What’s next? Questions

2. What is Spark? An extensible suite of highly flexible, web-based tools for communication and collaboration that support teaching, learning, research, and other co-curricular activities. A little history … APT Grants Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

3. What is Spark? Freely available to entire community. Tool set currently includes: –Wikis (Confluence) –Blogs (MovableType) –Podcast Publisher (homegrown) –Forums (JForum) –Maps (Google Maps/homegrown) –Media Annotator (homegrown) Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

4. What is Spark? Launched in August 2006. Continues to grow in features and use. Won a Campus Technology Innovators Award in 2007. Core project team includes: –Project manager –Lead developer –Interactive media designer –All sharing support roles Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

5. What is Spark? Baseline features of the commercial/opensource products we use: –Must allow for LDAP integration. –Must allow for customization of interface. –Must have robust API. –Must have access to source code and database. Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

6. What is Spark? Common features across tools as implemented in Spark: –Single-sign on using central Tufts LDAP directory for authentication. –Easy one-click creation of new items. –Tufts directory integrated for setting individual permissions. –World, Tufts-wide, and private permissioning. Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

7. What is Spark? Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

8. What do we hope Spark will be? A Tufts-based localized network of people and ideas. (getting there slowly) Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

9. How is Spark being used? Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

10. How is Spark being used? Wikis As of 6/13/08 –688 Wikis –9787 Pages –3945 Users –19.31 gigs of attachments. Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

11. How is Spark being used? Wikis Rate of New Wiki Creation Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

12. How is Spark being used? Wikis Wiki Page Edits Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

13. How is Spark being used? Wikis # of Unique Users Making Edits Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

14. How is Spark being used? Blogs As of 6/13/08 –352 Blogs –3568 Entries –2061 Authors Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

15. How is Spark being used? Blogs # of new blogs Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

16. How is Spark being used? Blogs # of new entries Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

17. How is Spark being used? Blogs # of new authors Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

18. How is Spark being used? Podcasts As of 6/13/08 –53 Channels –226 Episodes –47 Authors Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

19. How is Spark being used? Podcasts # of new channels and episodes Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

20. How is Spark being used? Forums use is negligible. Maps and MediaMarkups are new tools with little data as yet. Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

21. What’s difficult? Supporting people beyond the basics. Finding ways to market the site to students. Competition from freely available 3 rd party sites (e.g. Google, Wordpress etc.) Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

22. What’s Next for Spark? A new user interface. Bring activity to the front. Start connecting people and content. Better communication and outreach. Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

23. What’s Next for Spark? Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration

24. Questions? David Grogan (david.grogan@tufts.edu)david.grogan@tufts.edu Some of my own –How have you been successful in marketing tools to your students? –How have you been successful in scaling support? Spark: Web 2.0 Tools for Communication and Collaboration