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Introduction (Aug ’06) For further details see project web site http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/DICE/ 1. About the DICE project - Context 2. Demonstrator at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk:8080/elf links to COSE server at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk/cose_210905/
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Introduction (Aug ’06) • For further details see project web site http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/DICE/ • 1. About the DICE project - Context • 2. Demonstrator at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk:8080/elf • links to COSE server at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk/cose_210905/ • Other Project Outputs: Report and download bundle (COSE / D plus) • 3. What we did and how • 4. Metadata considerations (transforms, protocols, integration, searching) • Further work / development opportunities • Conclusions Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
1. About the DICE project- Context(D plus and ICE = DICE) Funded through JISC ELF demonstrator and toolkit strand : OSS / service - oriented architecture SOA http://www.elframework.org/ [and see rationale for e-learning programme at http://www.elearning.ac.uk/] ** To evaluate and integrate demonstrator applications (web service based, open source) with existing e-learning applications Target application: D plus (aka Discovery plus) resource discovery services from Edinburgh University Library http://devil.lib.ed.ac.uk:8080/dplus/ Existing e-learning application: COSE VLE http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/ Our own objectives: Build on previous work in SURF X4L, on Integrating COSE with e-resources (ICE) / synergy of RD in VLEs / migrate to SOA ** ALT-C 2005 M’cr – ‘Future of VLEs’ session Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
2. Demonstrator and Project Outputs For further details see http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/DICE/ Demonstrator at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk:8080/elf links to COSE server at http://dplus.staffs.ac.uk/cose_210905/ can access using guest / guest account (or otherwise – preferable to register for your own account) Project Report (includes RD Guide and Evaluation results) and Download bundle (includes manual supplement and updated installation guide) are available from web site Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
3. What we did and how Actually evaluated D plus with other RD services (cf. DEVIL / GetRef / Google Scholar). Educational relevance v generic web search engines. Technical -> Evaluative focus. Staffing issues at Edinburgh and Staffs. Spent most time on evaluation, presentations, writing RD Guide, recruitment, processing on-line evaluation form, preparing beta release bundle. Evaluation results – cohort of c. 20 from FE and HE. (Issues largely as expected) Ease of use / familiarity of interface / robustness / reference type. Integration per se was approved but other tools preferred. D plus as beta. ‘Integration’ in other VLEs (Moodle, WebCT, Blackboard, Learnwise, Virtual Campus) – loose coupling. Presentations to user groups (JISC RSC West MIdlands). Free software/services of particular relevance to FE sector?? Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
4. Metadata considerations (transforms, protocols, integration, searching) XSLT engine built into D plus effects transforms to LOM (or DC) from GRS / MARC / LoC / http://devil.lib.ed.ac.uk:8080/dplus/aboutinteroperability.jsp [- but how? / transform errors] Metadata returned from target depends on level of support for z39.50 Results returned to COSE, parsed and not all metadata (yet) included in saved resource lists (avoiding overhead of incorporating XSLT engine) Feedback from evaluators: little appreciation of metadata => Purchase / Use of Google Mini search engine allows full text searching (c £2000 / 100 000 documents) => metadata system conformance [discuss] Supported / Unsupported features (ver 1 & 2, tweed / CP / RLI, OpenURL). RLI spec – BPG / how to use ???? Metadata and other web services ?? Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
5. Further work / development opportunities work on selection of results (of interest) : resolve issues re individual references and lists. work on tagged / searchable / reusable reference objects : caveat - system load (cf. HLSI). Also there are COSE issues in making ref objects (or lists) full blown COSE objects, and in published and unpublished content. Our implementation as half-way house. leverage use of link resolver software (Staffs University Library, Metalib / SFX and Google Scholar) resolve authentication issues (since introduction of Athens DA) possiblilities in integrating other applications and web services RELOAD / MDC ? / PKP ? / RL Services Ultimately some of these developments to be included in new COSE release Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
6. Conclusions • Somewhat mixed results - Draft Report endorsed by EUL (? and SSD project) • Facade design, configuration issues, ‘unhelpful’ information on web site and unhandled exceptions thrown, maintenance / support issues. * • Source code modified from open source OCLC software was available, • but not that from JAFER / other dependencies • (being addressed ?) • 3. Failed / didn’t manage to integrate using web service (cf RLI project) • v • 4. Validate SOA / OSS model / modular design promoted in JISC (?) • 5. Enhanced COSE development / helps in upgrading to SOA • 6. Useful exercise in engaging with (local) user communities • 7. Useful exercise in engaging with Staffs Uni Library / Informatics • Benefits to wider community (ELF et al) in sharing what we learned • * debrief w EUL partners .. (? 70% usable) Resource Discovery Services: DICE project
