Cloudworks and CloudEngine: Supporting the sharing of ideas across professional boundaries

Nick Freear – Cloudworks/ CloudEngine (Lead Developer)Rebecca Galley – Open University Learning Design Initiative (Project Officer)JISC Regional Support Centre South West Online Webinar

First concepts...

Design...•Object centred rather than

ego-centred in nature

juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/

“The fallacy is to think that social networks are just

made up of people. They're not; social

networks consist of people who are connected by a

shared object.” (Engestrom, 2005)

Design...•Design framework based on

sociality

juhansonin http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2250554147/

•The system needs to accommodate both the evolution of practices and the inclusion of newcomers

•That individual identity is important so the system needs to support this

•People are more likely to use software that resemble their daily routines, language and practices

Approach...

•Design-based approach (DBR)– Development of the Alpha Cloudworks prototype

in Drupal Feb 2008– Launch of the Beta Cloudworks prototype in

CodeIgniter July 2009– Release of CloudEngine free and open source

software October 2010

• A place for sharing and discussions learning and teaching ideas

• Application of the best of Web 2.0 practices • Launched July 2009• Over 4000 registered users • Over 95,000 unique visitors (on average over 1000 unique

visitors a week)

Cloudworks...

CloudEngine...

What?CloudEngine is an easy way to create a social web site - using 'Clouds' and 'Cloudscapes'. Ideal for events & discussion.

CloudEngine is lightweight, fast & fully-featured. CloudEngine powers Cloudworks, http://cloudworks.ac.uk

And it's free & open source software, licensed under the GPL!

Features• Clouds, Cloudscapes • ** Direct messaging - NEW ** • Host & archive events - workshops etc. • Search, tags, user profiles, Cloudstreams • Favourite & follow • Embed video, slides, Twitter ... (oEmbed) • RSS feeds, API • Internationalized – currently English & Greek! • Admin: statistics, moderation• Accessible, extensible, themable

Search

Messaging

Get involved• Contribute feedback, publicity• Contribute documentation• Contribute code• Contribute translations• Ideas for integration 

Try out Cloudworks...

Support & guidance...

Evaluation...• Evaluation

methodology• Conceptual

community framework

Community framework...

Supporting interaction and productive activity

Participation Cohesion

Identity Creative capability

•Sustained over time•Commitment from a core group of participants•Emerging roles and hierarchy

•Group self-awareness•Shared language and vocabulary•Sense of community

•Igniting sense of purpose•Multiple points of view expressed, contradicted and challenged•Creation of knowledge links and patterns

•Support and tolerance•Turn taking and response•Humour and playfulness

Finding out more...• Go to http://getcloudengine.org • Take the Cloudworks Virtual Field Trip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HjlyU8OAU

• Visit the ‘Using Cloudworks’ Cloudscape http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1911

Further reading...Conole, Grainne (2010). Facilitating new forms of discourse for learning and teaching: harnessing the power of Web 2.0 practices. Open Learning, 25(2), pp. 141–151. Alevizou, P., Galley, R. and Conole, G., (forthcoming) Collectivity, performance and self-representation: Analysing Cloudworks as a public space for networked learning and reflection in Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning. Ed. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L., Hodgson, V. and McConnell, D. London: SpringerConole, G. and Culver, J. (2009), The design of Cloudworks: applying social networking practice to foster the exchange of learning and teaching ideas and designs, special issue of CAL09, Computers and Education, doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.013

Contacts...Nick Freear (Cloudworks developer) n.d.freear@open.ac.ukRebecca Galley (OULDI project officer) r.galley@open.ac.uk

Cloudworks@open.ac.uk