Aspect & Scope | Facets | Comments |
Administration • Support services for different user groups - learners, teachers, and administrators | Support through email, telephone, frequently asked questions, and online help manuals | KnowledgeNET provides a helpdesk via telephone and e-mail (9am-5pm) as well as providing online help throughout the KnowledgeNET environment. At present we are developing an interactive CD and this will be available to all KnowledgeNET schools by Feb 2007 |
• User accounts created and groups managed | Self-creation of account on a web form and re-set of passwords via email | Accounts can be created by administrators on-the-fly and passwords set and reset on request to the administrator, class/subject/group teacher. Data can be imported from some SMS systems now and this capability will be available to all SMS's by late 2007 under an MoE trial that Dataview are presently conducting. |
Groups lists can be easily created and members joined, removed, and added to other groups individually or on block |
Groups and individuals can have different permissions attributed to them | There are four distinct profiles; parents, students, teachers and administrators and these come with standard permissions for ease of set and use. These permissions can be changed but only by administrators. |
• Resource implications for chosen solution | Maintenance contract costs vs in-house maintenance costs | Dataview, as the owner of KnowledgeNET hosts the KnowledgeNET in a secure, independent server environment and carries out all maintenance and development. The school does not host the KnowledgeNET on their own campus but rather users access the KnowledgeNET via the interne from anywhere anytimet. This substantively reduces internal maintenance and management costs. |
Integration with existing software, hardware, and practices | As the system only uses freely available web browsers there is no additional costs other than access to the internet. |
Licensing – one off, annual, per user | Dataview charges a one-off set up cost dependent on school roll and an ongoing maintenance fee which includes appropriate hard drive space and traffic as well as access to the helpdesk and all the updates to the KnowledgeNET as they are created. |
Training and support for staff | Full training and support is offered to schools who use the KnowledgeNET and this is provided to the school by on-site trainers along with a comprehensive implementation plan, training manual, online help and support of the help desk |
Server maintenance and management | The servers are fully maintained and managed by Dataview. Dataview already manages servers on behalf of hundreds of commercial clients to the highest security and back-up specifications. |
• Users experience of the platform is intuitive and without significant barriers | Users have individual identity and presence on the platform and a strong sense of the identity of others | Each user has an individual identity and can view each of the classes, subjects and interest groups they are part of as well as any forums, discussion groups they may have access to along with all calendars and news groups that they are a member of. |
Users have a strong sense of the audience for their work when private, published in small groups, or on the www | Each user is well aware of his/her audience when they publish their works in particular locations and who does and does not have access to their work. |
Navigation around the platform is simple and intuitive | The “Navigator” is a specially designed tool to allow students to move to any other page they have access to (defined by the permissions). Navigation can also be achieved to the drop-down Java menus at the top every page. |
Accessibility for special educational needs | At present there is no special access ability provision made the students were special education needs. |
Accessible via school Intranets and also on the www for use from outside the school | The KnowledgeNET is a completely Web based solution and as such is accessible from any Internet enabled computer anywhere, any time with links to any other web based school resource or site. |
Platform offers different language options and supports macrons | The KnowledgeNET is available in English, however does have the ability to change menu item and navigation names to other languages by the site administrator. Macrons are presently being researched for implementation. |
Notification of new content and contributions | The KnowledgeNET system has an email notification system for when new content is added |
Searching and book-marking of relevant items found | A comprehensive bookmarking system is in place and bookmarks are part of the users individual profile so they appear no matter which internet enabled computer they work from. |
