e-Framework Update October 2008

 

This newsletter will inform and update you about the e-Framework developments and related activities. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please log-in to the e-Framework subscriber list and 'unsubscribe'.

The e-Framework team is making every effort to ensure the newsletter reaches the correct audiences through the correct dissemination routes The final section of this newsletter includes the rational and link to a quick user questionnaire. Answering these few questions will help us to improve the way the e-Framework provides you with the information you need through the channels you prefer.

 

News from the Initiative

e-Framework has new International Director

The partners from the international e-Framework welcome Ian Dolphin as International Director. Before starting this role in June 2008, Ian was Head of e-Strategy at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, and Deputy Chair of the JISC Committee for the Integrated Information Environment. He is no stranger to international collaboration, having worked with a variety of commercial concerns, open source communities, and other agencies as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sakai Foundation, Java Architectures (JA-SIG), and the Curriki open content initiative.

"It’s an exciting time to be joining the e-Framework initiative", Ian said, "as the partners begin to explore potential future directions. My first task is to work with the e-Framework partner agencies to facilitate shared understanding, and to lead the articulation of a comprehensive and realistic plan of work for the future."

Ian has already visited all the international e-Framework partners to discuss future developments. The next e-Framework partners meeting, which takes place in Melbourne, Australia, in November will focus around the international plan of work which will take the e-Framework initiative into the future.

Geospatial Workshop

Through the international collaboration of the e-Framework partners, a Geospatial workshop was held on 24 July, in Canberra, Australia. Hosted by the JISC-funded SEE-GEO project the workshop presented on service-oriented applications of geospatial information for education and research. The event featured discussions between experts from the UK, Australia and New Zealand working in two different areas (geospatial information and education).

For further information on this workshop including attendees, resultant discussions and to view presentations access the e-Framework Community wiki at
https://e-framework.usq.edu.au/users/wiki/GeospatialWorkshopCanberra08

For further information about the SEE-GEO project see
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/eresearchgridogccollision/seegeo.aspx

 

Partner's Update

Strategic roadmap for Australian research infrastructure launched

The National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) was initiated in 2006 with an aim to develop Australian research capability through significant infrastructure investment. A review undertaken by the Expert Working Groups and the ICT Strategy Group has resulted in the release of 'The Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure'. On September 4, 2008 Senator the Hon Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research announced the release of this roadmap that outlines the requirements for Australia's research infrastructure over the next five to 10 years; it forms an important input to the Government's White Paper response to the Review of the National Innovation System. The Minister’s media release and the Roadmap can be found at
http://www.innovation.gov.au/ScienceAndResearch/Pages/default.aspx

SOA introduced at City University, London

The City SOA Case Study, entitled "Going for Gold" is the first publication in a series of early SOA adopter studies planned as part of the JISC Early Adopter Series. This case study explores the university’s journey, thus far, toward a services-based infrastructure and outlines how their incremental approach to adoption, based on three individual business projects, has laid the foundations for future developments.

Other related products to look out for in the coming months include The SOA Pack. This JISC-CETIS publication seeks to help institutions seriously consider the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a service-oriented approach for their specific institution, learn about technical options currently available, and to provide advice on design and implementation. This pack will be of particular interest to both senior managers and IT professionals.

The full "Going for Gold" report can be found at:
http://www.e-framework.org/Portals/9/docs/Case_studies/GoingforGold_CityFINALoct08.pdf

An introduction to Enterprise Architectures

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is about enabling organisations to adapt to change by defining, in a generic way, how their business processes work in tandem with their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems. EA is already well established in the commercial sector and its potential in the context of education is now being investigated. Since the beginning of 2008, JISC has been providing funds to allow early adopters to explore the use of EA within education and has recently published a paper which provides a simple introduction to Enterprise Architecture:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/bpenterprisearchitecturev1.aspx

Dutch and UK architecture communities exchanged experiences

A number of people involved in Enterprise Architecture (EA) have expressed an interest in working together as a community. A first meeting of Dutch and UK community members was held on 22 October at The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) conference in Munich, Germany. Approaches and experiences on working with EA-based principles were exchanged. Whilst approaches to EA have proven to be successful in other sectors, it has not been as easy for Higher Education institutions to capitalise on the promises of this approach.

Participants reported on successes such as Windesheim University (Zwolle) and James Moore University (Liverpool). The attendees identified a priority for clarifying how existing concerns in the institutions could be better analysed using EA methodologies which may help to improve the overall IT service provision.

Participants plan further discussion to gain a better understanding about the potential of EA, the relationship between governance and architecture, and best ways to get stakeholders engaged in architectural approaches.

Australian Flexible Learning Framework (e-Portfolios) uses e-Framework approach

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s E-standards for Training Business Activities has successfully been using the e-Framework approach and has produced a draft e-Portfolio Service Usage Model. Owen ONeill, manager of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, has been closely involved in the establishment of the Australian vocational education and training sector’s new national e-Portfolio initiative and has discussed his work with the New Zealand Ministry of Education. A number of key government agencies in New Zealand, including the national qualifications authority (NZQA) and career guidance agency (Career Services), are interested in e-Portfolio related areas such as support for recognition of prior learning, security and privacy issues around storing and accessing personal information, verification of e-Portfolio content, and the use of Web 2.0 tools with e-Portfolios.

SUM on Identity and Access Management

The second stage of the Education Sector Authentication and Authorisation (ESAA) project from the New Zealand Ministry of Education successfully went live on 23rd of August. ESAA is an essential component of the New Zealand ICT Strategic Framework for Education. It provides an authentication and authorisation service across a number of key e-administration and e-learning applications between education providers and education sector government agencies. Development of a roadmap for identity and access management (IAM) across the education sector has confirmed the need for a cross-agency policy on the use of IAM (including what evidence of identity requirements are necessary) to be completed before any further significant work on ESAA is undertaken. The long-term goal is the development of federated access management across all education sectors and central government agencies.

A Service Usage Model (SUM) on Identity and Access Management based on the New Zealand approach is available at
http://www.e-framework.org/Default.aspx?tabid=839

 

Work in progress

The relationship between the e-Framework and other modelling approaches

To explore how the e-Framework fits within the context of existing and emerging modelling approaches, the New Zealand Ministry of Education is managing the Enterprise Architecture and Service Usage Models Project. This projectwill investigate the interrelationships and mappings between their Business Architecture Modelling Methodology (BAMM), the ArchiMate® modelling language and the e-Framework SUMs.

The objectives of this project are to refine and develop a complete methodology for business architecture modelling and a definition based on the TOGAF Architecture Development Method. The outcomes of this approach will point to the use of SUMs in implementation within the context of the Ministry of Education Special Needs Education group. This is a work in progress but the outcomes so far have been very positive and the project is due for completion by November 2008. In support of this effort, SURF has been carrying out a mapping exercise between ArchiMate®, TOGAF and the e-Framework; the JISC, through three Enterprise Architecture Pilots, have produced a paper which describes the relationships between the e-Framework and Enterprise Architectures.

Once all these activities are complete, the partners will analyse and collate these findings into a final report which will be made available through the e-Framework website.

For information about TOGAF visit http://www.opengroup.org/architecture/

For information about the JISC EA Pilots visit http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningcapital/enterprisearchitectures.aspx

Test case for e-Framework collaboration: LOREnet

The e-Framework partners are committed to validating the e-Framework approach as a basis for refinement. For example, SURF is attempting to deconstruct the existing LOREnet (Learning Objects Repositories network) system and map these units of functionality into the e-Framework model. The Ministry of Education New Zealand will then attempt to develop a content packaging and authoring service using these e-Framework component parts.

 

Tools and resources

New diagrams provide 'walk-through' of the technical model

A new set of illustrative diagrams has been published on the e-Framework website to better explain the technical model underlying the e-Framework approach. The technical walk-through deconstructs the model into easy-to-understand pieces, incrementally introducing the technical components and their relationships. Accompanying text highlights the salient points and defines vocabulary used. The series culminates with a diagram that shows how the e-Framework knowledge base is expanded by cycles of use, feedback and refinement. The set of diagrams is also available as a single PDF document. The diagrams are the first step in providing an easy-to-understand presentation of the model on the website.
http://www.e-framework.org/Default.aspx?tabid=979

Improved online form makes the submission process easier

Revised instructions for making submissions for contributing descriptions of SUMs, service genres, and service expressions have been put on the website. Contributors who are ready to submit their descriptions for publication should use the new online submission form to email their documents to the editors. Details of the submission process for each type of component, as well as summaries of the quality assurance criteria against which submissions will be evaluated, can be accessed from the main 'Making Submissions' page.
http://www.e-framework.org/Default.aspx?tabid=608

Australian Government report highlights the potential benefits of SOA

The report, produced by Sir Peter Gershon (http://www.da.mod.uk/our-work/governance/advisory-board/peter-gershon), provides a detailed analysis of a wide range of issues affecting the Australian Government’s use and management of information and communication technology (ICT). It also outlines a staged plan for the implementation of recommendations, promoting service-orientation as an emerging approach to integration. The salient points within the report:

"Many private sector organisations have already embraced service oriented architecture (SOA), where ICT assets are aligned to business services in a standard, flexible and architected fashion, and also the benefits that come with it such as increased agility, re-use and reduced costs. Government organisations are slowly moving towards leveraging SOA in the development of their applications, but there is potential for the pace to be quickened and for further thinking to done at the whole-of-government level rather than agency level to maximise the potential benefits." (P10)

"Some submissions (13) believed that more robust definition and consideration of requirements, and adopting service oriented architecture (SOA) and open standards, would increase the appeal of commercial off-the-shelf solutions." (P35)

"Fourteen submissions indicated the need to have standard architectures by adopting SOA and the Australian Government Architecture. They believed that if agency applications were developed on the basis of building services (and components of services) that were as generic as possible, opportunities for re-use by multiple agencies would increase significantly. Re-using applications would decrease the investment needed to develop new applications, and thus reduce the time taken to deliver improved services to the community" (P36)

The full report is available at:
http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/ict-review/index.html

 

Forthcoming events

Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education

The Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education Symposium, to be held in Melbourne, Australia on 10 & 11 November 2008, will explore the strategic application of Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education, a subject which is of increasing interest to the education sector. Several e-Framework partners will have speakers at the conference including: Dr. Lyle Winton – as facilitator (Workshop: Collaborating on Enterprise Architecture in 2009), Simon Porter (e-Framework Meets Dutch Higher Education) and Simon Vaughan (University 2.0, The New World of Work), a DEEWR-sponsored speaker from Cardiff University.

For more information visit:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ea2008

IDEA 2008 - Enabling Technology: Forging a Digital Future

IDEA 2008, a series of events focusing on technology and education, will be held in Melbourne, Australia on 12 & 13 November 2008. The event will include an interoperability workshop aimed at education infrastructure implementers, an open forum - Enabling Technology: Forging a Digital Future - and the Australian finals of the IMS Global Learning Consortium’s Learning Impact Awards. IDEA 2008 will be of interest to education managers and decision makers as well as implementers, users, consumers, suppliers and vendors of information technology in Australian Education.

For further information go to
website: http://www.linkaffiliates.net.au/idea2008/
email: ideaconference@usq.edu.au
tel: (+617) 4631 1827

 

Get involved

To keep up-to-date with e-Framework activities visit the e-Framework community wiki: https://e-framework.usq.edu.au/users/wiki/WikiStart

To share your own experiences and let us know the topics that you would like us to explore, email Bas Cordewener: cordewener@surf.nl

 

Last updated October 2008