Introduction
Sadly the ueaWolfie project has come to an end. Over the past few months we have made considerable progress with a number of applications presenting the University of East Anglia’s data on different devices.
The greatest technical challenge we faced was in providing a secure method for authenticating staff and students to associate their accounts on 3rd party systems with their UEA account. We have developed an underlying model to address this problem.
As well as the security model and web service implementation, we have built applications on various platforms including Facebook, iGoogle, Google Desktop and mobile web.
Screenshots or diagram of prototype
The following screen shots are taken of working versions of our applications running on Facebook, iGoogle, Google Desktop and mobile web.
ueaWolfie Facebook Application
iGoogle Gadget
Google Desktop Gadget
UEA Library Loans Mobile Website
Technical architecture of the ueaWolfie framework
Description of Prototype
The ueaWolife web service and suite of widgets/applications allows UEA students to access their personal library data across multiple social websites and mobile devices.
At the core of ueaWolfie is a secure web service that allows different applications to request library loans data in a uniform way. This includes details of the items a user has currently borrowed, any fines, renew loans and to check the top 5 most popular items for a given course.
The project has build a number of different applications using this web service to deliver the data on Facebook, iGoogle, Google Desktop and the mobile web.
Security is a major concern for the project for a number of reasons. Essentially, if we have a web service for renew library loans, we need to be certain that the person renewing the item is who they claim. A security model has been implemented to allow users to associate their institutional user account with their user account on external systems (for example Facebook).
With the web service open for students to utilise, we are set to launch a university-wide competition to encourage students to develop with own applications using the service.
What’s the value of Wolfie?
Whilst the ueaWolfie project may have produced a few cool widgets, we feel the real value of this work lies in the framework.
Using simple techniques, standards and a collaborative approach, Wolfie has the power to significantly reduce the costs associated with delivering new e-services in higher education.
Here’s how Wolfie adds value:
| Pluggable back-end implementations | Back-end implementations can be reused by HEIs using common software. HEIs only need to implement a subset of services, depending on their required widget functionality. |
| ‘Standard’ web interfaces | Widgets developed against the framework are reusable by any HEI implementing the required services. |
| Widget development is accessible | Widget development is available to anyone with basic knowledge of calling web services – deep understating of internal institutional logic not required. |
| Toolkits for ‘known’ platforms | Developers on established platforms have smaller learning curve. |
| Reduced risk associated with new platforms | Reduced development costs mean HEIs don’t have to gamble on certain platforms taking off. |
| Encouraging innovation | Enterprising students and staff not normally associated with development are encouraged to innovate with new widgets. |
| Opening the market | More commercially attractive to develop widgets against the framework – large marketplace Competitive element to the market encourages innovation and quality. Traditional suppliers encouraged to embrace open techniques, but retain place as expert in specific area. |
In the Wolfie framework, web services are interfaces, which can be implemented against different back-end systems providing a similar service. In HEI’s, each of the main business functions (SIS, LMS, VLE, HR etc) are implemented by various combinations of a small number of products.
The implementation of a wolfie service against a specific system can be reused across any institutions using the same system (or at very least used as a basis for implementation). Development cost could be shared by user consortiums.
Plus, any Wolfie widgets – existing or future – using the implemented service will ‘just work’ avoiding widget development costs.
End User of Prototype
Our target audience is tech savvy students who make regular use of their mobile devices. At a recent meeting with library staff, they were saying how they noticed new students were already searching for book information from their mobile devices, so the demand is already there.
We are also having a trial of the system on users within the education department at UEA.
Link to working prototype
http://mobile.webapp4.uea.ac.uk/
username: jisc
password: jisc
This account will give you access to the test account used for the development purposes of the project.
Further Work
We plan to expand our work from this project by collaborating with other HE’s to: implement a backend plug-in for voyager, and reuse the widgets created.
We also are making initial progress to work with OIO (Danish) to advance the security model.
The project will be submitted to the Edunify directory (https://demo.edunify.pesc.org/) so hopefully it will find a wider audience who can benefit from the work of this project.
In the past week we have made contact with several US higher education institutions who are interested in using standardised approach to web service security model.
Finally, we are about to launch a competition within our university for students to submit apps created using our web service. With the cash prize of £1000 we are expecting quite a bit of interest.
Link to end user documentation
The applications are designed to be simple to use so no documentation is necessary.
Link to code repository or API
http://code.google.com/p/wolfie/
Link to technical documentation
Documents that:
Explain security, linking mechanism
How would you write a service that fits the architecture?
Date prototype was launched
6th June 2010
Project Team Names, Emails and Organisations
Robin Keith, r DOT keith AT SYMBOL uea DOT ac DOT uk – University of East Anglia
Ian Read, i DOT read AT SYMBOL uea DOT ac DOT uk – University of East Anglia
Project Website: http://ueawolfie.jiscinvolve.org/wp/
PIMS entry: https://pims.jisc.ac.uk/projects/view/1726
Table of Content for Project Posts
Project Introduction
Widgets for Open Library InfrastructurE (ueawolfie) project infrastructure-ueawolfie-project/
Project Plan
Aims, Objectives and Final Outputs
Wider Benefits to Sector & Achievements for Host Institution
Projected Timeline, Workplan & Overall Project Methodology
Risk Analysis and Success Plan
IPR (Creative Commons Use & Open Source Software License)
Project Team Relationships and End User Engagement
Technical Architecture
Wolfie’s Framework in Pictures
Initial Web Service Implementation
