Narrative use cases for LionShare
Here are four possible use cases for LionShare in the UK. Cases 3, 4 and 1 are feasible with the current version of LionShare while case 3 would require additional softwrae engineering. (See Lorin Metzgers response from the LionShare team)
1. Cross Institutional Project
Dr Davies is part of a team of archaeologists who have won a grant to investigate further a well know site. The project team has members spread across a number of HEIs in the UK. The project will generate a large amount of digital images which will have to be assessed and discussed by the wholes team, some of which will not be able to attend the dig for very long.
Dr Davies ensures that all the members of the project team are using LionShare. She collects the LionShare usernames from the team members and uses this list to create a permissions policy in LionShare. She then places image files from the dig into a LionShare shared folder and writes appropriate descriptive metadata. She then apples the permissions policy to the folder that she created to ensure that only members of her project team can see the images on the peer-2-peer network. Crucial images that need to be accessible even when Dr Davies computer is switched off are sent to the Peer Server at her institution which remains on 24-7.
Members of the project team in Dr Davies University and in partner universities logon to LionShare and search using a key terms for images relating to the project. They can download the relevant images into there own shared folders for closer scrutiny. Dr Davis creates a chat room using LionShare to facilitate discussion relating to the dig images. Each day, new images become available for viewing as the dig continues. Academics in the team widen the permissions on certain images to other groups, such as tutor groups and related projects / departments. As the project progresses significant images are officially categorised and moved into a formal repository for archaeology. This repository can also be searched by LionShare, allowing the team members to track the progress of images through from initial informal discussion to final archiving.
2. Courseware Authoring.
Ian has been asked to write a Learning Design for part of an engineering course. He is working with Sarah, another author who is located at a different University within the UK. Ian starts by looking for relevant copyright free images and media using LionShare. He gathers this media into his shared folder and makes it available to Sarah. They discuss the media over the phone and using the LionShare chat facility. They start a specification document which is placed on Ian’s Institutions LionShare Peer Server. This allows both Ian and Sarah make updates.
Once the general planning and media have been decided on Ian uses a Learning Design editor which is connected to LionShare to design an IMS Learning Design. The link with LionShare makes it easy for Ian to gather media that they agreed on into the Learning Design. Ian also uses the link into LionShare to search for relevant IMS Content Packages which could be included in the larger design.
Once the first draft on the IMS Learning Design is created Ian places it in his shared folder and makes it available for his faculty to download. Ian receives feedback and updates the Design.
3. Research Student
An anthropology student wishes to include a number of images in his report but does not want to infringe copyright. He searches using relevant keywords using LionShare and finds a set of images that are marked as copyright free or under the Creative Commons licence.
4. Materials Science Academic
An academic is conducting crystallographic research which produces a large number of detailed images. He uses LionShare to organise and mark-up these images. He can then use LionShare to search through his own materials as well as other relevant sources.
These images are of use to the wider Materials Science community so he attaches a very open permission policy to the folder that contains the images. This material can then be found by anyone with a LionShare client in a university that is ‘trusted’ by his institution.
