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Hub is an implementation of .LRN (an web portal framework built on top of OpenACS for e-learning and knowledge management). Hub was created to meet the educational needs of departments within Partners, while cleanly integrating into pre-existing enterprise authentication services, calendaring, and email. Hub provides a wide range of E-learning and knowledge management tools such as forums, instant messaging, group messaging, categorization tools, individual assessment tools, and group file sharing. It also provides administrative support including web-based event registration, online payments, ad hoc reporting tools, user management, attendance tracking, and automated certificate generation. The next phase of the project focuses on enabling access from handheld computers, creating reusable self guided learning modules, and integrating with our clinical electronic health record system to incorporate interactive education into the clinical workflow.
The custom web applications we added for this site tie into the preexisting .LRN data model. Promotion within the .LRN community and an openly accessible code repository used during development resulted in early adoption of our additions at two other major institutions. These modules include administrative tools to facilitate course registration workflow, attendance tracking, reporting, certificate generation, and an assessment package. Hub was also integrated into the Partners Healthcare password management framework (using LDAP) making it available to all staff with a logon. We created a registration tool for department-sponsored courses and events. In addition we implemented a data collection infrastructure and reporting mechanisms so that people can be targeted by administration with tailored information and offerings. For the E-Learning portions of the site we selected from preexisting .LRN modules that help facilitate online learning: forums, file sharing, quiz and test modules. We also chose some collaborative tools such as group calendaring and an issue tracking application.
The open nature of the development has resulted in community based peer review of the code and improvements. Results of this work have been earmarked for inclusion in a future version of .LRN.
