Gooru Navigator Getting started guide for Researchers

Table of Contents

Overview

This guide will help you get started with Gooru Navigator for Researchers and join the Centre for Navigated Learning. It will describe the various use cases many partners work through and provide useful links and resources.

What major challenges is the Gooru Research Portal solving for you?

1. Accelerate research with transparency and open data. In the Gooru ecosystem, every user owns their own data, but can explicitly share their data with researchers if they in-turn agree to share back any research and findings. This transparent and open approach builds trust and accelerates research.
2. You bring us your page, and we will give you our book. You join a community built tool, built by fellow researchers, educators and even students. By working together, every piece of research and the tools developed for it are shared with the whole ecosystem to the benefit of everyone! This means you benefit from all the work that others do, just like they will benefit from yours.

Value proposition

• Have access to different cohorts of users across various disciplines from early education, K12, Higher Ed to Skills and Professional Learning 
• Have access to open content across all disciplines in multiple languages that are tagged to different competency frameworks
• Can integrate their tools and include them in the toolbelt for instructors and learners, and develop algorithms that can be plugged into the Navigator
• Have access to data from instructors and learners across disciplines and to the various Navigator tools 
• Collaborate with other researchers on ongoing or new projects

Use cases

• Access Data for Research
• Integrate tools into Navigator and make it available in the toolbelt for instructors and learners
  • Bring existing tools into Navigator
  • Engage with Gooru or other ecosystem partners to develop tools for specific research problems 
  • Define algorithms for specific problems and leverage existing data in Navigator
• Ingest your content into Navigator 
  • Define new competency frameworks and map your content 
  • Map your content to existing frameworks
  • Assign content to cohort of students 
  • Get access to their data
• Onboard your users into Navigator and leverage their data in your research
• Partner on proposals
  • Get an overview of projects of researchers
  • Reach out to Gooru to partner on research proposals

Current Research Projects

Here is a list of research projects, who the research team is, what they are investigating, the data they are using, and once finalized, their findings and output.

How to sign up

1. Sign up using the Researchers sign up page
2. You will then be contacted by the Gooru Team within 48 hours, with the next steps.

How to access data for research

Access existing data

1. Once you have signed up and we have provided you an account, you can access information about the data on Navigator for researchers
2. To access existing data, you will need to let us know what data you are looking for by email to partner@gooru.org . We are in the process of automating this step, so in the future, you will simply need to fill in a form that specifies the data needed, the time period, the cohorts, and then sign onto our data privacy requirements
3. Your request for Information is shared with relevant institutions
4. They would then need to consent to it and then set up access to the data 
5. You will then be able to download data from RGO through the Navigator for researchers portal.

Request new events/data

1. Once you have signed up and we have provided you an account, you can access information about the data on Navigator for researchers
2. To request new events/data, you will need to let us know what data you are looking for by email to partner@gooru.org . We are in the process of automating this step, so in the future, you will simply need to fill in a form that specifies the data needed, the time period, the cohorts, and then sign onto our data privacy requirements
3. We identify the requirements needed to fulfill your request and present it to the community. Gooru or another partner will then come up with a plan to capture additional events and the resources it will take to fulfill this request.
4. Gooru or another partner will implement the new events
5. After data has been captured, it will be shared with you through the Navigator for researchers portal.

Example Data and events

View the Data in Navigator – Analytics Events and Metrics for Navigator knowledge base article for a list of data and events, that includes some sample data and reports.

How to Integrate tools or algorithms into Navigator

Existing tools

1. Access information about how to integrate a tool into the toolbelt infrastructure here: https://readme.gooru.org/ on the Gooru Navigator Developer Portal.
2. If you require additional support to integrate the tool,
3. Send us a request to Partner@gooru.org and share information about the tools 
   • What does the tool do?
   • Tool category
   • The technology stack of the tool
   • Interoperability standards supported
   • Custom integration requirements
4. The tool details are then published and shared with community partners
5. Interested community partner (including Gooru) will reach out to you to collaborate
6. Engage with a development partner to integrate the tool into Navigator

New tool development

1. Send us a description of what you want to develop to Partner@gooru.org and share the following information:
   • What will the tool do?
   • Tool category
   • The technology stack of the tool
   • Interoperability standards it should support
   • Custom integration requirements
2. The tool details are then published and shared with community partners
3. Interested community partner (including Gooru) will reach out to you to collaborate
4. Engage with a development partner to integrate the tool into Navigator

Implement algorithm

1. Define an algorithm and Identify data requirements for the algorithm
2. Implement the algorithm as a tool using our open APIs: https://readme.gooru.org/
3. IF additional event data is needed, request new events to be captured by following the steps in the How to access data for research section of this guide
4. IF you require additional support, share the Definition of the algorithm and data requirements for the algorithm with Partner@gooru.org
5. The algorithm, details are then published and shared with community partners
6. Interested community partner (including Gooru) will reach out to you to collaborate
7. Engage with a development partner to integrate the algorithm into Navigator

How to create a tenancy

1. After you have signed up, if you require your own tenancy, please email Partner@gooru.org, you will be given access to a tenancy settings form to complete.
2. After submitting that form, Your tenancy will then be setup as defined within it.
3. Gooru will send you a notification that the tenancy has been created, with a link to your tenancy and information about the next step in the process (Roster your users)

How to Onboard users

1. Depending on how you have your user information stored we will use an appropriate process to roster your users.
   1. OneRoster template will be provided
2. If you are using MAP scores or other standardized scores to set your user’s initial Skyline (locations), we will provide you with an appropriate template to complete.
3. After submitting that template, we will set your users starting locations and you will get notified.

How to add your content

Identify if the content needs a new competency Framework

1. Review the existing Navigator Library frameworks and Identify if a new competency framework needs to be developed or a crosswalk to an existing one needs to implement.
2. If you identify that you need a new framework, email Partner@gooru.org to Download the framework template and fill out the competency framework details.
3. Return the framework template to Gooru, who will upload it into the Navigator Library
4. Review and publish the competency framework in Navigator Library

Existing content

1. Map existing content to Navigator content types via Navigator Library
2. If you have a large bulk of content to upload, email Partner@gooru.org to get an ingestion template and fill out the details for the content including metadata and tagging to competencies.
3. Upload filled out template into Navigator Library

New content

1. Use Navigator Library tools to create new content, directly into the library.

How to create your own course and content

To help you in creating courses and content please review the below video guide and/or the guide document: Content Creation Guide (Fall 2021)

How to partner on research projects & proposals

Projects
1. Review the list of various research projects on the Navigator Research Portal. If you don’t have an account, sign up here.
2. Identify projects where you want to participate in. Request for collaboration Partner@gooru.org

Proposals
1. Fill out a form to partner with Gooru on proposals

FAQ