Modelling4All delivers collaborative Web 2.0 modelling

Modelling4All Behaviour Composer is a new web tool that enables learners and researchers to collaborate to build and analyse complex computer models without having to learn computer programming.

Bath, 10th March 2009 –The Modelling4All Project provides a unique web-based tool http://modelling4all.org for constructing, running, visualising, analysing, and sharing computer simulation. Models can be simply constructed without computer programming expertise using pre-built modular components.

This is the fruit of a three-year project based at University of Oxford and funded by Eduserv. The Modelling4All website is open to all and the project is seeking to establish a web community to support computer modelling. It uses an innovative approach to accessing models, constructions, and sharing models anonymously. Anyone with a web browser can build and run models that can be shared or embedded in other websites.

Computer modelling is playing an increasingly important role in fields as varied as sociology, epidemiology, zoology, economics, archaeology, ecology, climate, and engineering. Currently, only researchers or students with sufficient programming skills are able to participate in this new way of exploring and understanding real-world phenomena. The Modelling4All Project aims to greatly broaden this participation.

Students with no programming experience are able to acquire a deep understanding of complex phenomena and gain first-hand experience in the process of computer modelling. A library of subject specific components and construction guides help students to build models and explore topics such as the spread of epidemics. Computer modelling plays an increasingly important role in the biological and social sciences. However, many researchers lack the technical skills to design, implement, explore, and analyse models in their fields of study. Modelling4All supports these researchers by providing model construction tools that do not require programming skills and by nurturing a supportive model-building web community. Using the Modelling4All tools and services students and researchers can explore emergent phenomena without first learning a computer programming language.

The website supports new ways of interacting. The web-based collaborative approach enables diverse teams of people with a broad range of skills to work together using simple modules in the building, exploration, and analysis of computer models. The site also supports real-time collaboration where changes in a model are quickly reflected in the web browsers of collaborators.

“Eduserv’s mission is to realise the benefits of IT for learning and research. Funding projects such as Modelling4All enables innovative new approaches to be developed and made freely available for the benefit of learners and researchers,” said Ed Barker, Researcher and Grants Coordinator at Eduserv.

Dr. Richard Taylor from the Stockholm Environment Institute comments,“Since being introduced to the platform in October 2008, we have been using M4A in our organisation (a research institute). Not only have we made significant headway on our modelling projects, but we have been able to make the process more participatory, sharing models and interacting easily with a range of different people. This has been fun for me and for others in our team ... Thank you!”.

Dr ken Kahn, a Senior Researcher at Oxford University and project manager on Modelling4All, said, “I am hopeful that our site will dramatically increase the participation of people with a wide range of skills and knowledge in this new way of exploring and understanding complex real-world processes.”

“Modelling4All, combined with the support of Ken and Howard, enabled me to produce easily and quickly an absorbing and stimulating computer practical for my undergraduate students. In my case, the practical allowed the students to study and manipulate the spread and control of a hypothetical disease, in particular exploring the role of infection networks, but I see the possibilities of Modelling4All in teaching many areas of biology, and have recommended it to my colleagues,” comments Dr. Robert Belshaw, Zoology, Oxford University.

Download this press release as a Word or PDF document.

 
Notes to Editors

Eduserv is a not-for-profit IT service organisation. Our charitable mission is to realise the benefits of IT for learning and research. We are dedicated to developing effective technology solutions that meet the needs of universities and colleges and are of value to the wider public sector, including:

• Access and Identity Management through Athens and OpenAthens
• Licence Negotiation & Management – (Chest Agreements)
• Managed web hosting
• Content management systems (CMS) and web development.

Our trading surpluses are used to support our work across the education sector.

Further Information:
Andrew Tavener
Marketing Manager
Eduserv, Queen Anne House, 11 Charlotte Street, Bath, BA1 2NE
Tel: 01225474307
Email: andrew.tavener@eduserv.org.uk