Monash e-Research Sakai VRE - Quick-start guide

Please note: Much of Sakai’s rich functionality is intended for eLearning applications. This can easily hide its many excellent research collaboration features. Please try to look past the eLearning features whenever you encounter them.

Important terminology

Project and Project Worksite = “research collaboration work area”
Sakai uses “Project” and “Project Worksite” to refer to a collaborative research work area or Virtual Research Environment (VRE). This is where you do all your work. Always create “Project” sites, not “Course” sites. In the Sakai Help area, you will find “Project Sites” are listed under “C” for “Course/Project Sites”. More...

Resources = “file sharing”
This is where you store files for your research team to view and access. Monash Sakai VRE stores all content in LaRDS, ensuring reliable, secure long-term preservation of your research data. More...

Worksite Setup and Site Info
This is where you can change who can do what in your work areas. We have set up for you a simple default set of functions so you don’t get lost in the detail when first starting. You can easily change, add or remove what’s available yourself using the Edit Tools function. More...

My Workspace = “control panel”
This is NOT where you collaborate or do most of your work. This is a special area set up for your personal use, so that you can control how your part of Sakai works. Think of this as your personal control panel. More...

Screen layout

Worksite tabs
Across the top of the page are a row of tabs, one for each of your available “Worksites”. Click to select a Worksite. More...

Functions (tools)
Listed down the left margin of the page are all the available functions (“tools”) within the current “Worksite”. Click a function’s name (or its mini-icon) in the left margin to select. More...

Important functions

Create a new “Project Worksite” using:
Login -> My Workspace tab -> Worksite Setup -> New -> project website -> Continue ->
and then fill-in the boxes as prompted.

Allow other users to access the work site (e.g. called FRED) using:
Login -> FRED tab -> Site Info -> Add Participants -> Assign each participant a role individually ->
and then fill-in the boxes as prompted.

Change the functions of the work site (e.g. called FRED) using:
Login -> FRED tab -> Site Info -> Edit Tools ->
and then tick/untick the boxes of the functions you want to add or remove. More...

Add files to a work site (e.g. called FRED) using:
Login -> FRED tab -> Resources -> Add

In addition, it is recommended that users DO NOT use the "Dropbox" function, and instead utilise the "Resources" tool. More...

A Project Workarea’s Resources folder can be accessed directly from Windows Explorer using WebDAV. Instructions for setting up WebDAV are provided in the Sakai User Manual which also contains instructions outlining alternative techniques for accessing resources.