New job: Manager Software Research and Development, in the Learning Futures Innovation Institute

On December 22^nd^ 2007 I officially became the Manager, Software Research and Development, in the Learning Futures Innovation Institute at the University of Southern Queensland.

This means I will (at least) look after software development for the ICE project, and for the OpenCourseware Initiative at USQ, and will continue to guide the repository work we started with RUBRIC.

In the short term this means a swing back to looking at how ICE can be used for courseware, continuing work on integrating it with Moodle both for USQ and for our Open Courseware project as well as pushing into new areas of e-learning. During 2008 we will also try to get involved in work on the new Australian National Data Service1, developing software and processes to help e-researchers integrate data with publications throughout the research lifecycle.

I'm honoured to be reporting to Prof Jim Taylor, who's heading the institute, but I'll also be sad that Prof Alan Smith is no longer my supervisor. I'll still be looking to Alan as my guide through the jungle of university policy, politics and procedure.

I'm only back at work for 3 days this week, before heading off on a road trip to Kangaroo Valley so it will be mid January before we get the Software R & D team together as a group. Meanwhile there's plenty to do getting ready for an important demonstration of USQ's online infrastructure in February.