Wharton's 'SPIKE 4' software makes research less difficult for undergrads

From providing job contacts to listing speakers and club meetings, Wharton Computing and Information Technology's new SPIKE 4 software is designed to make navigating the University's resources a little easier for undergraduates. The SPIKE software -- which provides instant, regularly updated information without forcing students to search through various World Wide Web sites -- was developed to help students avoid an "information overload", Wharton Computing Associate Director Kendall Whitehouse said. Although undergraduates have been able to use previous versions of SPIKE, those versions focused on stimulating interaction between graduate students, many of whom live off campus. "SPIKE hasn't really addressed the undergrads so much," said Wharton junior Darin Weeks, president of the technology group. "It was developed really as an MBA product at the request of MBA students." Although the newest version will not be fully operational until next fall, WCIT is currently testing alpha and beta versions of SPIKE 4 with small groups of students. Rough prototypes will be circulated throughout the spring and incremental changes will be made to meet student demands, Whitehouse said. This "next incarnation" of the Intranet-based student communications software will build on the "push" technology of the MBA-focused SPIKE 3, Whitehouse said. SPIKE 4, developed in Java Script, will feature the same links to e-mail, the library system, the Wharton directory and Penn InTouch as previous versions. A left-hand column will feature current updates from sources across the Wharton School and archived information will be just a click away. Students will also be able to join listserves, create their own newsgroups, configure settings and get help developing Web sites. WCIT is also working with Pointcast Inc. to take push technology even further by adding a screen saver with news updates and stock quotes. A monitor broadcasting SPIKE information for the undergraduate community will be installed in the ceiling of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, similar to the one for MBAs in Vance Hall, Weeks said. WCIT received notice in PCWeek and LANTimes with the launching of SPIKE 3 this fall. Program designers said the key to success is continued interaction with students. "The reason we feel SPIKE is very successful is because we work with students every year," Wharton Computing Director Deirdre Woods said. Weeks encouraged students to e-mail suggestions for improving SPIKE's capabilities to wgt@dolphin.upenn.edu. Whitehouse noted that work on SPIKE 4 began almost immediately once SPIKE 3 was complete and he looks forward to working with the Undergraduate Division on future updates to the program. "We've got the technology down bulletproof," Whitehouse said. "The goal now is to create a consistent, focused interface." Among its future efforts, WCIT is looking at ways to integrate streaming video into the SPIKE framework, making the possibility of students observing lectures from the comfort of their desktops a real possibility.

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