Client: Northeastern University (NEU)
Objective: To create a pioneering digital commons for NEU that connects students, faculty, and researchers across disciplines, setting a new standard for collaborative academic platforms in higher education.
We worked with NEU to design a highly customizable, secure, and scalable digital commons. Built upon an open-source framework, this platform facilitates seamless integration, collaborative research, and networking among NEU’s academic community.
Challenge
Northeastern University sought to build a leading-edge digital commons that could provide secure, collaborative spaces for research and discussions across diverse academic groups while being easy to adopt for faculty, students, and external partners. However, realizing this vision required overcoming specific technical and structural hurdles:
- Limited Documentation on HCommons: Starting with the HCommons open-source framework provided a foundation but required significant reverse-engineering due to limited existing documentation.
- Complex User Authentication: NEU needed a single sign-on system that integrated seamlessly with their existing Active Directory while also allowing for social logins for one network.
- Multi-Network Infrastructure: The platform required a system that could scale across multiple WordPress networks and hundreds of subsites, each with unique needs, while ensuring efficient and centralized management.
- Advanced Search and Recommendations: To foster collaboration, NEU needed a powerful search tool that could span multiple networks, offer robust recommendations, and enhance user experience beyond standard WordPress search.
Solution
To meet these challenges, our team collaborated closely with NEU’s Associate Dean for Digital Strategies and Services to create a scalable and customized platform that addressed each of NEU’s requirements:
- Customized BuddyPress-Based Digital Commons
We developed a tailored BuddyPress installation using the HCommons open-source framework as a base. Key components were forked and customized to enable specific features, ensuring compatibility with future updates for seamless ongoing development. - Single Sign-On Integration with Active Directory
We integrated NEU’s Active Directory using Shibboleth, creating custom routing rules that automatically directed authenticated users to their designated site within the network. This approach offered a frictionless experience across all networks, complemented by social login options for one network. - Elasticsearch-Enabled Multi-Network Search
By configuring a custom Elasticsearch server, we empowered NEU with a high-performance, multi-network search system that delivered superior functionality and speed over default WordPress search capabilities. Additionally, this integration supported multiple recommendation widgets to suggest relevant content and connections across the platform. - Unified User Interface with Custom Profile Fields
A custom member interface allowed users to add academic and personal interests, which were then leveraged by Elasticsearch to recommend connections and resources. This tailored experience enhanced networking opportunities for all users. - Flexible Content Management with Page Builder
We implemented Beaver Builder, enabling administrators to create and manage custom landing pages effortlessly, allowing for responsive, visually cohesive page designs tailored to each subnetwork’s needs.
Features
- Public and private groups with discussion boards, events, announcements, file sharing, and member management.
- Advanced member interface with custom profile fields including academic and personal interests. These fields were leveraged by ElasticSearch to provide a powerful recommendation engine for connection recommendations.
- Multi-Network setup to allow for multiple WordPress networks with their own administration and subsites.
- Advanced search and recommendations built with ElasticSearch.
- Single sign-on with Google, Twitter, and the NEU Active Directory database.
- Page builder for administrators to easily create custom landing pages.
Results
The completed NEU Commons platform was quickly adopted by several academic societies within the university, with positive feedback from both administrative and user perspectives. NEU gained a scalable, future-proof digital commons that they can continue to manage and grow internally.
- Improved Collaboration and User Engagement: The commons fostered community engagement across departments, enhancing collaboration among students, faculty, and external experts.
- Streamlined User Access: The single sign-on functionality provided a secure, unified login experience, while custom routing simplified navigation across multiple networks.
- Enhanced Search and Content Discovery: Elasticsearch-driven search and recommendations offered users intuitive, relevant content discovery that drastically improved the platform’s usability and engagement.
Summary / Key Takeaways
Why It Worked: Our solution aligned closely with NEU’s academic and technical needs, creating a centralized yet adaptable platform that streamlined user access, enhanced search capabilities, and supported collaboration on a large scale. By implementing a highly customized, multi-network WordPress infrastructure, we were able to build a truly scalable, user-focused solution.
Future Potential: With the commons platform handed over to NEU, they now have the infrastructure to grow the digital commons further, supported by a system designed to evolve with new academic and technological needs.
