caBIG® has a variety of resources available to help both new and experienced users get the most out of its diverse collection of tools and infrastructure, but it is the Documentation & Training (D&T) Workspace that often provides newcomers with their first comprehensive introduction to the caBIG® program. This "behind the scenes" team is dedicated to producing free training materials and workshops for any individuals or organizations who are interested in adopting or adapting caBIG® technology, and is currently developing a comprehensive Newcomer's Session for attendees at the 2009 caBIG® Annual Meeting in July. Titled Advancing 21st Century Cancer Research: A Conceptual and Technical Introduction to caBIG®, the half-day workshop will be held on Day 1 of the conference.
"For the past several years, this session has been the single best opportunity for individuals who are new to caBIG® to get caught up in the shortest amount of time," noted Jennifer Tucker, Director of the Workspace and the architect of the session for several years running. "It's also an excellent way for people who are deeply involved with a single aspect of the program—such as on an individual tool or in a specific domain—to come up for air and see how the program has evolved over the course of a year."
Ms. Tucker also recommends that newcomers take advantage of other learning opportunities at the meeting—such as hearing from peers presenting posters at the World's Fair or attending breakout sessions featuring case studies—as well as utilize resources developed by the D&T team that are available online.
Community Supporting Community
Ms. Tucker noted, "The domain workspaces—like Integrative Cancer Research and In Vivo Imaging—are primarily focused on developing domain-specialized tools. While they do provide the materials necessary to educate and train end users, shared guidance from our team makes that process more efficient. Our goal is to support and work through other workspaces and be a champion for the user community by finding out what new people need to know and making sure that information is provided in a structured way."
The D&T Workspace team has also played an integral role in the establishment of Knowledge Centers, who are now responsible for maintaining the tools under their stewardship and offering web-based resources and expertise to program participants. Ms. Tucker noted, "This program uses interactive forums like Wikis to shorten the distance between users and the development community."
Getting Involved
The D&T workspace is a virtual team comprised of people interested in documentation and training issues in caBIG®—including representatives from internal CBIIT training teams, Knowledge Centers, patient advocates, and others with interest.
Ms. Tucker encourages newcomers and program participants to attend the regular conference calls held by the team. "We welcome visitors and the fresh perspective that they bring. It keeps us honest about what knowledge gaps may exist and what resources and information are truly needed by those working to deploy caBIG®." Ms. Tucker further noted that the team's focus is shifting from developers to end-users to reflect the broader direction of caBIG®.
Additional Resources
- To access materials developed by the D&T Workspace, visit: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/training/
- To join the next D&T Workspace Teleconference visit: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/working_groups/Training_SLWG/Contact_Information/
- For information about the Newcomer's Session at the Annual Meeting, or to register, visit: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/2009AnnualMeeting
- To learn about resources offered through the caBIG® Enterprise Support Network (including Knowledge Centers and Support Service Providers) visit: https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/esn
- To learn about caBIG® Boot Camps—programs offered three times each year to anyone who is developing caBIG® tools or working to make commercial products caBIG®-compatible—visit: https://wiki.nci.nih.gov/display/caCORE/caBIG+Developer+Boot+Camp
- For more information about the complete inventory of caBIG® training resources available, please visit https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/training/
- To view the collection of documentation, templates and training guidelines available for those responsible for educating others in their organization about caBIG® visit: https://wiki.nci.nih.gov/display/caBIGTrainingTeam/Guidelines+and+Templates.
