Last month we released more improvements for MyEd, the University’s web portal. We deployed updates to several key pieces of functionality, including Calendar, Notifications, Collaborate, Library and My finance. Although end users won’t see any changes in functionality, these updates are an important step in the work we are doing to make MyEd sustainable for the future.

Building a MyEd for the future

MyEd has been around for a long time. Some of the technical components it relies on are old, and need to be upgraded or replaced to make sure that MyEd remains reliable and sustainable. One of these is uPortal, the open-source application which provides the MyEd backend. Some of the functionality that relies on uPortal are the components that integrate with other University services and systems.  These include the email and calendar previews, the Library, Notifications and My finance, and are some of the most heavily used features in MyEd. These components use uPortal to securely connect to the APIs that provide data and services, and to control what users are allowed to access and do.

Planned changes to uPortal mean that we need to make changes to ensure that these components continue to work. Changes will also be needed if we decide to replace uPortal with a different technology rather than upgrading it.

We therefore decided to explore how we might redevelop our this functionality to make it less dependent on the MyEd backend.  This would mean that we would be ready for the changes planned for later versions of uPortal, and that it would be much easier to switch technologies in future if required. 

New opportunities and new approaches

From last summer MyEd has been using Microsoft Entra for authentication. The University has a central platform known as Choreo for integration middleware and publishing APIs.  Together, Entra and Choreo offer a solution to remove the dependency on uPortal for our integrations. The use of Entra and Choreo means that we are using technologies which are well understood at the University, and which also offer potential for re-use beyond MyEd.

Although both Entra and Choreo have been in use at the University for several years, using them for our components means using them in new ways. Decoupling from uPortal means that we can no longer rely on uPortal to manage authentication and authorisation. Instead, MyEd’s front end now uses Entra to authenticate users. Additional information in Entra access tokens is used to determine whether a users should have access to functionality within an component, and if so, what level of access they should have, and what information they should see.  In Choreo, newly developed services for MyEd handle the API calls to University or external services for the components. and make relevant information and functionality available to the user, according to the role based access controls that have been defined.

Implementation and success

Once the new architecture for components had been agreed, the process for updating them and testing the new approach could begin.

Although the changes are invisible to end users, they are significant, and we needed to do extensive testing to ensure no functionality was adversely affected. We also had to carry out load testing as this was a new way to use Choreo, and MyEd is a high use system.

As expected, we did encounter various issues along the way which had to be resolved, and some of these took longer to resolve than we would have liked, delaying our progress. However, we were able to find solutions, and successfully decoupled six of our most used integrations from uPortal.  These were updated on the live MyEd service in June, and have been very successful, with no issues arising post-deployment.

This work has been a key step forward for MyEd, significantly reducing our reliance on uPortal, and opening up MyEd to new opportunities, both technical and business related.

My time at the Forrest Hill office as an Information Resources intern began four weeks ago under Edinburgh’s summer brilliance. Working as a part of the Portal Services team, I am responsible for creating and improving existing information resources about MyEd (the University’s online portal), including editing EdWeb2 pages, producing instructional videos, and refurnishing help and support SharePoints.  

Experiences designing promotional graphics, videos and syllabi for societies and events since high school made me a veteran of CapCut and Canva. It didn’t take me too long to get the gist of less familiar platforms like SharePoint and EdWeb2 (the University’s content management system) either, thanks to the self-paced online training courses. Freshly equipped with all the essential tools, I hit the ground running with high spirits. Like in any independent projects and commissions I did before, my creative visions, personal judgements and the mere intuition of “I like the look” carried me through the planning and proposal stage. I audited the existing EdWeb2 pages about MyEd to propose improvements, planned the refurbishment and new structure of the SharePoints, and storyboarded for the upgrade of the “How to use MyEd” video. Everything progressed beautifully smoothly and swiftly. The big frameworks and ideas were set up and ready to go.  

When “I like the look” starts to fail  

But as they say, the devil’s in the details; mine was waiting right around the corner at the execution stage.  

I was the most ambitious and eager with the upgrade of the “How to use MyEd” video, as it would be my first time creating official video for an organisation rather than for smaller commercial causes. My initial aspiration for upgrading this video was to make it as eye-catching and engaging as the promotional videos made by big companies like Substack: intricate transitions, animations, and rich colours. I wanted it to not only be informative, but charming enough to excite the new students about university life and this new portal system they’re starting it with. I spent nearly a week adapting to the PC version of CapCut, learning new transition techniques, and adjusting the properties of millions of key frames for about the millionth time until the movements are natural and the timings are perfect. With fondness and personal satisfaction towards the visual, I submitted the first draft for review.  

My manager responded:  

“Have you reviewed it with the accessibility checklist?” 

That’s when the design I was so proud of began falling apart like a house of cards. It became clear to me the first time that I’m no longer designing resources for a class of 30, but a community of 53,000+ students within a large institution. “I like the look” hardly stood valid against objective, rational standards like the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and the University’s editorial guide for effective digital content. The sliding animations I designed turned out to be rather disruptive, as they create moving backgrounds under the text. This compromised the minimal contrast requirement (as text might blur into background) and created more challenges for users with attention or vestibular disorders. After re-reading the WCAG sections on video accessibility, I reduced the speed and frequency of motions on screen, avoided all-caps titles (which troubles users with dyslexia), and carefully checked font size and color contrast section by section.  

Around the same time, I came across Katie’s wonderfully illuminating blog on when videos and images genuinely add value to digital content: 

Videos and images – when do they add value and not just page weight? – Website and Communications Blog 

Although the blog was more about websites, its message inspired me to remove stock footage in my videos, which I previously employed for pure aesthetic reasons to make sections appear less static. Not only did they not add much informational value, but they also increased the video file size and created more moving backgrounds that hinder accessibility.  

Another lesson came through collaboration. Unlike society and event projects where I made every creative decision myself, this video formed part of the Pre-arrivals team’s “How to” series and therefore needed to follow an established visual identity. I will need to adapt the current draft to their prescribed templates, formats and requirements. With the same logic of branding in mind, I also replaced all colors in the video with colors from the University’s official branding palette. This way, in the long term, it could seamlessly fit into university websites, whether uploaded to Media Hopper or embedded into EdWeb pages.  

It would be dishonest to say it wasn’t a little heartbreaking to undo and cut work I had spent hours creating. Nonetheless, I came to understand that information resources differ from creative projects exactly because clarity, effectiveness, and accessibility must always come before visual aesthetics. I began seeing various guidelines and requirements less as constraints. They taught me a more rational and methodical approach to creating information resources than relying solely on the easy intuition and judgement of “I like the look”. Where I designed with my own palate and assumptions before, now I truly began my journey of designing for others. 

But does “I like the look” truly have no merit at all?  

Surprisingly, I would argue that it still does. “I like the look” is not something to unlearn completely, but it should be treated as the beginning rather than the end of the design process. From a different perspective, I have come to think that that instinctive thought is where UX (user experience) thinking begins. 

When I first opened the Notifications Service SharePoint that I was supposed to redesign, my immediate reaction was “I don’t like the look.” Except this time, rather than concluding the thought and jumping straight to redesigning based on personal preference, I attempted to find a rational “Why” by referring to all the guidelines and effective digital content tips I have learnt.  

The SharePoint was comprehensive, containing all the information staff would need to understand what notifications are and how to send different types of notifications. Yet as a first-time user that knows near nothing about the Notifications Service, I found it difficult to know where to begin. The original homepage was filled with large blocks of text and links with equal visual weight regardless of importance; Navigation of all the pages and materials relied heavily on users have prior knowledge on terminologies like “Notifications Template” and “Emergency Notifications”, and there was little visual hierarchy to guide attention or suggest the next step.  

That’s when I realised when users say they “like the look” of a website, they are often responding to not just colours or typography, but how intuitive, organised and effortless it feels to use. I decided not to simply edit the existing pages, but to rebuild the site’s structure in a separate testing environment.  

For instance, instead of letting the homepage act as a page of plain text, I plan to make it a clearer starting point for all types of users. I intend to include an image of Notifications Backbone (the system used to send notifications) alongside a direct button to access it. This way, experienced staff can access the system immediately, while first-time users are given some introductory visual and textual context before they continue exploring the site. The content changes minimally; my focus is to reorganise them around users’ journeys. Similarly, rather than presenting users with a long list of pages whose titles assume prior knowledge of relevant terminologies, I plan to reorganise the content into a small number of category cards based on what potential tasks users are trying to accomplish. I also hope to introduce a clearer hierarchy within the navigation menu, so that related pages are grouped more logically, and any information can be found more intuitively.   

Original homepage  v.s. New draft hompage 

Original information list  v.s. New draft categorisation  

New draft menu bar  

Being a student unexpectedly became an advantage in this process. Since I had similarly little prior knowledge of the Notifications Service as a new user, every point where I became confused while visiting the original SharePoint highlighted somewhere a common struggle might occur. Looking at the site with fresh eyes helped me identify problems that familiarity can sometimes hide. 

From “I like it” towards “We like it”  

But of course, just as I learnt with the review of the MyEd video draft, the work does not end once I think the design “looks right”. Everything I design  – SharePoint, websites, and videos – still need to be checked against the accessibility standards, follow editorial and branding guidelines, and most importantly, be tested with the people it is actually designed for (e.g. test MyEd video with students, the Notifications SharePoint with staff). Nick’s excellent guide on running usability tests has been particularly helpful in shaping how I plan to continue with the next steps.  

How to run a usability test – Website and Communications Blog 

“I like/dislike the look” has carried me through countless creative projects before. Four weeks later, I don’t think that instinct has been unlearnt but simply found its proper place. Rather than a justification for me to blindly follow personal preference and biased judgements, it has become the starting point for me to ask better questions about accessibility, usability, and the needs of the people I’m designing for. That is the perspective I’ll continue carrying into MyEd information resource that I will continue to create and develop throughout the rest of the internship.  

From the birthplace of the original Industrial Revolution, a group of around 2000 intrepid EdTech practitioners and enthusiasts sought to examine and understand what has been dubbed the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution.’ I was fortunate to be among them for Jisc Digifest 2026 in Birmingham this week.

Birmingham: An 18th century canal sits under a 1960s communication tower nestled among 21st century mid-density residences

There were many opportunities to contribute and get creative

This was my first live Jisc event, and I was delighted to find that the organisers had thoughtfully arranged numerous opportunities for creative thinking and initiating engaging discussions with fellow attendees.

Perhaps my favourite element, the Jisc Hub at the centre of the main exhibition hall. It contained an interactive diorama of what appeared to be a student’s desk circa-2005, complete with an iMac G3, Rubik’s cube, and a fully-playable Nintendo 64. A form on the computer offered delegates to think about the changes in technology since that time and, by extension, what changes we might see on a similar timescale in the future.

I am grateful for the development of non-CRT computer displays

Adobe offered delegates a chance to design their own chocolate bar wrapper using the AI tools embedded in Adobe Express. Origami, jigsaw puzzles, and colouring in were available in the Community Hub area.

We have the power to affect change

The conference kicked off with an inspiring keynote speech by climate activist Melati Wijsen. Since the age of 12, Melati has been a passionate advocate for environmental issues, having addressed audiences at the UN and Davos. Her compelling argument underscored the crucial need to include young people in our decision-making processes.

Daniel Liu from the University of Sydney provided a compelling case in allowing students to direct their own learning with AI tools. His case study showed examples of students generating their own self-directed learning tools using an LLM trained on their course materials. In seconds, they were able to generate pop-quizzes, simulations, and interactive graphics to supplement their learning experience.

Liu and many other speakers emphasised that we would do our students a disservice by denying access to these tools, and that it is the duty of educators to ensure that they are taught to use them effectively.

Access to technology is essential to living in the modern world: We must work to ensure that nobody is left behind

I was particularly interested to hear about the positive steps being made in digital inclusion spaces.

Elizabeth Newall presented a set of guidelines that Jisc has developed to assist transnational education (TNE) students and staff. This session was an excellent reminder of the considerations we must make when building our digital estates: for example, we might not think twice when uploading a large image file on one of our webpages over fibre-optic, but such an image might be a severe pain point for a consumer on a cellular-based internet connection.

Such considerations are of particular interest to me: as the Service Manager for the portal service, MyEd, I need to ensure that our services are as lightweight and responsive as possible in order to remain accessible to all of our users.

In a similar vein, I was interested to learn about the UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan. For many of us, completing tasks like paying for parking or filling in a tax form is made more convenient when done online. However, this is a source of enormous risk for the 8 million people identified by this plan – especially when the action can only be completed online.

Enthusiasm for AI is high among professionals, but questions remain

It is my perception that AI in education technology is beginning to mature and that there is an increasing sense of surety around its potential. This was perhaps best illustrated by the collaborative art piece that was drawn in real-time over the course of the two days. Seeded with the simple question ‘What kind of future do you want to help create?’, a clear picture began to emerge of the exciting potential that these disruptive technologies could provide.

‘What kind of future do you want to help create?’

On the other hand, there are still fundamental questions about AI that are still outstanding, such as: ownership and sustainability of the hardware that AI relies on, the reliance many AI models have on consuming the intellectual property of others, and even the potential for AI to erode the very skills and qualities that make us human.

In perhaps my favourite session of all, ‘Inside the student experience: change, challenges and future hopes’, such concerns were echoed by a panel of student digital champions. They emphasised the importance of listening to student voices and involving them in the decision-making process at all levels. Their perspectives reinforced the notion that the technology of tomorrow must be developed not just with intelligence, but with wisdom and a deep respect for what it means to be human.

Earlier this year, our team worked with the Digital Skills team to develop a short webinar aimed at staff who support students. The goal was to help our colleagues understand how students can use MyEd to traverse our complex digital estate more effectively.

Why the webinar was needed

The primary need that this webinar fulfils is that staff generally aren’t able to see what a student sees in MyEd. MyEd personalises its content and layout depending on the user, so a staff member will have a completely different experience to a student. This is one of MyEd’s key features: students only see content which is relevant to students, and the same principle applies to staff and applicants. However, this does pose a challenge for support staff who need to know how a student can navigate MyEd to complete the tasks that matter to them.

This is something that support staff have fed back to us for some time, so it has been good to develop the webinar as a solution.

We developed the webinar with support staff in mind

When developing the webinar, we made sure that the session was as concise as possible. We settled on a run time of 30 minutes (20 minutes of content and 10 minutes of discussion) as we are aware of the many pulls on our support colleagues’ time.

When deciding on the content, we chose to focus on three elements:

• Explain in detail how the content and layout of MyEd differs between different user types
• Provide a walkthrough of the main tasks that students complete through MyEd
• Demonstrate how the Favourites function in MyEd can be used by students to highlight the items that are most important to them

The webinar needed additional support materials

While we thought that the short demonstration of the student view in MyEd was valuable, we expected that viewers were likely to want to take screenshots for their own personal reference. We thought that this would be undesirable, as such screenshots could become obsolete should the layout or content changed in the future.

For this reason, we decided to provide a set of up-to-date screenshots on the MyEd Support Hub and promote this during the webinar. Now support staff can reference this resource and be safe in the knowledge that the information is remains correct. This resource is available to everyone with a University of Edinburgh Office 365 login:

Student view of MyEd in the MyEd Support Hub

We are planning to continue these sessions in the new year

So far, we have delivered 5 sessions to 61 attendees. Feedback has been positive, with many attendees indicating that the new resource in the MyEd Support Hub was the most interesting part of the session.

We plan to continue to deliver these sessions in the new year. If you or someone you know is interested in attending one of these sessions, please feel free to contact me and I’ll make sure that you are informed when the next batch of sessions are scheduled.