THE KEPLER ARCHIVE SYSTEM
The online archive of New Jersey School of Architecture student work

New Jersey School of Architecture at NJIT has become the first architectural school in the country to store all student design work electronically. This custom-designed, web-based information retrieval system is called Kepler. Developed in-house as a proprietary software application using Microsoft SharePoint and other programs, the system provides students and faculty on-line access to work produced in all NJSOA courses. The school expects this digital archiving system to become the new standard communication tool and means for recording student work at schools of architecture nationwide.

Benefits for NJSOA Students
The system enables students to easily create and maintain a digital portfolio of some or all of their work, and to access it anywhere on the web.
Kepler enhances learning. Students can review applications for their courses of the best design concepts developed by other students.
Kepler encourages quality designs through increased recognition and visibility. Students’ design achievements are now visible to more of their peers.
Students are assured of a secure, digital archive for their entire portfolio.

Benefits for NJSOA Faculty and Administration
The system will enable faculty to better monitor student achievements and to assess their teaching outcomes.
Over time, faculty can use Kepler to monitor course work and to develop changes to improve instruction.
Kepler will enable the administration to better highlight student achievements in recruiting and promotion activities.
The system will provide a more efficient way to present required materials in the school’s accreditation review.

How the Kepler system works

The Kepler system has three components: Kepler Online, Kepler DVD, and Kepler U:Drive.

Kepler Online is a digital archive to be maintained by all students for all studio and non-studio course work during their careers at NJSOA. Work is uploaded during and at the conclusion of each semester. For studio work, all images are converted to JPG images

Kepler DVD is a DVD submitted by students with digital documentation of both studio and non-studio coursework. These disks will create a digital archive of student work that will be stored in the NJSOA library.

Kepler U:Drive gives students an opportunity to organize and present your work in your own way. U:Drive is a separate file that provides each student with 1 GB of storage capacity on KEPLER that can host a more synthesized and higher resolution presentation of your personal portfolio. This is the student’s personal space: they control the presentation of their design work in terms of context, sequence, and software applications including HTML or Flash.

The development and future of the Kepler system

The Kepler Archive System was developed by NJIT staff in consultation with our faculty and administration at a cost for licenses and staff time at a cost of more than $75,000, advanced from philanthropic funds in the Dean’s Discretionary Fund. We are currently exploring the feasibility of copywriting the Kepler Archive System to generate earned income for the University through agreements with other universities and possibly architectural firms.

To view the Kepler system, visit http://kepler.njit.edu