TheBrain.com maintains a master copy of the Sentient Knowledge Map (SKM) on its servers and bi-directionally synchronizes all changes between client installations that have authoring rights (the development team), while distributing all updates to clients with read-only rights. Any user with a subscription who selects the Sync Brain menu item or enables Sync Automatically (recommended) from the Online drop-down in the app will receive any pending updates to the SKM. These updates can include deletions and reorganization of thoughts. This process creates a Local Copy of the Community SKM on each user’s machine.
Because synchronized versions always mirror the evolving community model, they cannot be used as stable local production instances. To create a local institutional version, an independent copy must first be created by cloning the universal model and then modifying it to reflect local conditions, naming conventions, facility names, and so on.
Create a Customized Institutional Clone of the Universal Institutional Model
The parts of the SKM that an institution wishes to implement need to be cloned from the Local Copy of the Community SKM to create a separate, editable concept map that is managed, accessed, and owned exclusively by the institution.
It is recommended that the initial institutional version be a complete clone of the Local Copy of the Community SKM so that the full SKM framework—thought and connector types, tags assigned to thoughts, connector structures, and the schemas used to classify thoughts and tags—is preserved in the institutional concept map. For most U.S. higher education institutions (HEIs), much of this framework should apply with minimal customization. For example, roles such as Dean and Department Chair are common across institutions, and most institutions will have a Division of Student Affairs. Other elements, such as the name of the faculty development center, may be unique.
The best way to preserve the SKM framework during cloning is to create a brain archive file of the Local Copy of the Community SKM (as illustrated below) and import this archive to create a new brain called the Master Institutional SKM. This institutional master must then be made available on TheBrain.com servers as a master copy that other users at the institution can access and synchronize with.
Creating and Refining the Master Institutional SKM
Once the Master Institutional SKM has been created, you will need to delete or make private any components that are not currently needed. Additional components can be brought online later by removing their private status, or by exporting them from the Local Copy of the Community SKM and importing them into the Master Institutional SKM.
The final step is for institutional users to download and create their own Local Copy of the Master Institutional SKM, which will reside on their individual computers. These local copies should be configured to automatically synchronize with the Master Institutional SKM on TheBrain.com servers (this requires a subscription). At this stage, users can be assigned either authoring or read-only rights to the Master Institutional SKM, depending on their role.