Supporting Supporting ReusabilityReusability

John McDarisJohn McDaris

Geoscience Assistant/Project ManagerGeoscience Assistant/Project Manager

Science Education Resource Science Education Resource CenterCenter

http://serc.carleton.eduhttp://serc.carleton.eduCarleton CollegeCarleton College

Northfield, MNNorthfield, MN

Where Do We Fit In?Where Do We Fit In?

ImprovedImprovedInstructionInstruction

Teaching Teaching Materials Materials

(in Context)(in Context)

Contribute Contribute New New

Materials Materials

Our Approach to ReusabilityOur Approach to Reusability

• Place Teaching Materials Place Teaching Materials in CONTEXTS that in CONTEXTS that support EFFECTIVE support EFFECTIVE REUSE which leads to REUSE which leads to IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUCTIONINSTRUCTION

• AVAILABILITY of AVAILABILITY of Learning Objects Learning Objects (Teaching Materials) is not (Teaching Materials) is not the only barrier to the only barrier to improving educational improving educational practices – Faculty need to practices – Faculty need to know HOW TO MAKE USE know HOW TO MAKE USE of resources in their of resources in their classrooms.classrooms.

•Ways of Ways of using various using various Teaching Teaching Methods in a Methods in a Geoscience Geoscience context.context.

• Browseable Browseable and and Searchable Searchable collections of collections of Teaching Teaching Examples on Examples on various topicsvarious topics

http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/index.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/index.html

• Learning Objects Learning Objects in Context – in Context – Exercises and Exercises and Activities for classActivities for class

• Based on Based on preliminary survey preliminary survey data, faculty really data, faculty really like having this like having this contextual contextual information.information.

http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/roleplaying/index.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/roleplaying/index.html

Using this Using this same style of same style of format with our format with our other projects.other projects.

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/gsa03/index.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/gsa03/index.html

MetadataMetadata

Metadata = Descriptive Information and Metadata = Descriptive Information and AnnotationAnnotation

From this perspective, From this perspective, explicitexplicit metadata provides metadata provides the information that the information that faculty need to place the faculty need to place the activity in context.activity in context.

This is the heart of the This is the heart of the value we add to Teaching value we add to Teaching Materials and Learning Materials and Learning Objects.Objects.

How do we use the Reusability How do we use the Reusability Guidelines?Guidelines?

Describing Resources for ReuseDescribing Resources for Reuse

• Standard information formatsStandard information formats are used in the teaching are used in the teaching activities and examples as well as between the teaching activities and examples as well as between the teaching methods modules.methods modules.

• Teaching Notes and Materials are provided in Teaching Notes and Materials are provided in editable editable formatsformats where appropriate and necessary. where appropriate and necessary.

• Faculty authors defineFaculty authors define the resource granularity and the resource granularity and tend to focus on a scale range between lab tend to focus on a scale range between lab activities/projects and something smaller than a whole activities/projects and something smaller than a whole class.class.

•Teaching Materials and Instructor Notes are Teaching Materials and Instructor Notes are separated separated in order to foster reusabilityin order to foster reusability..

• Contextual information (often explicitly) helps faculty Contextual information (often explicitly) helps faculty adapt resources to adapt resources to Multiple Educational SettingsMultiple Educational Settings..

Other Technical/Mechanical Other Technical/Mechanical IssuesIssues

Accessible DesignAccessible Design

Separation of Separation of Navigation from Navigation from ContentContent

Separation of Content Separation of Content from Presentationfrom Presentation

All fundamental All fundamental principles designed into principles designed into our Content our Content Management System.Management System.}

Rights and Rights and PermissionsPermissions

•Link to Terms Link to Terms of Use in footer of Use in footer on every page.on every page.

•Modification Modification RightsRights

•Author Author Retains Retains CopyrightCopyright

•Author Author Attribution and Attribution and Contact Info in Contact Info in each Exampleeach Example

ConclusionConclusion

There are many ways that reusability can be There are many ways that reusability can be fostered.fostered.

We approach reusability from the perspective that We approach reusability from the perspective that making sure faculty know how to effectively making sure faculty know how to effectively use/reuse learning objects in their context is just use/reuse learning objects in their context is just as important as the availability of the learning as important as the availability of the learning objects.objects.

Context can be developed by giving users access to Context can be developed by giving users access to in-depth, “educator-friendly” metadata.in-depth, “educator-friendly” metadata.