Digital libraries and e-Learning

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Digital libraries and

e-Learning

Presented to Senior Managers

e-Learning & Team-Building Workshop

at North Coast Beach Hotel,

Mombasa on 1

st

to 3

rd

March 2014

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Introduction

• _{World changing environment - requires learning}

institutions to “provide relevant academic

programmes of high quality that are based on

innovative educational processes and the

application of appropriate technologies”

• _{Move towards student centred - emphasis on}

creative and innovative learning prepares students

for the world of work and life-long learning.

• Distance learning - increased accessibility to

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Libraries and

e-learning

• _{They provide access to relevant}

information for learning, teaching

and research through application

of ICT’S.

• _{supports digital scholarship, and}

e-learning.

• _{integrates its resources and}

services in support of learning,

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• _{Working definition:}

“organizations that provide the resources, including the specialized staff, to select, structure, offer

intellectual access to, interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of, and ensure the persistence over time of collections of digital works so that they are readily and economically available for use by a defined

community or set of communities.”

• _{A series of activities that brings together collections,}

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• _{Describes teaching and learning resources or}

experiences that are, in some way, delivered

electronically.

• _{“Denotes ICT enhanced learning by delivering}

learning contents and activities via internet,

intranet/extranet, audio/video, satellite broadcast,

interactive TV, and CD-ROM”

• _{Blended traditional face-to-face teaching and}

learning that is combined with using

communications technologies to enhance student

focused and directed learning and teaching

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Assumes:

• _{Collaborative effort}

• _{Integration of}

content, resources,

and services

• _{Support flexible}

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Our understanding of

E-Learning

• Knowledge is constructive information.

• Learning is more effective if the “learner” is provided with strong incentive to take

responsibility for self-learning.

• Learner's motivation is a strong determinant of the outcomes of the success of the online learning.

• Encouragement of instructors, faculty and the like to incorporate ICT into their classrooms is a

success indicator of online learning.

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Through the provision of technology based information and services to enable learners to access relevant information and services anywhere

anytime, as well as provide empowerment for innovative and

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Functional roles of the

Digital-library

:

• Hyperlink the e-courses with the library e-reference

resources such as e-books, e-journals and web-based open-access resources;

• Set up virtual reference desk (VRD) help and e-mail

enquiry service to answer the information needs of the e-learners (i.e. e-learning liaison librarian);

• Develop a special integrated web portal for course-related learning objects (LO) that retrieve from the library digital collections (e.g. e-journals, textual databases, open access, etc.) with efficient browsing and research abilities;

• Acquire core e-collections;

• Providing e-literacy sessions to help e-learners in scholarly use of the web and distributed e-resources (e-learning

information search skills);

• Promote library e-services to the virtual e-learning community; and

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Functional roles of the

e-learning institution:

• _{Development of innovative web-based}

e-courses using multimedia effects and simulation;

• _{Integration of a variety of recommended core}

e-learning reference readings with the digital resources;

• _{Digitization of textbooks and other learning}

resources to create usable learning objects; and

• _{Possible permanent updating of digital course}

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INFORMATION REPACKAGING in CMS

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Cognitive aspects of e-learning

and Digital library experience

• _{Personalized content delivery and}

learning process

• _{Personal library experience}

through ‘your library’ portal

• _{Library’s (virtual and physical)}

space as ‘information common’

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Library services in an

e-learning environment?

• _{Allows aggregation of e-contents - Library}

services must be accessible from within this environment and permit the creation of

‘virtual shelves’, library resources discovery, bibliographic management tools and context-sensitive full text access.

• Allow customization of preferences for library services

• _{Integrate access points to commercial}

databases

• Provide access to virtual reference service

• Create and integrate library learning objects (eg tutorials for users)

• _{Provide digital rights management and}

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KU Library Initiative to

support E-learning

• _{Establishment of learning commons - “IT help}

desk, reference desk, learning support

services, research help, information literacy

and subject specialists”.

• _{Library’s automation and digitization of}

materials.

• _{E-books in the catalogue}

• _{Computer workstations.}

• _{Wireless access points in all the floors of the}

library

• _{Access to print and electronic resources-}

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Challenges

• _{Lack of collaborative environment which allows for}

integration of resources and services for the benefit of the learner.

• No formalized or institutionalized collaboration, thus resulting in inconsistent partnership in service

convergence.

• Faculty and Support Units work independent of each other in delivering content and providing support resources and services.

• Copyright clearance for learning objects.

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Conclusions

• _{In the 21st century, digital libraries will have a}

tremendous positive impact on education, as sharing of learning resources increases,

supporting not only distance education but also on-campus and independent discovery-based learning.

• _{High-quality resources of all types will be}

contributed by diverse sets of authors directly into digital libraries, including use of open

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New Kinds of Learning

Resources

• _{Cutting-edge technologies; to}

provide access to print and electronic

resources and services.

• _{However more remains to be done as}

emerging technologies provide great

opportunities for the Library to

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Recommendations

• Develop e-learning oriented collections and learning objects;

• Institutionalize integration of information literacy skills (e-literacy programme) into the subject curriculum;

• Subject librarians to work with teaching staff involved in the development of course web-based curricula;

• Market resources and services;

• Integrate plagiarism software into course management systems to encourage good practice and to assess reliability of content;

• Understand copyright issues and plan for copyright clearance if digitization has to be successful.

• Creation of Links, rather than uploads, for copyrighted materials

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Successful

implementation of e-learning requires development of a digital scholarship strategy that will formalize

partnership between faculty and all

support

departments.

Through this

strategy the role of each department in support of

e-learning, will be clearly defined

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References

1. Nfila, R. B. ( ) Academic Libraries Support for E-learning: Initiatives and Opportunities: the case of University of Botswana Library.

2. Ahmed, T., (2007). "Networked e-information services to support the e-learning process at UAE University", Electronic Library, The, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp.349 – 362

3. Saeed, R. S. (2006). How digital libraries can support e-learning. The Electronic Library Vol. 24 No. 3, 2006 pp. 389-401

4. Mei-Yu Wang (2003 ). The strategic role of digital libraries: issues in e-learning environments. Library review vol. 52 no. 3 pp. 11-116 5. Norasieh A., Philippa, G. (2010).Exploring the use of digital library