WS 5.2: Engaging producers and users
operational level II
20-22 October 2008, Alsace, France
Next year’s thematic synthesis report on Engagement of Producers and Users will further elaborate on the themes given the highest priority at the second workshop:
- My repository - the need for personalization (profiles; reviews; collections; automatic recommendations…)
- Building your own content from repository resources (allowing teachers to combine content from various producers)
- Analyzing repository use (statistics; identifying popular functions; interpreting search strings and results; user surveys; characterization of user types)
- Implementation of user generated metadata (evaluations; reviews; tagging; collaborative filtering; information on actual usage …)
- Ensuring ease of use (identifying/developing design patterns; usability; wizards …)
The workshop thus focused on presenting cases of member repositories and how they currently approach these issues. Plenum discussions followed presentations on: flexible curriculum sharing; teachers developing digital content across institutional boundaries; and managing quality control of user generated content.
Other group sessions focused on improvements and suggestions relating to the State of the Art report, and the deliverable dealing with agreement templates relevant to repository owners. A session addressed the current state of health of educational repositories – describing the most profound ailments (by examining specific repository examples) and suggesting cures.
Archive
» WS 3.2 – Repository strategies
» The 2nd EdReNe strategic seminar
» WS 6.1 – Rights issues
» WS 4.1 – Standards and interoperability
» WS 3.1 – Repository strategies, general level
» WS 5.1 – Engagement of producers and users, operational level
» Kick-off strategic seminar
» EdReNe’s first year
» The EdReNe network has got a good start
» The 2nd EdReNe strategic seminar
» WS 6.1 – Rights issues
» WS 4.1 – Standards and interoperability
» WS 3.1 – Repository strategies, general level
» WS 5.1 – Engagement of producers and users, operational level
» Kick-off strategic seminar
» EdReNe’s first year
» The EdReNe network has got a good start
How does ‘my’ repository address the top issues?
EducaSources
The current implementation does not include many personalization possibilities, but this is a major part of a planned upgrade. As EducaSources is a referatory the combination of content depends on the possibilities offered by the referenced websites. An important part of the added value of EducaSources is the current high quality of metadata, and even though plans are to allow users to have more “web 2.0 like” interaction with records in the next release, there is no intention of including user tagging as the basis for e.g. navigation.
The current implementation does not include many personalization possibilities, but this is a major part of a planned upgrade. As EducaSources is a referatory the combination of content depends on the possibilities offered by the referenced websites. An important part of the added value of EducaSources is the current high quality of metadata, and even though plans are to allow users to have more “web 2.0 like” interaction with records in the next release, there is no intention of including user tagging as the basis for e.g. navigation.
Rosa Maria Gómez, CNDP
Scoilnet
On the personalization issues, users can create a favourite collection, add items to a personal clipboard and set preferences corresponding to their subject areas. A new service – Scoilnet Maps – allows addition of user specific content. For building your own content Scoilnet offers various possibilities primarily consisting of an authoring tool (new service) and CC licensed assets. The presentation also included examples on how statistics can be useful for knowing what content is requested and when to publish it, and also presented data from an Inspectorate report including evaluation of the use of Scoilnet.
On the personalization issues, users can create a favourite collection, add items to a personal clipboard and set preferences corresponding to their subject areas. A new service – Scoilnet Maps – allows addition of user specific content. For building your own content Scoilnet offers various possibilities primarily consisting of an authoring tool (new service) and CC licensed assets. The presentation also included examples on how statistics can be useful for knowing what content is requested and when to publish it, and also presented data from an Inspectorate report including evaluation of the use of Scoilnet.
Mike O’Byrne, NCTE
www.schule.at and www.eduhi.at
By far the largest and most successful repository in Austria (part of portal). Plans exist of implementing personalization in the form of profiles and personal collections. The statistics show what the most popular types of content are – and give a focus on the content to search for /have developed. The most important keys to the success were presented as: Old but good - a portal that stays; from teachers for teachers; always try to adapt to different needs from subjects.
By far the largest and most successful repository in Austria (part of portal). Plans exist of implementing personalization in the form of profiles and personal collections. The statistics show what the most popular types of content are – and give a focus on the content to search for /have developed. The most important keys to the success were presented as: Old but good - a portal that stays; from teachers for teachers; always try to adapt to different needs from subjects.
Astrid Leeb, Education Highway
Vetamix
Vetamix focuses to a large extent on actually producing content, e.g. with a simple authoring tool (“lesson mixer”) allowing users to build and share personal collections. Other examples of user involvement include possibilities for tagging, adding favourites to user profiles and discussion forums connected to repository resources. The experiences gathered and statistics are still relatively limited as Vetamix was launched August 2008.
Vetamix focuses to a large extent on actually producing content, e.g. with a simple authoring tool (“lesson mixer”) allowing users to build and share personal collections. Other examples of user involvement include possibilities for tagging, adding favourites to user profiles and discussion forums connected to repository resources. The experiences gathered and statistics are still relatively limited as Vetamix was launched August 2008.
Christian Komonen, Vetamix
Materialeplatformen and Fagenes Infoguide
The two repositories were launched almost ten years apart in time and thus tackle the issues differently. A major difference is on the personalization side where the newest initiative (Materialeplatformen) allows for users to contribute and edit own materials, and it also offers services for exposing repository content via RSS or easily customized integration of search results in other web sites through JavaScript. Content deposited by teachers is shared under CC licenses in an attempt to increase the possibilities for reuse – but it is still early in the process, and different CC licenses are allowed. There is no present use of tagging or integrated community features. The statistics presented showed examples of how knowledge of user behaviour can lead to “quick wins” when developing new functionality.
The two repositories were launched almost ten years apart in time and thus tackle the issues differently. A major difference is on the personalization side where the newest initiative (Materialeplatformen) allows for users to contribute and edit own materials, and it also offers services for exposing repository content via RSS or easily customized integration of search results in other web sites through JavaScript. Content deposited by teachers is shared under CC licenses in an attempt to increase the possibilities for reuse – but it is still early in the process, and different CC licenses are allowed. There is no present use of tagging or integrated community features. The statistics presented showed examples of how knowledge of user behaviour can lead to “quick wins” when developing new functionality.
Tommy Byskov Lund, UNI•C
Engaging users in creating and reusing content, and sharing experiences
Next big thing: support flexible curriculum building
“On top of sharing digital content why not share experiences of actually using it”.
“On top of sharing digital content why not share experiences of actually using it”.
Henk Nijstad, Kennisnet
Teachers developing digital content across institutional boundaries: why and how
National associations of secondary schools have initiated a project on developing their own digital content.
National associations of secondary schools have initiated a project on developing their own digital content.
Henk Nijstad, Kennisnet
JClic and Virtual Notebooks - Building a repository on the success of an authoring tool
The free software JClic allows for easy production of interactive platform-independent learning resources. Virtual Notebooks allows teachers to create online “notebooks”. Both authoring tools integrate with Moodle.
The free software JClic allows for easy production of interactive platform-independent learning resources. Virtual Notebooks allows teachers to create online “notebooks”. Both authoring tools integrate with Moodle.
Francesc Busquets, XTEC
Managing quality of user generated content
“Focusing on user generated content leaves you with the problem of either a heavy burden on central quality control or the risk of disappointing users when they find low quality content.”
“Focusing on user generated content leaves you with the problem of either a heavy burden on central quality control or the risk of disappointing users when they find low quality content.”
Leonie Verhoeff, Kennisnet
Group sessions
- Input for thematic synthesis report Engaging users
- Updated version of the State of the Art report on educational repositories
- Current State of Health of European Educational Repositories - As Diagnosed by the EdReNe Thematic Network
- Resulting summary presentation, presented at Online Educa 2008
- Templates for agreements between repositories and content owners/providers
