DOCUMENT RESUME ED 459 837 IR 058 373 AUTHOR Dong, Andy; Agogino, Alice M. TITLE Design Principles for the Information Architecture of a SMET Education Digital Library. SPONS AGENCY National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. PUB DATE 2001-06-00 NOTE 10p.; In: Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (1st, Roanoke, Virginia, June 24-28, 2001). For entire proceedings, see IR 058 348. Figures may not reproduce well. Also funded by National SMETE Digital Library Program. CONTRACT DUE-0085878 AVAILABLE FROM Association for Computing Machinery, 1515 Broadway, New York NY 10036. Tel: 800-342-6626 (Toll Free); Tel: 212-626-0500; e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://wwwl.acm.org/pubs/contents/proceedings/d1/379437/. PUB TYPE Reports - Research (143) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer System Design; *Design Requirements; Education; Educational Media; Educational Resources; Educational Technology; *Electronic Libraries; Information Systems; *Instructional Design; Instructional Materials ABSTRACT This implementation paper introduces principles for the information architecture of an educational digital library, principles that address the distinction between designing digital libraries for education and designing digital libraries for information retrieval in general. Design is a key element of any successful product. Good designers and their designs put technology into the hands of the user, making the product's focus comprehensible and tangible through design. As straightforward as this may appear, the design of learning technologies is often masked by the enabling technology. In fact, they often lack an explicitly stated instructional design methodology. While the technologies are important hurdles to overcome, the report advocates learning systems that empower education-driven experiences rather than technology-driven experiences. This work describes a concept for a digital library for science, mathematics, engineering and technology education (SMETE), a library with an information architecture designed to meet learners' and educators' needs. Utilizing a constructivist model of learning, the paper presents practical approaches to implementing the information architecture and its technology underpinnings. The study proposes the specifications for the information architecture and a visual design of a digital library for communicating learning to the audience. The design methodology indicates that a scenario-driven design technique sensitive to the contextual nature of learning offers a useful framework for tailoring technologies that help empower, not hinder, the educational sector. (Contains 14 references.)(Author/AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Design Principles for the Information Architecture of a SMET Education Digital Library U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Ottice ot Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS ----- EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) O This docurnent has been reproduced as received from the person or organization D. Cotton originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. By: Andy Dong & Alice M. Agogino BESTCOPYAVAILABLE Design Principles for the Information Architecture of a SMET Education Digital Library Andy Dong Alice M Agogino Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering University of California, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley 5138 Etcheverry Hall 5136 Etcheverry Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-1740 Berkeley, CA 94720-1740 +1 510 643 1819 +1 510 642 6450 [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT This implementation paper introduces principlesfor the 1. INTRODUCTION information architecture of an educational digital library, principles Instructional technology and `e-learning' gain momentum that address the distinction between designing digital libraries for dailyaseducators andeducationalpolicy-makersstriveto education and designing digital libraries for information retrieval in incorporate Web-based learning strategies to improve education and general. Design is a key element of any successful product. Good achievement.In the United States, this momentum undoubtedly designers and their designs put technology into the hands of the benefits from former President Clinton's initiatives on closing the user, making the product's focus comprehensible and tangible digital divide advocated by the President's Information Technology through design. As straightforward as this may appear, the design Advisory Committee'. Congress has commissioned a Web-based education commission2 to set policy for leveraging the Internet as a of learningtechnologiesisoften masked by theenabling technology. In fact, they often lack an explicitly stated instructional vehicle for education. The IEEE Learning Standards Technology design methodology. While the technologies are important hurdles Committee3 works to develop standards and specifications to facilitate computer implementations of education and training toovercome, we advocatelearningsystemsthat empower components and systems. education-drivenexperiencesratherthantechnology-driven experiences. This work describes a concept for a digital library for However, the focus, whether in government, industry or academia, seems placed squarely on advancing the "technology" science,mathematics,engineeringand technologyeducation (SMETE), a library with an information architecture designed to part of instructional technology rather than "instruction." Learning meet learners' and educators' needs.Utilizing a constructivist technologies could be characterized as technology-focused, that is, model of learning, the authors present practical approaches to focused on the enabling technologies rather than tailoring their implementing the information architecture andits technology design to local educational practices. The bulk of the current set of learning technologies deliver tools needed to create, deliver, and underpinnings.The authors propose the specifications for the information architecture and a visual design of a digital library for manage on-line courses.More emphasis and effort is placed on communicating learning to the audience. The design methodology full-featured learning management systems and ever more complex indicates that a scenario-driven design technique sensitive to the instructional technology systems incorporating more content and more capabilities. contextual nature of learning offers a useful framework for tailoring Anecdotal evidence suggests that teachers and students are technologies that help empower, not hinder, the educational sector. often frustrated by these systems. The need exists for systems that Categories and Subject Descriptors place instruction at the core of design and technical functionality, to Computing MilieuxComputers and Education Computer distinguish them from systems that merely contain educational Users in Education contentbutwhosedesignandtechnicalfunctionalityis indistinguishable from a wide-array of others.We advocate a General Terms contextual design approach focused particularly on applying current Design, Human Factors learning research to instructional technology. A prototype platform and portal for a new instructional system Keywords based on this approach is being built for the science, mathematics, Science, mathematics, engineering, technology, education, engineering and technology education (SMIETE) community. [11] learning technology The mission of this instructional system is to create an environment in which educators and students work together as active learnersa public space for the teaching and learning of science, mathematics, engineering and technology as an integrative study. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for The foundation of this instructional system is a digital library personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are of learning object resources. The digital library offers direct access not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior http://www.ccic.gov/ac/ specific permission and/or a fee. 2 http://www.hpcnet.org/webcommission JCDL '0 I , June 24-28, 2001, Roanoke, Virginia, USA. Copyright 2001 ACM I -58113-345-6/01/0006...$5.00. 3http://ltsc.ieee.org/ 314 3 to and delivery of instructional resources through the establishment them unstructured access to the digital library is similar to an of a federation of representative SMETE digital libraries.The unguided visit to a "bricks and mortar" library.Pedagogical digital library promotes learning through personal ownership and structureis necessary for learning and education to happen. management of the learning process while connecting the learner Deciding which resources to use, and what information to extract, with the content and communities of learners and educators. that is, altering, rearranging or recomposing information, are among Content and services provided through the digital library will the numerous information processing tasks [13] associated with