Course Views A Scalable Project to Connect Students to Library Resources

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Course ViewsA Scalable Project to Connect
Students to Library Resources
Kim Duckett and Tito SierraNCSU
LibrariesEducause 2007 ConferenceOctober 26,
2007
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Outline

• Challenges for Libraries Reaching Out to Students
  Online
• Library Content for Courses
• Course Views at NCSU
• Future Work

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Challenges
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Challenges

• Library websites are overwhelming

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Challenges

• Library websites are overwhelming
• Information resources are often unfamiliar

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Challenges

• Library websites are overwhelming
• Information resources are often unfamiliar
• Librarians tend to focus on
• Disciplines / subjects
• Resource types

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Challenges

• Library websites are overwhelming
• Information resources are often unfamiliar
• Librarians tend to focus on
• Disciplines / subjects
• Resource types
• Integration into learning management systems is
  difficult

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Library Content for Courses
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Course Pages / Guides

• Tailored to specific courses
• Student experience is course-centric
• Im taking X, Y, Z courses
• Offers a scaled-down entry to the library
• Can be linked into course websites

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Example 1
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Example 2
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Example 3
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Example 4
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Benefit Assignment-centric
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Problem Not Holistic
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Benefit Highly Customized
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Benefit Highly Customized
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Problem High Production Costs
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Problem Limited Reach
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Problem Inconsistent Design
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Problem Inconsistent Design
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Course Pages Summary

• Course-centric pages have potential
• Scalability is a challenge
• Course pages need to be more multifaceted

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Course Views at NCSU
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Project Overview

• Collaborative effort between Research and
  Information Services, and Digital Library
  Initiatives departments at NCSU
• Homegrown system in development
• Initial release slated for Summer 2008

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Course View Definition

• A course-centric portal composed of
  student-centric widgets designed to connect
  students to library resources

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Project Goals
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Project Goals

• A Course View for every course

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Project Goals

• A Course View for every course
• A scalable and sustainable system for library
  course content delivery

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Project Goals

• A Course View for every course
• A scalable and sustainable system for library
  course content delivery
• Library content customized as much as possible to
  the course

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Example Course View 1
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Example Course View 1
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Widgets

• Static
• Ubersearch
• Find Books
• Citation Tools
• Project Tools
• Ask a Librarian

• Dynamic
• Course Reserves
• Find Articles (subject database recommendations)
• Librarian Recommended

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Widget Selection Process

• Content inventory of existing library course pages

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Widget Selection Process

• Content inventory of existing library course
  pages
• Brainstorm new content

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Widget Selection Process

• Content inventory of existing library course
  pages
• Brainstorm new content
• Fifteen candidate widgets

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Widget Selection Process

• Content inventory of existing library course
  pages
• Brainstorm new content
• Fifteen candidate widgets
• Three focus groups with students

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Widget Selection Process

• Content inventory of existing library course
  pages
• Brainstorm new content
• Fifteen candidate widgets
• Three focus groups with students
• Eight finalists for pilot launch

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Example Course View 2
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Static Widgets
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Static Widget Example
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Dynamic Widgets

• Customized content based on existing
  institutional course identifiers.
• NC State example ENG 221
• ENG curriculum code
• 221 course number
• ENG 221 full course identifier

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http//www.lib.ncsu.edu/course/ENG/221
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http//www.lib.ncsu.edu/course/ENG/221
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Customization Options

• Curriculum level
• Customized content is shared across all courses
  in the same department
• Easier to manage but less customized
• Approximately 150 curriculums at NC State

• Course level
• Customized content is tailored to a specific
  course
• More customized but more work to create and
  maintain
• Approximately 5000 courses at NC State

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Dynamic Widgets - Curriculum
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Find Articles 1
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Find Articles 2
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Find Articles

• Curriculum-level customization
• Specialized article database recommendations
• Leverages existing mapping between library
  subjects and curriculum codes

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Librarian Recommended 1
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Librarian Recommended 1
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Librarian Recommended 1
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Librarian Recommended 1
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Dynamic Widgets - Course
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Librarian Recommended 2
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Librarian Recommended 2
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Librarian Recommended 2
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Access Points

• Learning management system(s)
• Library website
• Other online course environments
• Non-LMS course websites
• Wikis and blogs

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Learning Mgmt. System
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Learning Mgmt. System
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Library Website
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Library Website
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Library Website
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Library Website
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Course Wiki
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Course Wiki
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Course Wiki
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Summary of Benefits

• Course Views for all courses significantly
  increased potential reach

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Summary of Benefits

• Course Views for all courses significantly
  increased potential reach
• Widget model allows the overall system to grow
  and evolve over time

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Summary of Benefits

• Course Views for all courses significantly
  increased potential reach
• Widget model allows the overall system to grow
  and evolve over time
• Course identifiers provide versatility and
  scalability in content customization

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Future Work
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Short Term

• Continue curriculum content creation
• Finish application programming
• Pilot launch, summer 2008

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Medium Term

• Usage statistics analysis
• Most used widgets
• Usage by curricula, college
• Investigate automated LMS linking

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Long Term

• Facilitate deep integration of library content
  outside the library website

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Starting Here
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Going Here
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Going Here
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Going Here
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More Information

• Project Page
• http//www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/courseviews/
• Kim Duckett
• Principal Librarian for Digital Technologies and
  Learning
• Research and Information Services
• NCSU Libraries
• kim_duckett_at_ncsu.edu
• Tito Sierra
• Assistant Head for Digital Library Development
• Digital Library Initiatives
• NCSU Libraries
• tito_sierra_at_ncsu.edu