RACL WebCT Working Group Report

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RACL WebCT Working Group Report GIL Users
Group Meeting May 20, 2004 Caroline Cason
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Background

• Campus portals and course management systems are
  changing the ways students and faculty interact
  with their courses and campus services
• WebCT Vista will be the course management system
  for all USG institutions
• How can USG libraries assist with integration of
  local library and GALILEO resources as well as
  other library services into the online course
  management environment?

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Purpose of RACL WebCT Working Group

• Review possibilities for integration of library
  resources and services into WebCT Vista
  Environment
• Test authentication scenarios
• Identify issues
• Make recommendations

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Group Members

• Mary Morris - MSCSU
• Carol Bray - EGA
• Tyler Walters - GIT
• Kim Eccles - Atlanta Metro
• Sandra Stratford - CSU
• Chris Huff - WGA
• Shirley Lankford - WGA
• Sherrida Crawford -VSU

• Jan Ruskell - WGA
• Laura Burtle - GSU
• Jeff Heck - Augusta State
• Caroline Cason - UGA
• Phil Wetherington - MSCSU
• Tammy Sugarman - GSU
• Lauren Fancher - BOR
• Merryll Penson - BOR

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Review Possibilities for Integration of Library
Resources and Services

• Discuss current USG campus and library
  collaboration within WebCT and in support of
  faculty instruction
• Review products for integration of library
  resources into online courses
• Sentient
• ENCompass Course Content Integrator
• Review WebCT VISTA environment
• Review other approaches nationally (ANGEL)

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Discussion Questions

• What should the students and faculty view of
  library resources within WebCT look like?
• What can we do now to get there?

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My WebCT (Student) View
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File Manager (Faculty) View
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Different Features and Functions for Students,
Faculty, and Librarians

• Students need links to library resources and
  services at main page, as well as to particular
  materials within courses and assignments
• Faculty need to be able to place durable links
  to pre-selected as well as self-selected
  materials within courses and assignments
• Librarians need to be able to create
  collections of durable links to materials at the
  discipline, section, course, and assignment level
  for selection by faculty. Also provide services.
  

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Examples of Linked Resources and Services on
Students Homepage

• GALILEO
• Institutions GIL Library Catalog
• GIL Union Catalog
• Institutions library website
• Online Library Learning Center Tutorial
• Citation style guide
• Request for assistance with research (research
  conference request or Ask a Librarian request)

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Examples of Linked Resources for Courses and
Assignments

• articles on electronic reserve for the course
• articles in websites, ejournals, electronic
  reserves, online databases
• books in OPAC or online
• bibliographies with links to books and articles
• subject search results in OPAC
• subject guide with pathfinders to related subject
  content on websites, ejournals, and online
  databases
• subject metasearch results from multiple
  resources
• learning objects such as simulations and
  tutorials

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Authentication Issues

• Working towards a single sign-on environment for
  users across all campus services from a single
  place (portal and or course management)
• Most licensed library resources require IP
  authentication or separate user name and password

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Linking Issues

• Access to linked library resources should be as
  seamless as possible
• Links to library resources need to be durable
  over time so that as things change, they stay
  current
• Changes to links need to be easy to manage

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Solutions?

• Proxy products such as EZProxy ensure that links
  to IP-authenticated resources are seamlessly
  available to users
• Open URL link resolvers ensure that links are
  durable and easy to manage
• Content integration products provide ways for
  libraries and faculty to collaborate in use of
  library resources within online course management
  systems

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The Future?

• My Campus Portal

My Email
My Portfolio
My News
My Student Information
My WebCT
My Library
Links to Library Systems and Services
My Course
GIL
Links to EReserves, Ejournals, Pathfinders
My Course
Link Resolver
My Course
EReserves
My Assignment
GALILEO
Links to Articles, Learning Objects
Ask a Librarian
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Additional Reading

• Libraries and the Enhancement of E-learning, OCLC
  E-Learning Task Force White Paper, October 2003
• Reflections on a Privilege - Becoming Part of the
  Course Through a Collaboration in Blackboard,
  Kara l. Giles, College and Research Libraries
  News, May 2004, p. 261-263, 268.