Apptenticechip is an online course is a 542-slide set that contains quotations and content intended to serve as an introduction to the history of digital libraries. It is intended for library students and library professionals who are interested in case studies on digital libraries. It provides 10-step approach to the design, creation, curation, operation and evaluation of digital libraries. The course reviews case studies of several digital libraries created by the course designer, taking into account diverse content types, missions, technologies, involved in each setting.
Type of Material:
It is a presentation and an online course.
Recommended Uses:
Presentation by instructor, extra-curricular and individual learning experience.
Technical Requirements:
Works in Firefox, in Google Chrome, Internet Explorere and on mobile. Requires online PDF or PPT viewer or download.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Learn the history of digital libraries
Conside the future applications and forms of digital libraries
Develop a 10-step approach to designing, building, and evaluating digital libraries
Target Student Population:
MLIS students, library professionals, post-secondary continuing education or independent study course.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Students should have basic web design experience, as well as a general familiarity with different metadata schemas, the concept of information architecture, and a basic understanding of copyright laws and guidelines for sharing and protecting intellectual property in an online environment. Students should also have knowledge of digital libraries.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The material contains many quotations, potentially useful for those who want a variety of perspectives on digital libraries. The author is committed to updating the material every year. This resource provides links to a wide variety of freely accessible supplementary readings and resources.
Concerns:
The material consists mostly of quotations and sentence fragments with little context and insufficient references. It would be difficult without further direction from the author. The relationships and transitions between slides and sections are unclear and the sources are not explicitly cited.
Not all slides in the course ebook (PDF/PowerPoint) are meaningful apart from spoken commentary or lecture. (Example: slide 310 - or any of the "The Painting" slides)
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The course materials would appeal to students who learn best by reading and processing information. The instructor's passion and enthusiasm for the subject matter is evident in all course materials.
Concerns:
The syllabus does provide a list of learning objectives and course goals. However, the objectives are presented as questions; and both the objectives and goals are very broad, and do not provide measurable learning outcomes.
The prerequisites for this class are not clearly stated. Students are supposed to develop a 10-step approach to creating a digital library; but the steps, as outlined on slide 484, require a solid understanding of the mechanics of metadata, information architecture, organization and management, and general web design. I did not see any practical training information in those areas in the slides/ebook.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The text is easy to read. The material is available in multiple formats, including PDF, PPT, and printable PDF.
Concerns:
No instructions are provided for how to use the material. The material does not make an effort to be engaging—it includes very few pictures, no outside links (from the text itself), and no interactivity. The text is difficult to navigate. It includes a table of contents, but no page numbers or bookmarks.
Creative Commons:
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