Virginia Learning Objects Portal November 2007

John UlmschneiderChair, VIVA Outreach Committee

University LibrarianVirginia Commonwealth University

TutorialsBlogs

PodcastsWikis

CamtasiaBlackBoard

VLOP origins

Desire expressed by many librarians throughout Virginia for

improved instructional aids for VIVA resources

Provide help to VIVA institutions which might have fewer resources for instruction and outreach

Support effort to expand and strengthen use of VIVA resources

Reduce costs: avoid reinventing the wheel

Stimulate creativity and further development of learning objects for online resources

Leverage what’s already out there

Work of faculty and staff at

Virginia academic libraries

Vendor aids

National resourcesOther

Virginia contributor

s

Operating and managing VLOP Many successful examples for technology foundation

LOEX MERLOT SCOUT Portal Drawbacks: designed as repositories; not focused on Virginia resources

Wiki Technology already widely established in academic libraries Excellent and easily-used content and editorial tools Strong design for instruction and providing assistance Well-suited to organizing, linking, and collaboration goals of VLOP

Editorial and content oversight Nature of Wiki technology requires broad participation VIVA accomplishes all goals with a collaboration-and-contribution model Updated, renewed, and expanding content essential to success Broad scope is a goal: start with VIVA, but eventually contain Web-based

learning aids related to teaching any online content or search system

What’s been done so far Develop proposal

VIVA Outreach: define goal and scope Endorsed by VIVA Steering Committee Explore design scenarios

Reality check for concept Is there enough content, need, and support for this? Meeting of over 24 academic librarians from across the State, June 8, 2007 Meeting confirmed sufficient material and interest to go forward Identified two key issues

Editorial control and oversight Publicity and awareness of portal key to success

Create prototype as sandbox for VLOP Populate with diverse examples of learning objects

Prototype VLOP

http://vlopprototype.pbwiki.com