STRATEGIES FOR USING WEB RESOURCES: IDEAS FROM THE DIGITAL LIBRARY FOR EARTH SYSTEM EDUCATION

Numerous reports and recommendations suggest that technology can inform and improve student learning in the geosciences. At the same time, a number of classroom studies suggest that the promise of technology is under-realized. The Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) is entering a new phase, in which major new activities and technological advances will enable the library to be used to facilitate information literacy and critical thinking.

DLESE is a community-led effort to help teachers and students discover and use high-quality web-resources that can be used to teach and learn about the earth. Community and Collection services aim at identifying high-quality resources and incorporating those resources into exemplary educational strategies. Data services aim to provide access to scientific information within meaningful contexts for education. Evaluation Services of DLESE engages in ongoing monitoring of efficacy of use of DLESE collections and their value in substantively improving learning about the Earth system.

Since web-based resources have not undergone the vetting process inherent in print media, DLESE can provide a first assurance that a resource is valid, relevant and technically robust. Broader DLESE efforts aim to establish DLESE as a trusted source of high-quality resources. The incipient reviewed collection provides resources that meet rigorous standards of quality.

The development and application of review criteria for identifying high-quality resources provide an opportunity for students and teachers to develop and refine information literacy skills. As part of its efforts, DLESE will systematically examine the use of the library, and its component web-resources, in actual classroom situations. Where information literacy and critical thinking skills are a learning objective, the results of this examination can inform efforts to use digital resources to incorporate information literacy into geoscience courses and curriculum.