Project Accomplishments

Periods of Performance

Project timeline: work elements are divided into 2-month "sprint" time periods, starting with February/March 2012 as Sprint 1, for FY 2012.  

Year 2: FY 2013 - October 1, 2012 - September 30, 2013

Year 2 - October 2012

- Summary of Year 1 highlights

- Year 2 workplan: 

• continuing Common Core Mathematics & ELA associated collections and paradata collections provision with partners; working on improving UI display features for Math Common Core collection
• refining technical plan for Year 2: potential for refinement of OAI harvest/ingest process for increased agility, reliability, functionality; personalization features
• business planning activity/consultation during Q1 October - December with focus on customization and content services provision
• funding opportunties exploration and investigation

August - September 2012 - Sprint 4  (end Year 1 - FY 2012)

Project Management/ Collections 

• Next Gen partners continue to complete their collection building efforts, adding new paradata, annotation, and resources
• See visual on Next Gen collections building

Technical

• New features released: Faceted search and Browse-by-standards. Users can narrow search results by education level, resource type, subject, audience, or standards. Select from following standards sets: Common Core Math and ELA standards, NSES, AAAS Benchmarks (1993 and 2008), Geography for Life. See example. 

Communications

• Focusing on annual project reporting for NSDL grants
• Next Gen collaboration teleconferences: Starting in October 2012, we'll move to monthly partner teleconferences (instead of biweekly) on the second Wednesday of each month 

June - July 2012 - Sprint 3

July

1. NSDL hosted a NextGen Partners meeting in Boulder on July 23-24 for productive discussion for educational trends (K12, higher education, informal education) relevant to NSDL's future business planning, and exploration of combined service possibilities across the NSDL partnership.

Subsequent to the meeting, NSDL has been engaged in analyzing and refining possibilities for the suite of NSDL services, working to match those services to audiences and markets.  Milestones calendar development is underway, along with business model development; exploration of funding opportunities; and evaluation of NSDL NextGen Production Network activities over the last year.

Potential service categories:

• digital library management and software services (digital discovery system, NSDL Collection system, jOAI, CWIS, reveiw tools by partners)
• technology operations services (repository search server and interoperability operations, catalog management operations, custom e-learning environments and applications, Strand Map Services API, Search API, weeding application, vitality services, metadata frameworks)
• standards of practice and excellence services (Learning Application Readiness (LAR) training; review services, standards alignment services)
• access to NSDL (portal services, repository search API, OAI Data provider)

2. Educational trends summary - K12 (Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow):  

• Proliferation of technology tools ('enablers'), especially moble device use in daily life (online learning, social media for collaboration, games, mobile learning, Do-It-Yourself learning (DIY)
• Personal use of mobile devices drives valuing of technology by teachers, librarians, principals and district administrators
• Games - new class of intelligent adaptive learning - educational technology that captures student decisions within instructional technology programs, adjusting student learning path appropriately, enhancing individualized learning paths, and providing teachers with real-time data to inform instruction
• challenges for professional development for teachers, for assessment
• Student Digital Advance Team - 8th graders on leading edge of desire for personalized, tech-based learning in their education; adopting and adapting emerging tech for learning; frustrated with unsophisticated use of technologies in schools; persistent digital disconnect with adults; lack a sense of relevancy in their education; consider personal learning goals to be just behind good grades and getting into college, when defining 'success' for their schoolwork.
• Vision for personalized student learning includes social-based learning, untethered learning, digitally-rich
• Importance of K20 continuum, as K12 students rise to college education level.

Sticky wickets: 

• students don't believe test scores reflect what they really know
• evaluation of the academic value of student-created content
• measurement of the impact of DIY and informal/out-of-class learning, including home schooling
• measuring student 21st century skills vs. content knowledge

Teachers:

• 56% want access to vetted, grade level appropriate, content-specific resources
• 33% want video clips of teachers demonstrating use of digital contnet in content areas
• blended learning trend: teacher adoption of blended approach using direct instruction, student directed learing, and use of tech tools to support both teachers and students
• most important factors for evaluating quality of digital content for classroom use: teacher-created resources, free content, referral by a colleague
• alignment/association of content to curriculum, standards

 Pain points:

• Cutting costs while funding adequate technology in schools 
• integration of technology and digital resources in classrooms
• implementation of Math Common Core standards into curriculum
• concern with evaluation of student performance re: Math Common Core practice recommendations
• ensuring quality of resources
• lack of technology implementation training for pre-service teachers
• methods for addressing informal, after-school, and home schooled learner needs 

2. Higher ed trends  (Richard N. Katz Consulting)

• Crises in: competiveness; credibility; affordability; business models
• unemployment, student debt
• de-funding by states; rapid rises in tuition; increasing reliance on contingent workforce; low graduation rates
• the new student (free-agent learners)
• disruptive technologies (Siri, simulations, etextbooks, mobile devices, analytics, cloud computing, augmented reality)
• disruptive pedagogies (online education goes mainstream; MOOCs: massive online open courses; flipped lectures; open education
• global talent search and globalization of US universities
• new modes of certification: digital badging, certification for experience; ePortfolios; credit aggregators

• University future depends on ability to adapt; reconsider core business models
• Distance learning and 7x24x365 service model is assumed
• Unbundled education: design (program, curriculum, course); lecture delivery; discussion facilitation; social development; academic resource provisioning; assessment, certification
• Remediation needed at grades 13/14

June

Summer may be here, but we have not been idle! Here are just a few things accomplished and coming up for June: 

Technical

• NSDL Science Literacy Maps (SLM)  - with the collaboration of Project 2061 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the SLM have been enhanced to include new features:  the blue Benchmark information bubbles on the maps now contain (where available) additional information tabs for:
• AAAS Assessments
• student misconceptions
• video tutorials on how to use the SLM for new users
• See an example (click on Benchmark "Earthquakes often occur on boundaries..." - grades 9-12)
• Still in development for implementation later this summer: 
• NSDL faceted search - ability to fine tune NSDL searches by specific parameters: subject, standards, resource type, audience
• NSDL standards browse - ability to browse for standards-associated resources to specific standards sets:  Math Common Core (MCC), National Science Education Standards (NSES); National Geography standards, and AAAS Benchmarks

Communications

Coming up: 

• NSDL webinar, Thursday, June 28, 10 am PT, 11 am MT, 12 noon CT, 1 pm ET: Connecting the Dots with Digital Learning: Speak Up 2011 Findings, with Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow.  To request an invite, contact Eileen McIlvain.

April - May 2012  - Sprint 2

Standards cataloging is proceeding well with NextGen partners, and paradata (17,458 records) and annotation (4,115 records) collections are increasing. 

Project Management: 

• LAR technical documentation (v.1) provided to partners
• Metrics tracking tables implemented by NSDL to track NG project deliverables and to support emerging NextGen Production Network metrics
• Middle School Portal (MSP2) presentations to production network team: drafts of Collection Development Policy for NSDL Math Common Core collection and English Language Arts Science & Technological Standards (6-12) special collection
• Gap fill analysis report generated by NSDL to learn which Math Common Core standards have no resources associated with them in NSDL Math Common Core collection
• Compilation of responses and comments from survey of NextGen partners re: production network metrics. Metrics rated high priority/high feasibility reveised and discussed in teleconference with partners. Revised metrics for production network determined and recorded via project management wiki.
• Partners completed phone calls with NSDL to review Sprint 1 work and plans for Sprint 2 - done
• Partners scheduled calls in May to reveiw Sprint 2 work and plans for Sprint 3 - done

Technical: 

• Work completed on LAR metadata to address vocabulary needs for cataloging science resources; definitions completed
• Gap fill analysis report generated by NSDL to learn which Math Common Core standards have no resources associated with them in NSDL Math Common Core collection
• Test website developed to provide new Math Common Core collection browse structure providing more detailed search of MCC standards
• Effort begun to index the whole library based on ASN ID to enable future user search by standard
• Work completed on NSDL Resource Weeding application and management interface
• Technical work completed to enable LAR metadata collections to appear in the NSDL repository Search API, and to filter weeded resources
• Mark up of sample NSDL resource landing page with LRMI and other schema.org rich snippets; assessing potential use by downstream consumers
• Began efforts to incorporate AAAS tutorials and Benchmark-level assessments and misconceptions into NSDL Science Literacy Maps

Communications: 

• Planning for June 27 NSDL webinar: Project Tomorrow Speak Up survey outcomes, trends; personalized learning; math instruction
• Planning meetings for July 23-24 partner meeting; project management team meetings
• NSDL Network Update monthly summary (nsdl-all email list) - Subscribe to email list here
• Email lists management
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• NextGen partner biweekly calls conducted
• Websites updating, news postings, Twitter and Facebook postings 
• Partner contacts conducted (MatDL, TeachingwithData, Mathlanding, MSP2)

Evaluation:

• Refinement of Production Network metrics from survey outcomes
• Planning for teacher focus group activity in June/July: 1) feedback on NSDL Search results UI for improved display of standards-alignment, and 2) focus group and survey planning for teacher feedback on Math Common Core collection use
• Draft report produced by Metiri Group on NSDL STEM Exchange paradata - an initial model of analysis for reporting and understanding patterns of usage of NSDL reosurces aligned to Math Common Core standards by two user communities (CTE Online, Instructional Architect). Will be utilized with other STEM Exchange communities of practice, based on metadata, paradata, and characteristics of communities.

February - March 2012  - Sprint 1

March 

Project Management / Collections

• Consultation telecons between Foster/Ginger/Blomer with partners: WGBH, TeachEngineering, SMILE, ComPADRE, Ohio State/MSP2. Early April calls planned with Internet Scout, ChemEd DL, CLEAN
• Presentation on ELA standards by Jessica-Fries Gaither of MSP2 and Beyond Penguins project to NextGen partners and management team
• Decision point:  all new collections, whether standards-aligned, LAR, annotations or paradata, need to be submitted to NSDL by August 1 so there is time for NSDL Accessioning Board consideration, which convenes in mid-August
• Decision point:  LAR "open collections" concept adopted to address both LAR-like and LAR-compliant collections. Promotes LAR as target for resource quality; apply as guide/best practice for resource selection; fosters a continuum of LARness in NSDL collections.
• Decision point:  Reading level indicators in LAR metadata framework: optional field for reading level-grade level indicator; optional free-text description of literacy measure (e.g. which system, such as Fleisch-Kincaid)
• Kim Lightle will communicate with all partners on standards alignment in April to review partner plans, assess needs, provide support 

Technical

• LAR Best Practices draft is nearing completion; catalogig to LAR has begun
• Internet Scout expects completion of weeding of 13 subject gateway NSDL collections by mid-April, using new NSDL weeding application 

Communications 

• Quarterly NSDL Network community call conducted March 14 – available from NSDL Brown Bag page
• NSDL Network Update monthly summary (nsdl-all email list) - Subscribe to email list here
• Websites editing
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• Email lists management
• Partner contacts (EcoEd DL)

Evaluation

• Production Network measures survey finalized and sent to NextGen PIs and NSDL management team; reporting on outcomes and further development of production network measures in late April. 

February

Project Management:  

• OSU/MSP2 workplan completed 
• Scout workplan for Collections/Weeding completed 
• Issue identified: display of reading-level indicators in LAR metadata framework. If do, use what conventions, in teaching literacy field? 

Technical:

• LAR framework completed
• LAR Best Practices drafted
• First partner paradata received and displayed (ComPADRE)
• Repository Search API and OAI data provider ready for LAR operations
• NSDL resource views and recommendations reports drafted 
   

Communications

• NSDL Pathways updated on NextGen project (Pathways email list)
• March 14 Community call scheduled and invites sent
• Websites editing
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• Email lists management

Evaluation

• Production Network measures survey drafted and shared with partners for feedback

January 2012

Project Management

• NextGen Partners meeting in Boulder:
  • Introduced Production Network Model
  • Statement of Production Network Goals
  • List of possible services for NSDL branding
  • Network metrics list drafted
  • Elements of sustainability drafted
  • Recommendations for standards alignment process
  • Recommendations for Audience and Scope
  • LAR working group reconvenes to develop LAR framework

Technical

• Strand Map Service/Science Literacy Maps migrated to UCAR/Cloud
• Three collections were accessioned into NSDL: Changing Planet, the comPADRE paradata collection, and PRISMS annotations
• NSDL Accessioning Board (NAB) approved accessioning of three new collections: Minds-On Activities for Teaching Biology, TeachSpatial, and TeachSpatial annotations.

Communications

• NSDL Network Update - monthly summary (NSDL-all email list)
• January meeting summary distributed to partners
• Websites editing
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• Email lists management

December 2011

Project Management

• NextGen Partners’ workplans drafted by partners in consultation with Foster/Ginger
  
  
• Collection documents finalized incorporating input from partners:
  • NSDL Collection Policy
  • NSDL Collection Development Blueprint
  • NSDL Resource Quality Checklist
  • NSDL Resource Metadata Rubric
  • NSDL Paradata Metadata Rubric
  • NSDL Annotation Metadata Rubric
  • NSDL Weeding Plan (draft)

• Decision point: Resource URLs vs. collection-provider landing page URLs:  include in metadata framework to allow optional partner URL and proposed a strongly visible method in NSDL UI for users to get to partner URL landing pages (e.g.: ‘Learn more about this resource’)

Communications

• Learning Registry Plugfest hosted by NSDL at UCAR. Van Gundy and Weatherley attendance.
• NSDL Network update on new work (nsdl-all email list) 
• NSDL Community call (quarterly) conducted December 14 – accessible on NSDL Brown Bag page 

• Websites editing
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• Email lists management

November 2011

Project Management

• Foster conducted one-on-one conversations with all partners

Technical

• NSDL technical infrastructure migration to UCAR/Cloud completed
• LRMI (Leaning Resource Metadata Initiative) work explored for implications for NextGen work
• Issue identified: Landing page vs. direct resource URLs discussion conducted with partners and solutions are proposed 
• Learning Registry: Van Gundy attended Washington DC SETDA meeting for DOD/Dept of Ed Learning Registry project launch announced by Sec. of Ed Arne Duncan; acknowledgement NSDL concept leadership regarding paradata. NSDL STEM Exchange adopted as initial use case for LR.

Communications/community

• Rand personnel make final visit to NSDL to complete NSF evaluation of NSDL program; join NextGen partner telecon
• Collection policy draft, criteria, guidelines, and best practices drafts reflecting LAR principles/characteristics distributed for partner review and input
• Websites editing
• Collaboration wiki documentation and management
• Email lists management

October 2011

Project Management

• Management team established: Howe, Van Gundy, Foster, McIlvain, Kelly, Weatherley, Ginger, Marlino
• NSDL Management team weekly meetings and process established; Susan Foster hired as Project Manager
• Dependencies and workflows developed
• Work priorities:
  • Implement production network concept for digital resource use, utility, impact on teaching/learning
  • NSDL In service of STEM learning
  • Wholesale vs retail approach

Collections Building

• Drafts developed for: revised Collection Policy; rubrics for metadata quality; resource quality; Terms of Use revisio
• LAR Working Group conference call conducted to support finalization of LAR metadata framework
• Technical transition from Cornell to UCAR/cloud services underway; developing technical goals for post-transition, documentation
• Learning Registry - preparation for Learning Registry launch, Nov. 7 (Dept of Ed; DOD Washington DC); NSDL as primary use case for data exchange with Brokers of Expertise, CTEOnline (California) and iCPALMs (Florida) communities of practice

Communications

• UCAR Confluence collaborative wiki spaces established for NSDL Management Team and NextGen Partner workplan tracking and documentation
• Regular biweekly teleconferences established with NextGen partners with initial call on 10-19-2011
• Email lists established for NextGen partner communications (partners + management team)
• Summary report of September LAR2 workshop provided to participants and project partners
• Preparation for Rand visit to NSDL on Nov 2-3, 2011
• Monthly all-Pathways call altered to: NSDL community call occurring quarterly, in final month of quarter

Project evaluation

• Metiri Group for evaluation of standards-alignment collection building with partners
• Valerie Williams (UCAR/GLOBE) to evaluate NextGen production network process