Contents

DLESE expands services
Workshop on quality of the DLESE collection
Collections assessment summary report - Barbara DeFelice
October Resource of Interest
DLESE Steering Committee profile: Ted Habermann
NSDL, GSA, and AGU meetings
Earth science photos

DLESE expands services

In the last few months, DLESE has expanded library development efforts to better meet the needs of the Earth system education community. In response to recommendations from Earth science educators, four new service initiatives will focus on developing community services, integrating data into the library, evaluating DLESE's impact on Earth system education, and continuing to grow the DLESE collections. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), these services will work with the DLESE Program Center (DPC) to enhance the use and usability of DLESE:

• Community Services will include more K-12, informal, and college educators and students in the DLESE community, and support this growing community in their efforts to improve geoscience education. Bryan Aivazian, Project Manager, Natrona County School District, Casper, Wyoming; and Ed Geary, Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (CSMATE) at Colorado State University, will support K-12 efforts. Cathy Manduca, Director of the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College, and Dave Mogk, Professor of Geology at Montana State University, will guide higher education community efforts.
• Data Services will make it easier to use data in the classroom. Their strategy is to bring together data providers, developers of data tools, and curriculum developers to produce library resources that incorporate data and tools into effective learning activities. The Data Services team includes: Tamara Shapiro Ledley, Senior Scientist, and LuAnn Dahlman, Project Director for the Earth Exploration Toolbook, both with TERC; Ben Domenico, Assistant Director, Unidata/UCAR; and Mike Taber, Assistant Professor of Earth Science Education at the University of Northern Colorado.
• Evaluation Services will evaluate and monitor the use of DLESE collections and services and assess their value in improving learning. The Evaluation Services team includes Susan Buhr, Director of Outreach, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado; Lecia Barker, Lead Research Associate, and Tim Weston, Research Associate, both in Evaluation/Research, Alliance for Technology Learning and Society (ATLAS), University of Colorado; and Tom Reeves, Professor of Instructional Technology, University of Georgia at Athens.
• Collections activities: Sharon Tahirkheli, Director of Information Systems at the American Geological Institute (AGI) will lead ongoing cataloging efforts. Kim Kastens, Senior Research Scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) will continue development of the Community Review System and develop services to collect and share teaching tips.

Workshop on quality of the DLESE collection

An NSF-sponsored workshop on the quality of the DLESE broad collection was held at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory on June 30 and July 1, 2003. Led by Kim Kastens, workshop participants suggested expanded criteria for resource selection and proposed procedures by which these criteria could be implemented. A summary of the workshop's key recommendations is available at www.dlese.org/documents/reports/collections/quality_wkshop.php. The full report of the Quality Workshop is available at: www.ldeo.columbia.edu/DLESE/collections/quality/qty_wkshp_recs.html.

The DLESE Steering Committee has forwarded these recommendations to the Collections Standing Committee and seeks input from the broader community of DLESE users. The DLESE community is invited to send comments to: collections@dlese.org

Collections assessment summary report

Barbara DeFelice, Physical Sciencies Librarian at Dartmouth's Kresge Library, has been working on an extensive collections assessment effort for DLESE, and provides the following summary of those activities.

The DLESE collections as a whole have been analyzed to aid collection builders in developing balanced collections, to identify what kinds of educational materials need to be developed, and to provide an overview of the collection content...The collection has been assessed by major collection characteristics: grade level, resource type, and topic. Through analysis of the the search and browse logs since March 2002, we are determining user needs expressed through search and browse behavior. The data is also analyzed on searches that produce no results (null returns) to determine gaps in the collection. Impacts of this project on collection development include: 1) concentration on collecting materials for elementary, middle and high school learning contexts (as the early broad collection had primarily undergraduate level materials); 2) directing collection efforts towards including resource types not previously represented in the collection (e.g. radio broadcasts), and 3) adjusting collection efforts by topic toward the agriculture, biology, and ecosystem science areas.

A report on this work was presented at the 2003 DLESE Annual Meeting and is available at www.dlese.org/documents/reports/collections/DLESE.Coll.Assess.Report.8.03.pdf. Please contact Barbara DeFelice for more information: barbara.defelice@dartmouth.edu.

October Resource of Interest

New Formulas for America's Workforce: Girls in Science and Engineering provides access to the methodology and results of over 200 NSF grants that have addressed the need to broaden girls' and women's participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The project summaries provide examples of successful inquiry-based learning strategies and other pedagogical approaches to engage and maintain girls' interest and abilities in science. Judith A. Ramaley, head of NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources, says, "This is a perfect back-to-school tool for those teachers who want to see how research has identified hands-on learning that works. The book is full of ideas, contacts, and research that makes it an essential element in the toolkit of every educator between the kindergarten and college undergraduate levels." It is available free as a PDF or can be ordered in print at http://www.nsf.gov/home/orderpub.htm.

DLESE Steering Committee profile: Ted Habermann

Ted Habermann is a new member of the DLESE Steering Committee. As a Geospatial Data Services Group Leader at NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, Ted investigates the educational application of data use and access and develops geospatial databases and geographic information systems to integrate and distribute environmental data. He provides a valuable perspective to the DLESE Steering Committee and is a knowledgeable resource for data issues.

NSDL, GSA meetings

October and November will be a busy time for many members of the DLESE community, with several important meetings on the horizon:

• The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Annual Meeting takes place in Washington DC from Sunday, October 12 to Wednesday, October 15. Many DLESE-related community members will participate in the meeting, designed to "stimulate a collective conversation among the NSDL community and colleagues who share a commitment to digital libraries as major education and community resources."
• The Geological Society of America's (GSA) Annual Meeting takes place November 2-5, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, in Seattle. DLESE and NSDL are jointly sponsoring a reception on Tuesday, November 4 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the Sheraton Grand Ballroom B. All GSA attendees are welcome to attend. The Geoscience Education III session on Wednesday, November 5 from 1:30 - 5:30 PM features presentations by all the DLESE core services, as well as on NSDL.

Do you have interesting Earth science photos?

If you have a compelling photo of any Earth science phenomenon that you would like to contribute for use in the DLESE Matters newsletter banner, please forward to support@dlese.org. Photo credit will be included if used.

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Photo credit: Marianne Weingroff, DLESE Program Center