Creating Reusable Educational Components: Lessons from Dlese
Tamara Sumner, Melissa Dawe, Holly Devaul · Journal of Geoscience Education · 2002
Reuse of educational materials is integral to many educator tasks, from designing a course to preparing for a lab or class. We are studying the reuse of educational materials in the context of the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). DLESE is a community-owned and governed facility offering high-quality teaching and learning resources for Earth system education. Our studies build on a cognitive framework that posits that people engage in three cyclical processes—location, comprehension, and modification—when reusing resources from large digital repositories. Our formative evaluations and cataloging experiences in DLESE suggest that the ‘findability’ and reusability of community-created digital educational resources is highly dependent on the presentational and structural design of the resources themselves. Educational resource designers often do not develop components with reuse in mind, making it more difficult or impossible for other educators to find and use their material. We share the results of these studies to help educators create digital materials that are more easily shared and used by others. For example, we recommend that all resources clearly state the creator's name and contact information; relevant copyright restrictions; the most significant date for the resource (specifying creation or revision); and the intended grade level.