1. NSDL Data Repository (NDR)
A lens on STEM Resources
Carl Lagoze Cornell Information Science NSDL Pathways Meeting August 18-19, 2005

2. Digital Libraries: Beyond Search and Access
Build on more automated mechanisms for collection building
Add value to underlying resources via:
Content aggregation: combining information entities in novel ways
Knowledge integration: capturing semantic relationships between information entities
Information reuse: allowing secondary, tertiary products
Information transformation: combining information entities with computational services
collaboration and contribution: blurring the line between authors, publishers, users, experts…
Resource persistence: providing seamless access to resources as they change over time.

3. From Collecting STEM Resources…
…to creating a STEM Web

4. Evolving the role of NSDL
Phase I – Digital Library Foundation
Collecting, indexing, and providing access to quality STEM resources from the Web
Phase II – Adding value
Collecting and exploiting contextual information about STEM resources

5. NSDL Phase I – Collection Building

6. Phase I Metadata-Centric Approach
The metadata repository is a resource for service providers.
It holds information about every collection and item known to the NSDL.
Services
OAI-PMH
Users
Metadata repository
OAI-PMH
Collections

7. Characteristics of the Metadata Repository
Oracle database
Qualified Dublin Core
Item records with collection association
OAI-PMH ingest and exposure
Current collection ~ 800,000
Metadata quality issues

8. Problems in this approach
Mere access does not equate to value
Reeves Impact of Media and Technology in Schools
Static metadata records don’t capture changing and multiple contexts of use and applicability
Recker and Wiley Designing Instruction with Learning Objects
Patterns of use, informal opinions, descriptions often more useful than taxonomic classification.
Collis and Strijker Technology and Human Issues in Reusing Learning

9. Phase II Motivation
Represent (directly or by reference) multiple entities,
standards
taxonomies
agents (user profiles and roles)
curricula
that are contributed by multiple parties,
users as actors
reuse of primary resources for secondary, tertiary produces
that are inter-related to express context,
applicability to standards
usage in curricula
usage patterns by particular groups/people
and can be integrated with active services

10. …Towards a collaborative information environment
Consumers
Producers
Value-added
Information
Experts
Professionals
Novices
…adding value to core resources

11. NDR: A value-added lens over STEM resources
Contextualization, Reuse, Aggregation, Persistence
NSDL Data Repository (NDR)
Information Foundation
Networked STEM Resources

12. Some use cases Multi-sourced rich metadata (beyond DC)
Provenance issues
Annotations, comments, usage scenarios
Quality control
Relations to state standards, curricula
Strand maps
Curricula, lesson plans
Instructional architect, VUE

13. Information Network Overlay
Client Layer
Network API
Network Representation Layer
Data
Stores
Document
Repositories
Databases
Web
Resources
Publisher
Source Layer

14. Translate to Technical Requirements
Rich information objects
Integration of local and remote mixed-genre content
Dynamic information objects
Integration with local and distributed services
Graph-based information model
Nodes are information objects
Edges are relationships among those objects
Access and management API
exposing full functionality for programmatic access
Fine granularity access management

16. Fedora Basics http://www.fedora.info
Open source digital repository software
Collaboration between Cornell University and University of Virginia
Mellon funding through 2007
International user community

17. Fedora as the basis for NDR
Aggregate local and remote resources
Web services association for information reuse/refactoring
Versioning
Ontology-based relationships
API to all functionality

18. NSDL Fedora Architecture

19. Deployment Plans Production release Phase 1 – 3rd quarter 2005
black box replacement for metadata repository
Future releases
API available at public level
Relationship building

20. Applications (1) Multiple metadata formats
Dublin Core as basic interoperability base
Harvest richer metadata when available
Multiple sourced metadata, provenance

21. Applications (2) Stable Identity for STEM Resources
Handles ( for NSDL resources
Access through NSDL lens (value-added wrapper)
Stable citation
NSDL branding
Trackability, personalization
Anchor for resource persistence

22. Applications (3) NSDL Blog Space
Transitioning AskNSDL to a more interactive format
Basis for resource contextualization
Annotations
Recommendations
Aggregations

23. Applications (4) Instructional Architect (http://ia.usu.edu/)
Aggregate and annotate networked resources for education use
Capture IA-based teacher contributions in NDR for use by other teachers/students

24. Applications (5) NSDL OnRamp
Open source application for creating content and managing its workflow
Built on Fedora foundation
Basis for contributions by NSDL community

25. Applications (6) Standards alignment and congruence
Leverage Jess & Co work on standards naming
Link resources to standards and standards to each other

26. Some open questions Scalability of this model Management
Control – trusted actors
Cross-ontology relationships
Exposing to the user - visualization

27. Concluding Goals Exploit the increasing ubiquity of digital content
Provide the architecture for adding value to underlying content
Aggregation
Reuse
Integration with computational services

28. Questions