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How to locate the high-quality digital learning materials after Shank’s advice

Dream Team (a learning circle in International teacher education 2013-12014 in Teacher Education College in Jyväskylä) is an international group of students studying to achieve the qualification of a vocational teacher.

Arja Kunnela
International Group 13 – 14
Teacher Education College
JAMK University of Applied Sciences

The most significant barrier to wider adoption of OER remains a faculty perception of the time and effort required to find and evaluate it according Babson Survey Research Group’s survey in U.S. Higher education Opening the Curriculum: Open Education Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2014 by I. Allen & J. Seaman (Allen & Seaman 2014, 2). So this means we need advice how to find proper open educational resources easily in order to make most of them.

John D. Shank started to develop instructions how to find and locate different types of open educational materials that are available for teaching. Together with Steven J. Bell they wrote a book Academic librarianship by design: a blended librarian’s guide to the tools and techniques in 2007. They introduced a DLM (Digital Learning Materials) search criteria steps. Already there were steps for What DLMs are sought to 1) determine subject(s) or discipline(s), 2) determine keyword(s), 3) Desired Type(s) 4) Desired Format and 5) Expected Audience and for Where DLMs are sought to 1) Determine Repository / Referitory 2) Determine Educational Broadcaster’s website 3) Desired Government’s website 4) Desired Museum’s website or 5) Last option: General Search engine(s). (Bell & Shank 2007, 125)

In his newest book Interactive Open Educational Resources: a guide to Finding, Choosing, and Using What’s Out there to transform College Teaching (Wiley 2014) John D. Shank presents his search taxonomy by writing about Discovery process: The art of Discovering ILMs (Interactive Learning Materials ) and describes it just as much art as science (Shank 2014, 21).

To find a good ILM need you to first think and define what you are  looking for. The “What” of the ILM in Shank’s Search Taxonomy:

  • Subject/ Discipline
  • Keywords
  • Type
  • Technical Format
  • Audience
  • Language and
  • Date

Search steps for locating ILMs are:

  • Identify the Subject
  • Identify Related Keywords
  • Identify Search Sources
  • Browse the collection
  • Search the collection
  • Review the results

Start with broadest subject matter to which the ILM relates and then narrow it down to as specific a subject as possible. Sometime it is useful to think related keywords. Shank also suggests Google contextual targeting tool for help. (Shank 2014, 22)

Then you have to identify the sources that will best locate the resources: you will never find what you are looking for, if you are looking in the wrong places! Shank presents different types of places in Websites where to locate materials. Good practice is to start with a general repository or digital library that focuses on collecting, housing, or referring to online educational learning materials. Good starting points: Merlot II (tutor video) and Wisconsin Online (Shank 2014, 22-33)

The Where of the ILM Search Taxonomy:

  • Educational Repositories & Digital Libraries
  • University & College Websites
  • Educational Software & Entertainment Media Websites
  • Governmental Websites
  • Museum Websites
  • Professional Organizations’ Websites
  • Web Search Engines

Beside his book, Shank presents in his website and YouTube channel videos how to search for different types of Interactive Learning Materials from:

  • Governmental ( and affiliated) Organizations Websites: NSDL (National Science Digital Library), NASA
  • Museum Websites: SI (Smithsonian museums)
  • Professional Organizations’ Websites: PRIMO (Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online)

John D. Shank shares his ideas and raises articles to discussion also in Scoop blogs: The iOER Handbook, iOERs, LORs, & Interactive Learning Materials (ILMs), Higher Education in the Future and Blended Librarianship.

 

Arja Kunnela
Information specialist
JAMK University of Applied Sciences

 

References:

Allen, I. & Seaman, J. 2014. Opening the Curriculum: Open Education Resources in U.S. Higher Education 

Bell, Steven J. & Shank, John D. 2007 Academic librarianship by design: a blended librarian’s guide to the tools and techniques

Shank, John D. 2014 Interactive Open Educational Resources: a guide to Finding, Choosing, and Using What’s Out there to transform College Teaching (Wiley)

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