Evaluating the National Science Digital Library for learning application readiness

Abstract

The usefulness of open-access digital libraries for K-16 education depends on the readiness of the collection to be placed in the path of users within diverse contexts across a variety of learning applications. The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) employs the concept of Learning Application Readiness (LAR) to assess the capacity of its collections to be deployed into applications such as learning management systems, educational resource registries, and customized curriculum services. This paper describes a multi-year evaluation of the NSDL and the notion of collection assessment as it relates to Learning Application Readiness. It then outlines steps that have been taken to increase NSDL capacity for contextualization into a wide array of K-16 educational applications.