利用都柏林元数据应用包管理多样化的元数据开发

大英图书馆长期大规模的资源数字化产生了大量的声像资源，这些项目由于大部分是由外来资金资助并与外单位合作，其产生的资源和元数据往往散藏在各个不同部门，元数据的有无及其结构格式区别很大，这给检索和使用带来极大的不便，因此跨库检索势在必行。在推行标准化的同时，大英图书馆考虑到各个特藏的功能和服务特点，允许足够的灵活性。他们遵循的一个主要原则是，如果数据是在大英图书馆系统之外建立的，该系统应该具有生成和输出基本元数据记录的功能，其格式应该与至少一种大英图书馆所支持的标准兼容，对元数据记录的最低要求是要与大英图书馆元数据应用纲要（BL Application Profile，B-LAP）一致。B-LAP是用XML标注、以都柏林元数据核心元素为基础的应用纲要。本文特别讨论了利用都柏林核心元数据应用纲要来支持检索的策略，以及如何应用纳要来控制在数字化资源过程中产生的多样化的元数据格式，并为各种早期的系统之间在高层次上提供互操作性。本义还描述了该系统的构建及如何支持横跨各种不同数据库之间的检索。     

Why accessibility is hard and how to make it easier: Lessons from publishers

The requirements for providing publications in an accessible form have recently become much clearer and easier to comply with. They are based on standard web accessibility guidelines that are commonly used globally, and the format for interchange is EPUB, a format many publishers already produce in their normal production process. Nevertheless, accessibility still proves difficult to accomplish for most publishers. This article refers to informal interviews and the author's own experiences to examine the issues that are challenging to publishers and their suppliers, assessing the level of effort required to address them, discussing the factors that make them difficult, and suggesting strategies for reducing the effort required. The article concludes that the best solution is to build accessibility into the publication workflow upfront as this can dramatically reduce the cost and effort required to make publications accessible.     

Course Design,Quality Matters Training,and Student Outcomes

ABSTRACT

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) recognized the need to address the increasing rates of Ds, Fs, and Withdrawal by students matriculating in online courses. Led by two science faculty, a faculty learning community in partnership with the NCCU Division of Extended Studies was created to assess online science course offerings and instruction. Faculty within this learning community completed the Quality Matters (QM) “Applying the Quality Matters Rubric” course. This online training course, coupled with services provided by the NCCU Division of Extended Studies, offered the faculty learning community a variety of pedagogical strategies to meet their instructional needs. All faculty participating in this learning community completed the online training course and all faculty indicated that they implemented changes in their subsequent online course offerings. This article describes the impact of that training and the application of quality course design standards in the Quality Matters Rubric on the design and student outcomes for an Introductory Biology course over four terms. As faculty learning communities are broadly utilized, it is anticipated that this article may present an effective strategy to increase the quality and quantity of online science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses at similar institutions.