Digital libraries and e-

Learning
Presented to Senior Managers e-
Learning & Team-Building Workshop
at North Coast Beach Hotel,
Mombasa on 1st to 3rd March 2014
By Dr. George Gitau Njoroge
 Introduction
• World changing environment - requires learning
institutions to “provide relevant academic
programmes of high quality that are based on
innovative educational processes and the
application of appropriate technologies”
• Move towards student centred - emphasis on
creative and innovative learning prepares
students for the world of work and life-long
learning.
• Distance learning - increased accessibility to
tertiary education by using ICT to link learners to
remote resources for independent learning and
 Libraries and e-
learning
• They provide access to relevant
information for learning, teaching
and research through application
of ICT’S.
• supports digital scholarship, and
e-learning.
• integrates its resources and
services in support of learning,
teaching, research, and outreach.
Source: Google images
• Working definition:
“organizations that provide the resources, including
the specialized staff, to select, structure, offer
intellectual access to, interpret, distribute, preserve
the integrity of, and ensure the persistence over time
of collections of digital works so that they are readily
and economically available for use by a defined
community or set of communities.”
• A series of activities that brings together collections,
services, and people in support of the full life cycle of
creation, dissemination, use, and preservation of data,
information, and knowledge.
• Describes teaching and learning resources or
experiences that are, in some way, delivered
electronically.
• “Denotes ICT enhanced learning by delivering
learning contents and activities via internet,
intranet/extranet, audio/video, satellite
broadcast, interactive TV, and CD-ROM”
• Blended traditional face-to-face teaching and
learning that is combined with using
communications technologies to enhance student
focused and directed learning and teaching
Assumes:
• Collaborative effort
• Integration of
content, resources,
and services
• Support flexible
learning and
research
 Our understanding of E-
Learning
• Knowledge is constructive information.
• Learning is more effective if the “learner” is
provided with strong incentive to take responsibility
for self-learning.
• Learner's motivation is a strong determinant of the
outcomes of the success of the online learning.
• Encouragement of instructors, faculty and the like
to incorporate ICT into their classrooms is a success
indicator of online learning.
• Learning is unique to the individual and requires
reflections.
Through the provision of technology
based information and services to
enable learners to access relevant
information and services anywhere
anytime, as well as provide
empowerment for innovative and
life-long learning
E-learning: a new domain of Digital library services
Functional roles of the Digital-
library:
• Hyperlink the e-courses with the library e-reference
resources such as e-books, e-journals and web-based open-
access resources;
• Set up virtual reference desk (VRD) help and e-mail
enquiry service to answer the information needs of the e-
learners (i.e. e-learning liaison librarian);
• Develop a special integrated web portal for course-related
learning objects (LO) that retrieve from the library digital
collections (e.g. e-journals, textual databases, open access,
etc.) with efficient browsing and research abilities;
• Acquire core e-collections;
• Providing e-literacy sessions to help e-learners in scholarly
use of the web and distributed e-resources (e-learning
information search skills);
• Promote library e-services to the virtual e-learning
community; and
• Prompt document delivery and outreach services via
 Functional roles of the e-
learning institution:
• Development of innovative web-based e-
courses using multimedia effects and
simulation;
• Integration of a variety of recommended core
e-learning reference readings with the digital
resources;
• Digitization of textbooks and other learning
resources to create usable learning objects;
and
• Possible permanent updating of digital course
contents.
 INFORMATION REPACKAGING in CMS
Information is organized in hierarchical categories that correspond to the schools, departments
and even specific courses where possible
Cognitive aspects of e-learning
and Digital library experience
• Personalized content delivery and
learning process
• Personal library experience
through ‘your library’ portal
• Library’s (virtual and physical)
space as ‘information common’
and repository of e-learning objects
for enhanced learning experience
Networked e-information services
 Library services in an e-
learning environment?
• Allows aggregation of e-contents - Library
services must be accessible from within this
environment and permit the creation of
‘virtual shelves’, library resources discovery,
bibliographic management tools and context-
sensitive full text access.
• Allow customization of preferences for library
services
• Integrate access points to commercial
databases
• Provide access to virtual reference service
• Create and integrate library learning objects
(eg tutorials for users)
• Provide digital rights management and
preservation of e-learning asset repository
 KU Library Initiative to
support E-learning
• Establishment of learning commons - “IT
help desk, reference desk, learning support
services, research help, information literacy
and subject specialists”.
• Library’s automation and digitization of
materials.
• E-books in the catalogue
• Computer workstations.
• Wireless access points in all the floors of the
library
• Access to print and electronic resources-
Links in library catalogue.
 Challenges
• Lack of collaborative environment which allows for
integration of resources and services for the benefit of
the learner.
• No formalized or institutionalized collaboration, thus
resulting in inconsistent partnership in service
convergence.
• Faculty and Support Units work independent of each
other in delivering content and providing support
resources and services.
• Copyright clearance for learning objects.
• Providing access to online journals and electronic
databases to those outside campus and in remote
locations.
 Conclusions
• In the 21st century, digital libraries will have a
tremendous positive impact on education, as
sharing of learning resources increases,
supporting not only distance education but
also on-campus and independent discovery-
based learning.
• High-quality resources of all types will be
contributed by diverse sets of authors directly
into digital libraries, including use of open
archives, leading to a vast increase in use of
rich multimedia works.
 New Kinds of Learning
Resources
• Cutting-edge technologies; to
provide access to print and
electronic resources and services.
• However more remains to be done
as emerging technologies provide
great opportunities for the Library to
integrate its resources and services
into learning, teaching and research.
 Recommendations
• Develop e-learning oriented collections and learning objects;
• Institutionalize integration of information literacy skills (e-
literacy programme) into the subject curriculum;
• Subject librarians to work with teaching staff involved in the
development of course web-based curricula;
• Market resources and services;
• Integrate plagiarism software into course management systems
to encourage good practice and to assess reliability of content;
• Understand copyright issues and plan for copyright clearance if
digitization has to be successful.
• Creation of Links, rather than uploads, for copyrighted materials

However
Successful
implementation of
e-learning requires
development of a
digital scholarship
strategy that will
formalize
partnership between Digital
faculty and all
support Scholars
departments. hip
Through this
strategy the role of
each department in
support of e-
learning, will be
clearly defined
Source: Google images
 References
1. Nfila, R. B. ( ) Academic Libraries Support for E-learning:
Initiatives and Opportunities: the case of University of Botswana
Library.
2. Ahmed, T., (2007). "Networked e-information services to
support the e-learning process at UAE University", Electronic
Library, The, Vol. 25 Iss: 3, pp.349 – 362
3. Saeed, R. S. (2006). How digital libraries can support e-learning.
The Electronic Library Vol. 24 No. 3, 2006 pp. 389-401
4. Mei-Yu Wang (2003 ). The strategic role of digital libraries:
issues in e-learning environments. Library review vol. 52 no. 3
pp. 11-116
5. Norasieh A., Philippa, G. (2010).Exploring the use of digital
library services in a blended learning environment: a Malaysian
higher education perspective. Proceedings of ICERI2010
Conference 15th-17th November 2010, Madrid, Spain.