1 Open access study materials about information management in OceanTeacher vub.ac.be vub.ac.be Vrije Universiteit Brussel Belgium Presented at UNESCO-IOC-IODE meeting of IODE Officers and the OceanTeacher Steering Group, at the IODE Project Office in Oostende/Ostend, Belgium 8-10 February 2006

2 1.About UNESCO-IOC-IODE 2.Evolution and aims of OceanTeacher 3.Structure and contents of OceanTeacher 4.Plans for further development of OceanTeacher 5.Challenges and bottlenecks related to OceanTeacher 6.Assessment/evaluation of OceanTeacher - contents - summary - structure - overview of this contribution

3 UNESCO-IOC-IODE activities aimed at capacity building UNESCO UNESCO-IOC UNESCO-IOC-IODE UNESCO-IOC-IODE capacity building

4 UNESCO-IOC-IODE activities aimed at capacity building National & regional workshops and training coursesNational & regional workshops and training courses Advisory missionsAdvisory missions InternshipsInternships Regional Ocean Data & Information Exchange Networks For instanceRegional Ocean Data & Information Exchange Networks For instance »ODINAFRICA for Africa (running) »ODINCARSA for the Carribean and South America (needs more funding) »ODINCINDIO for the Indian Ocean? Training tools: OceanTeacher !Training tools: OceanTeacher !

5 UNESCO-IOC-IODE regional ODIN networks The ODIN strategy includes the following components:The ODIN strategy includes the following components: »Linking of training  equipment  operational support »Stimulating regional co-operation »Orientation towards concrete products and services »Taking into account the many stakeholders

6 OceanTeacher situated in UNESCO-IOC-IODE UNESCO UNESCO-IOC UNESCO-IOC-IODE UNESCO-IOC-IODE capacity building UNESCO-IOC-IODE OceanTeacher

7 UNESCO-IOC-IODE project OceanTeacher OceanTeacher provides training tools for data and information exchange in general and in particular for applications in ocean science.OceanTeacher provides training tools for data and information exchange in general and in particular for applications in ocean science. These tools are used during IODE training courses, but they can also be used for self training and continuous professional development.These tools are used during IODE training courses, but they can also be used for self training and continuous professional development. The WWW site is accessible free of charge.The WWW site is accessible free of charge. The site can also be obtained on 1 DVD diskThe site can also be obtained on 1 DVD disk

8 UNESCO-IOC-IODE the evolution towards OceanTeacher : no standard curriculum : no standard curriculum 1997: start of the development of HTML-based training curriculum on CD1997: start of the development of HTML-based training curriculum on CD 1998: start of the IODE “ResourceKit”1998: start of the IODE “ResourceKit” 2001: “ResourceKit” + training modules = OceanTeacher2001: “ResourceKit” + training modules = OceanTeacher

9 UNESCO-IOC-IODE the evolution towards OceanTeacher 2003: refinement of the outline = taxonomy = classification of the study materials2003: refinement of the outline = taxonomy = classification of the study materials

10 UNESCO-IOC-IODE the evolution towards OceanTeacher 2004: bringing together in common modules the documents on topics that are relevant for data as well as information management, such as ICT and metadata; renaming to OceanTeacher “Digital Library” + “Courses”2004: bringing together in common modules the documents on topics that are relevant for data as well as information management, such as ICT and metadata; renaming to OceanTeacher “Digital Library” + “Courses”

11 UNESCO-IOC-IODE project OceanTeacher This can be considered primarily as an open access digital library developed in an international co-operation.This can be considered primarily as an open access digital library developed in an international co-operation. This offersThis offers »documents »hyperlinks to documents on the WWW »computer programs »references to related products (such as the FAO cd-rom)

12 OceanTeacher digital library Information management in science Information management in ocean science Data management in science Data management in ocean science Global oceanography today Information and communication science and technology

13 OceanTeacher digital library The digital library can be browsed.The digital library can be browsed. To facilitate editing and browsing, a taxonomy is developed and applied.To facilitate editing and browsing, a taxonomy is developed and applied. The contents can be searched using an external search system (for instance Google Web search).The contents can be searched using an external search system (for instance Google Web search).

14 OceanTeacher digital library and courses OceanTeacher Digital library Courses Besides the digital library, various “courses” guide users and trainees through the digital library, in a way that corresponds to the aims and audience of a particular training course.

15 OceanTeacher size OceanTeacher is in 2005 perhaps the largest stand- alone, single-topic teaching system on the is in 2005 perhaps the largest stand- alone, single-topic teaching system on the WWW. It incorporates the followingIt incorporates the following »1.5 GBytes »More than 6000 individual files »About 4000 illustrations »More than internal cross-links that integrate the entire system »More than links to external resources »Many oceanographic textbooks

16 OceanTeacher challenges and bottlenecks Permission must be obtained to include some materials in OceanTeacher, even when they are available/accessible free of chargePermission must be obtained to include some materials in OceanTeacher, even when they are available/accessible free of charge continued…

17 OceanTeacher challenges and bottlenecks Only few study materialsOnly few study materials »are available free of charge »offer high quality contents »are up to date and will be updated later when needed continued…

18 OceanTeacher challenges and bottlenecks Keeping copies of documents and programs up to date in the OceanTeacher system, when the original master version contents is updated elsewhereKeeping copies of documents and programs up to date in the OceanTeacher system, when the original master version contents is updated elsewhere International co-operation requires some face-to-face contacts, which is expensiveInternational co-operation requires some face-to-face contacts, which is expensive continued…

19 OceanTeacher challenges and bottlenecks Funds are limited (of course)Funds are limited (of course) Differences in language among the users hinder communication, training and learning (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese…)Differences in language among the users hinder communication, training and learning (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese…) …

20 Further development of OceanTeacher Development goes on in the ODIMEX project from 2004 to 2007.Development goes on in the ODIMEX project from 2004 to This work is supported by the Government of Flanders, Belgium.This work is supported by the Government of Flanders, Belgium.

21 Further development of OceanTeacher Enlarge and improve the open access digital library of study materials on data and information managementEnlarge and improve the open access digital library of study materials on data and information management In parallel: Evaluate, refine and improve the taxonomy / structure of the digital libraryIn parallel: Evaluate, refine and improve the taxonomy / structure of the digital library

22 Further development of OceanTeacher Expand the topics covered, withExpand the topics covered, with »Remote Sensing »Marine biological data management »Operational oceanography data management »Circulation modelling

23 Further development of OceanTeacher Expand target audience: focus also on scientists in related areas, not only data and information managers.Expand target audience: focus also on scientists in related areas, not only data and information managers. Derive from OceanTeacher a more or less standard proposed university curricula, for various study programs.Derive from OceanTeacher a more or less standard proposed university curricula, for various study programs. Focus not only on starting data and information centers in developing countries, but also on continuous professional development.Focus not only on starting data and information centers in developing countries, but also on continuous professional development.

24 Further development of OceanTeacher Extend OceanTeacher from a static web site to a web site that is managed by a contents management system, which is of course based on a database management system andExtend OceanTeacher from a static web site to a web site that is managed by a contents management system, which is of course based on a database management system and »which provides an electronic learning environment »which can not only be browsed, but also searched by an internal search system

25 UNESCO-IOC-IODE OceanTeacher www site Files on the WWW database evolution Contributors Web master Contributors

26 Questions and suggestions are welcome