BEN Scholars Program Wrap Up Presentation by Yolanda S. George, AAAS

About the BEN Scholars Program The goal of the BEN Scholars Program is to promote the use of digital library resources and student-centered teaching and learning methods in higher education, specifically in biological sciences lecture and laboratory courses, and in research training programs. The program works both directly with faculty, as BEN Scholars, and indirectly through outreach activities led by BEN Scholars. Outreach activities are aimed at biological sciences faculty and are carried out on campus with departments, locally throughout the region, and nationally through professional societies.

Duties and Responsibilities of the BEN Scholars Program over the next 2 years: A.Submit at least one or more learning resources to BEN Collaborator libraries or the BEN portal. B.Encourage student centered teaching in biological sciences at the higher education level. C. Encourage biological sciences faculty to use digital libraries to find teaching resources, specifically the use of: The BEN portal and its resources; The digital libraries and e-resources of BEN Collaborators; The NSDL University Faculty Page, including the Expert Voices to biological science. D. Encourage biological sciences faculty to submit learning resource to one of the BEN Collaborator libraries or the BEN Portal.

Key Deadlines for BEN Scholars Continuation of Mentoring (Now until Early March) Submit Travel Vouchers by Jan 15, 2007 Complete Career Exploration Activity by January 31, 2007 Submit Resource to a Digital Library of a BEN Collaborator by March 15, 2007 Submit Final Outreach Plan by May 1, 2007 (Ideally, outreach activities should start by summer) Additional deadlines for outreach and other activities will be established Submit annual report ( ) by November 30, 2007 – More Detail to Follow (report update on outreach, including presentations, articles written, etc., as well as an estimated number of people reached)

Send Me a s any time to – – with ideas Improving the portal search process For outreach to other professional societies For outreach materials and give aways

Recognition for Scholars Science magazine ad with your names and institutions Press release sent to your school and other places (might be contacted by AAAS Communications person) Letters to Departments and others Plaque Upon Completion of Program

Other comments How is BEN funded? You can Dave Joiner -- Scholar Workshop Activities Posted at BEN

Challenges & Where We Need Your Help A. Increasing Numbers of Biological Sciences Faculty that Use The BEN Portal from about 7,500 to 15,000 Users by December B. Increasing Peer Reviewed Resources in the BEN Portal from about 4,600 to 27,000 by September of 2010 ***Identifying collaborators that want to catalog resources ***Increasing submissions of new resources by faculty (2,700 new faculty submissions by 2010)

Challenges & Where We Need Your Help (Continued) C. Fostering Departmental Involvement ***Student centered learning in the biological sciences ***Incentives for faculty that develop teaching & learning projects & resources, particularly e-resources D. Improving Quality of BEN Portal Search – A Work in Progress (Community Building) ***Peer Reviewers ***Site Reviewers ***Metadata Reviewers ***Faculty on Sabbatical

Thank you for all Your Great Suggestions and Hard Work!!!