Integrating etextbooks into the VLE: overcoming the challenges

1
Integrating e-textbooks into the VLE overcoming
the challenges

• Dr Richard Cross, Nottingham Trent University
• JISC Collections Workshop Promoting and
  Embedding E-textbooks
• London, 14 September 2007

2
Agenda

• Background and context eBooks and Virtual
  Learning Environments (VLEs)
• Plans and developments at Nottingham Trent
  University
• eBook and VLE integration what would be ideal?
  
• A less than ideal present the nature of the
  challenge
• Moving closer to the ideal towards new
  standards and practices

3
Background and context eBooks and Virtual
Learning Environments (VLEs)

• Most university library services are beginning to
  offer customers eBooks
• Increasingly, universities are delivering taught
  content through VLPs and Virtual Learning
  Environments
• As part of the wider integration of e-resources,
  desire exists to offer access to e-textbooks
  through VLE mediation
• How hard can it be? embedding web links is
  easy
• Reality is that there are numerous complex
  challenges
• Tension is between the need to deliver now and
  the recognition that the environment remains in
  development and flux

4
Plans and developments at Nottingham Trent
University

• Libraries and Learning Resources (LLR) at NTU is
  in midst of year long pilot with some major eBook
  providers
• The university is the early stages of
  implementing a new Virtual Learning Environment
• LLR is in the process of launching a series of
  inter-related reading list projects
• agreeing standards of what constitutes a reading
  list
• getting reading list data from academics
• Streamlining an acquisitions model based on data
  (with an e-preference)
• Delivery of e-Textbooks to students will be a
  important component of all three projects

5
eBook and VLE integration what would be ideal?

• Recognition on the part of information providers
  of the importance of accepted and interoperable
  standards
• Easy mechanisms for all stakeholders to use
• Intuitive, flexible, seamless and scalable
  end-user systems
• Ability to deep-link to high-degree of
  granularity to embed
• Support for both prescriptive list-based and
  wider resource-discovery systems
• Direct customers to precise locations within the
  eBook object
• Enable customers to search intelligently across a
  wider eBook framework

6
A less than ideal present

• A wide range of challenges exist, involving
• Virtual Learning Environment systems and
  platforms
• eBook publisher and provider market
• Reading list systems and applications
• Nature of eBook metadata
• Types of linking syntax
• Local management of VLE systems and library
  services
• Expectation of academics and students regarding
  the use of eBooks

7
External factorsIntegrating e-textbooks into
the VLE overcoming the challenges
8
Virtual Learning Environment systems

• Surprisingly weak integration of resource
  discovery mechanisms and tools, particularly
  Reading List applications
• Tend towards a focus on internal repository or
  library silo based
• Reliance on basic add a link web functionality
• Integration with library services effectively
  outsourced to the user community or to
  third-party applications DIY or bolt-on apps
• Yet building widgets and plug-ins poses
  additional challenges
• Reliance on third-party integration may also be
  difficult (not all are necessarily designed for
  the purpose Ref Man applications)
• Seamless integration of external subscription
  resources is made much more challenging

9
eBook publisher and provider market

• Sector still in period of significant growth
  increasing numbers of providers, platforms
• Availability and selection remain key constraints
• Aggregator packages
• Selective, title-by-title
• On demand
• Free collections
• Inconsistencies of format, metadata, cataloguing,
  presentation, linking and resource discovery
  mechanisms
• Higher end eBook functionality tends towards the
  platform-specific often plug-in software based
• Electronic book format itself remains limited
  in conception

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Reading list systems and applications

• Bolt-on or third party systems make resource
  discovery work cycle more complicated
• Have to choose between direct linking (to
  electronic resource) or library mediated (via
  OPAC record)
• An unintended problem is that in this fractured
  environment, eBook providers have attempted to
  help
• Using bespoke bookshelves and booklists
• Not readily based on any standards
• Solutions are platform specific
• Offers fixed links to a providers own interfaces
  and platforms
• Data not easily accessible to VLE or Library teams

11
Linking syntax and metadata standards

• Absence of centralised authoritative source of
  eBook catalogue records
• Provider metadata is often inconsistent and
  incomplete makes use of different identifiers
  and linking mechanisms
• Linking syntax is often bespoke and based on
  system variables
• Specifically, providers record and utilise ISBN
  (10 and 13 digit) and e-ISBN (10 and 13 digit)
  differently

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Linking syntax II OpenURL

• OpenURL link resolvers are increasingly able to
  work with eBook as well as ejournal contents
• Enables linking and delivery to be managed and
  controlled by library services
• Supports ISBN based linking to the title level
• Links are context-sensitive (unlike DOIs)
• Inbound OpenURLs are persistent, even when the
  librarys subscription changes
• Enables access to all subscription copies of a
  title through a single OpenURL
• Not all university library services operate an
  OpenURL link resolver
• Not all eBook providers are suitably compliant
  or willing to share up-to-date metadata with link
  resolver providers
• OpenURL v.1.0 standard does not cope well with
  chapters collections pages sub-title level
  elements, including specific start pages

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Linking syntax III Digital Object Identifiers

• DOIs are used by some eBook publishers and
  providers to offer persistent links to eBook
  content
• Publishers most readily use it to resolve to the
  eBook title level
• A small minority of publishers and platforms
  offer additional granularity (chapter,
  illustration or section DOIs)
• DOI management is controlled by the publisher
• DOIs offer persistent URLs which are
  context-insensitive
• Problem of the inappropriate copy

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Linking syntax IV 856 links in OPAC records

• Using the metadata skills of the librarian to
  catalogue eBooks
• In absence of definitive source of eBook
  catalogue records
• eBook providers provide catalogue records for LMS
  import (from cost included gt premium cost added)
• Alternatively, individual records generated on
  demand by library cataloguers
• Links in VLE to eBook content point to OPAC
  records library mediates delivery
• Uneven and unpredictable quality of publishers
  eBook records
• Significant resource overhead for library service
• Scale of free eBook collections is increasingly
  un-catalogue-able

15
Internal factorsIntegrating e-textbooks into
the VLE overcoming the challenges
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Local management of VLE systems and library
services

• Often VLE and LIS services are delivered by
  separate teams
• VLE teams experts in educational pedagogy
  management of online learning environment
• Library teams experts in metadata, resource
  discovery and linkage
• More usual that VLE teams have developer
  experience and resource Library services tend
  not to where both teams employ techies they do
  not necessarily talk the same language

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Academics, reading lists and library services

• Academics need to be enthused about the idea of
  integrating e-Textbook content into their online
  VLE presence
• Integration needs to be easy to do to securing
  the buy-in to discourage by-passing or
  workarounds
• More than just a clickable link sought
• Desire to embed eBook content within learning
  objects deep-link
• Requirement to annotate, customise, rank and
  order
• Most efficient system is for academics to
  generate their own VLE based links and lists
• Major overhead if the library has to repurpose
  data submitted by academics
• Yet there can be QA issues, where library is
  supporting linkages created by others
• Library service also needs access to the reading
  list data for collection management purposes

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Student expectation regarding eBooks

• Keen interest enthusiasm for electronic versions
  of materials
• Direct, deep-link access through as few clicks as
  possible
• Ability to annotate, highlight, grab text, grab
  citation, export illustrations and data
• Ability to bookmark, build bookshelves, create
  shared spaces
• Option to recommend, tag and review e-Textbook
  content (Web 2.0 functionality social computing
  aspects)
• Can-do licencing terms support for printing,
  saving, re-purposing
• Potential obstacle is the requirement /
  preference to print cost and licensing
  constraint
• As with academics, success is premised on a
  student buy-in to the utility of the e-Textbook

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Moving closer to the idealIntegrating
e-textbooks into the VLE overcoming the
challenges
20
Moving closer to the ideal publishers

• Open, interoperable standards not proprietary
  solutions
• eBook publishers and platforms need to move away
  from bespoke and introspective solutions (which
  are anything but)
• Providers assumption should be that they will be
  one source amongst many others
• Need for recognition that engaging with
  interoperable standards is vital
• Provision of rich and accurate metadata (and
  catalogue records) need to become core service
  requirements (not cost-added options)
• Beyond the .pdf greater innovation is required
  in eBook formats

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Moving closer to the ideal universities

• Collaboration and best practice workflows and
  data management
• Library and VLE teams must work in close
  collaboration
• Process must support stakeholders different areas
  of expertise
• Academics selecting and identifying appropriate
  eBook content
• VLE teams streamlining process of integrating
  discovery of resources
• Library teams acquisition, description and
  delivery of material
• Academics and students must both find the
  integration of e-Textbooks rewarding and
  value-added

22
Moving closer to the ideal VLE providers

• Interoperable resource discovery systems as
  integral not optional
• Reading List functionality and resource
  discovery mechanisms have to become core elements
  of VLE functionality
• Manufacturers should stop relying on their
  ability to outsource this work
• Need for far more open and extensive discussions
  between LMS vendors, portal manufacturers and VLE
  providers

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Moving closer to the ideal wider context

• Advances in metadata authority and linking syntax
  standards
• Need for an authoritative source of eBook
  catalogue metadata
• Future iterations of the OpenURL standard need to
  handle eBooks in a more fluid way
• DOI linkage needs to prove its utility direct
  linking which is context insensitive can be
  easy and inaccurate

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In the meantime

• Universities and library services need to engage
  with eBooks now
• Working with best-practicable solutions
• Demonstrating the proof-of-concept of the
  e-Textbook to academics and students
• Bringing together the VLE and library service as
  discovery and delivery partners for electronic
  materials
• Recognising that discovery tools need to support
  both prescriptive and open approaches
• Lobbying publishers, platforms and VLE
  manufacturers to deliver flexible solutions that
  work for our customers