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The Using Data in the Classroom project was active between 2003 and 2010. Much of the content dates from that time period and so may not be up to date. We are preserving the content here because it still contains useful ideas.

The Activities Collection draws from newer projects across SERC. You may also want to explore the Data and Models resources discoverable through Teach the Earth

Recent Developments

Data Services Third Year Workplan

The Data Services team's Third Year Workplan (Microsoft Word 23kB Jan26 07) is available to the DLESE Community.

Accomplishments in 2005

Plans are underway for the 2006 Data Services Workshop. The workshop will be held May 15 through 17 in Tucson, Arizona.

Seventy-two participants attended the 2005 Data Services Workshop April 18-20, 2005 in Breckenridge, Colorado. Twelve teams worked on development of data-rich educational modules. Development of these modules (Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapters) continues.

A major challenge for Data Services is to resolve issues about which datasets and tools should be included in the library and how to make them discoverable. Efficient and effective mechanisms to assure the quality of content, appropriateness of metadata, usability of interfaces, and pedagogical effectiveness of data-rich sites are essential to the successful integration of data into DLESE.

The Data Access Working Group (DAWG) met March 24-25, 2005 to begin addressing this challenge. They formed four task forces to work toward resolution on these issues. The questions the task forces are charged to address are

  1. What should data look like within DLESE?
  2. Metadata for data sites: What minimum and desired metadata standards should be implemented for data?
  3. Data site quality descriptors: What are the review criteria for data?
  4. Articulating the Developer Space: What should the "intellectual commons" for developers of data-rich resources look like?

Data Services is making progress toward DLESE's vision of providing easy access to educationally relevant data sets and tools by:

  • taking a leadership role in articulating metadata standards for data and tools
  • playing a coordinating role in engaging the research community in facilitating accessibility and usability of Earth science data
  • contributing to data use capacity building efforts among federal agencies
  • coordinating technical access, content, and applications development among a team of external projects.

Accomplishments in 2004

Data Services achieved its goals and completed scheduled activities in the DLESE Core Services Integrated Work Plan (IWP) for 2004. Accomplishments include:

  • reconvening the Data Access Working Group (DAWG), engaging and supporting strategic data providers, tool developers, and educators to contribute to library efforts to incorporate data and tools into the library
  • creating five new educational modules for the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET)
  • Contributing to the development of data-rich demonstrators (exemplars) available through DLESE Community Services
  • using THREDDS (middleware) to facilitate powerful data use in undergraduate classes, and to generate content for an EET chapter
  • convening a productive workshop in 2004, as documented by Evaluation Services report (Microsoft Word 373kB Jan26 07)
  • initiating new collaborations to facilitate the use of data in education. Several clusters of the 2004 workshop participants are working on educational modules and developing proposals for bringing additional data-rich materials to the library.

In DLESE's quality review process, the DAWG and Data Services made significant contributions by providing a 'white paper'] that included recommendations for inclusion of datasets within DLESE. Data Services, the DAWG, and Community Services plan to continue their current collaborations, featuring the Using Data in the Classroom portal to demonstrate how DLESE can provide access to data and tools, promote effective teaching with these data, and support educators and developers who create data-rich educational modules. The collective goal is to more completely integrate pedagogic information with access to data and teaching materials and develop more ready-to-use examples.