Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning

learning, the relationship between academic libraries and e-learning is
explored. It is aimed at the library community but also more widely at
the global academic community. The paper made recommendations that
OCLC, as a library advocate, should assist libraries in raising awareness
among the academic community and commercial vendors of the benefits
of library involvement in virtual learning environments. They should
also promote the idea of service convergence to provide learners with
improved access. The Taskforce also recommended that OCLC should
integrate learning object management support into their products and
services.
Conclusion
This chapter has examined several definitions of e-learning, how it
developed and a brief overview of the tools that are currently available.
More importantly it has looked at the increasing body of research that
suggests that e-learning is highly relevant to librarians. In particular, the
publication of the OCLC E-learning Taskforce White Paper signifies
wide recognition among the global library profession that e-learning is
having a major impact on their work. In the UK, through the work of
JISC, librarians have now been involved in learning technology projects
for a number of years. Two professions and two cultures are finding their
future increasingly aligned. While two separate roles will remain,
organisations are increasingly recruiting individuals with knowledge of
both areas. The remainder of this book goes on to discuss some of the
key topics that librarians will need to understand to be fully engaged
with digital library and e-learning developments.
49

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Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning Environment
Notes
1.
See: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/index.html
2.
See: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edtechprograms/theexpertpanel.pdf.
3.
See: http://www.educause.edu/
4.
See: http://www.alt.ac.uk/sigs.html
5.
See: HEFCE Report 99/39. Use of TLTP materials in UK higher education.
Available from: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/1999/99_39.htm
6.
See: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=mle_overview
7.
See: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=mle_programmes
8.
See: http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/
9.
More information is available: http://www.blackboard.com/about/
index.htm
10. See: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/funding_elearning_demos.html
11. See: http://www.cni.org/organization.html
12. See: http://inspiral.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/documents/casestudies.html
13. Linking Digital Libraries with VLEs (DiVLE) Programme website.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_divle
14. More information is available on the JISC website: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/
index.cfm?name=programme_dlitc
References
Appelmans, Thomas (2002) E-learning. Available from: http://student
.vub.ac.be/~tappelma/communicatie/e-learning.pdf.
Britain, Sandy and Liber, Oleg (1999) A framework for pedagogical
evaluation of virtual learning environments, JTAP report. Available
from: http://www.jtap.ac.uk/reports/htm/jtap-041.html.
Brophy, P., Markland, M. and Jones, C. (2003) Link
ER
: Linking Digital
Libraries and Virtual Learning Environments: Evaluation and Review
Final Report: Formative Evaluation of the DiVLE Programme.
Deliverable D5, Link
ER
Project, Centre for Research in Library and
Information Management.
Brown, S. and Currier, S. (2001) INSPIRAL Project Literature Review.
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Conole, G. and Oliver, M. (2002) ‘Embedding theory into learning
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