Repository of PBS digital education assets will enable PBS member stations to create offerings tailored to the needs of their local communities
PBS today announced the launch of the PBS Digital Learning Library, a PBS system-wide online repository of digital education assets from public broadcasting programs and services nationwide. The PBS Digital Learning Library will be a comprehensive source of “learning objects,” including video, audio, images, games, and interactive simulations designed specifically for classroom use, delivered to teachers exclusively through local PBS stations. Services to deliver these resources to teachers and learners will be available in fall 2009.
As part of an ongoing, multi-year research initiative to identify and provide effective digital media in the classroom, PBS is aggregating its educational content to make it more accessible and practical for classroom use. With the support of content development grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the PBS Digital Learning Library will contain high-quality multimedia resources from PBS member stations and award-winning PBS broadcast programs, all aligned to national and local education standards and tagged for easy searching. The video resources will be provided in short segments that are more classroom-friendly than 30- and 60-minute television programs, and adapted to meet the needs of teachers and students in a 21st-century teaching and learning environment.
“PBS local stations and producers across the country have been developing high-quality digital media for the classroom for many years,” said Kimberly Smith, vice president of education for PBS. “Until now, there has been no way to share these rich resources across the system. For the last two years, we have been working in partnership with our local stations on the planning and implementation of a repository focused on cataloging purpose-built, teacher-tested digital content. The PBS Digital Learning Library will aggregate a growing set of learning objects that teachers and students will be able to interact with, assemble, share, and modify to create truly engaging and transformative educational experiences. And the best part, access to these rich resources will be offered through customized digital services provided by local PBS stations.”
As the main point of service to teachers, PBS member stations will adapt the resources in the Digital Learning Library to meet the needs of educators in their community and to offer new educational services and content. Today, a number of PBS stations offer digital education services, including Maryland Public Television’s Thinkport (www.thinkport.org) and WGBH’s Teacher’s Domain (www.teachersdomain.org).
Over 20 member stations have been participating in a PBS Digital Learning Library pilot as content contributors and a number of the pilot stations are planning on launching digital education services. Stations participating in the pilot include: KAET, KET, KLRN, KNME, KQED, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Maryland Public Television, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, SCETV, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, ThinkTV (Ohio Digital Classroom), Utah Education Network, Vegas PBS, WGBH, WHRO, WOUB, WNEO, WNET, WPSU, WVIZ, WXXI, Wyoming PBS and NewsHour.
With the launch of the PBS Digital Learning Library, many more stations will have access to this wide range of digital content, beginning with the 2009-10 school year.
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