Aldersgate College e-Resources Library Launched

image courtesy of http://edurizon.com/

WHAT IS e-RESOURCES LIBRARY?

Welcome!!! Students, Academics, Professionals, Researchers and fellow Netizens to the e-Resources Library of Aldersgate College! We established this website to simplify the exploration of Digital Libraries, Educational Portals and Websites in the World Wide Web.

The e-Resources Library systematizes the search for Web information which are applicable to the academic programs, courses, subjects and topics studied in school. These digital resources are in the form of Professional and Institutional Websites, Multi-Media Presentations, Videos, Audios, e-Books, e-Journals, e-News, Instructional Modules and Coursewares. They are very ideal learning materials for academic study and research. And even more appropriately, they can be integrated in Instructional Modules and Coursewares used in Pure Online and Blended Online & Classroom modes of instruction.

We classified the e-Resources Library Search options into three (3) general categories:

• e-LEARNING SEARCH
• GENERAL INFORMATION
• DEEPSEARCH

What is e-LEARNING?

• Before explaining e-LEARNING SEARCH, the meaning of e-LEARNING must first be defined. According to WIKIPEDIA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-learning),
  

  “E-learning comprises all forms of electronically-supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, USB and CD/DVD-ROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image

  , animation, streaming video and audio.

  In higher education especially, the increasing tendency is to create a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) (which is sometimes combined with a Management Information System (MIS) to create a Managed Learning Environment) in which all aspects of a course are handled through a consistent user interface standard throughout the institution. A growing number of physical universities, as well as newer online-only colleges, have begun to offer a select set of academic degree and certificate programs via the Internet at a wide range of levels and in a wide range of disciplines. While some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, many are delivered completely online. In addition, several universities offer online student support services, such as online advising and registration, e-counseling, online textbook purchase, student governments and student newspapers.”

  According to howstuffworks, (http://communication.howstuffworks.com /elearning12.htm),“Net generation students are well versed in technology, often arriving on campus adept at communicating by text message, e-mail and message board and armed with laptops, MP3 players, smartphones and PDAs. Many have years of experience with online social networks, blogging and downloading music and video. They’re looking to apply their technology and skills to learning, and schools are finding ways to meet those needs with online courses and hybrids that bring new technology to traditional teaching.

  Yes, these students can take online classes on their personal computers, but they also can:

Download podcasts of course lectures and professors’ audio study notes to their PDAs, smartphones or MP3 players to review wherever and whenever they have time.

Check and copy information from the professor’s daily or weekly blog, including the course syllabus, assignment changes, study notes and other important information.

E-mail or text message study partners to set up study sessions and get answers to each other’s questions about the material they’re studying.

Send instant messages to professors with quick questions or to set up a time to talk more extensively by phone.

Log in to an online forum or visit a private chat room to discuss the topics being studied with the professor and other students in the class.

Take notes, photos or video with an iPod or smartphone during lab experiments or in the field to use later as part of papers, presentations or test preparation.

Bring work home from campus, share information for a collaborative project or submit a project to a professor with a USB flash drive.

Buy and use educational software available for PDAs to review the subject they’re studying.

Complete written, video or presentation assignments and hand them in via e-mail to the professor.

Log in with a secure password to check their ongoing grades in each course. [source: EDUCAUSE]”

What is e-LEARNING SEARCH?

So, e-LEARNING SEARCH is a tool for methodically and swiftly obtaining e-Learning resources from the internet through categorized subject searches, such as: arts & culture, business, criminology, educatio

n, engineering, history, hospitality, informatics, mathematics, medical sciences, music, physical sciences, public administration, and social sciences. Under each of these subjects, search for more precise types of e-Learning resources can be further specified in the following categories: portals, websites, coursewares, videos and e-books.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The search for General Information brings us to portals and websites that provide a broad and comprehensive collection of human knowledge. Search is therefore categorized into Libraries & Museums, Encyclopedia, Dictionaries and Translators.

DEEP SEARCH

Dynamic Searchable Databases comprise the Deep Web. The Deep Web is made up of hundreds of thousands of publicly accessible databases. It is estimated that while Google alone covers around 8 billion pages. And Google is just a part of the searchable or surface Web. The Invisible Web is approximately 500 times bigger than the searchable or surface Web.

At each Deep Web database, a search query instantaneously creates the specified Web page. These dynamic Web pages are not linked since they did not exist before the search query. And they cease to exist after being sent to the requester. This is the reason why the Search engines cannot find them.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

When you use the e-Resources Library all we ask from you is to help us improve its Search Features and expand its Resources Links by filling-up the

SUGGESTION BOX.