First stage - content dissemination
The first stage in building up the Educational Gateway was to establish basic services for content dissemination. The main tasks in content dissemination was to construct a database for all content related to studies, organise the dissemination of educational content, design a curriculum database and monitor the quality of the content.
Connections will be established with the National Library Consortium, which is owned by the State and municipalities and is working to establish a common library system for all libraries in Iceland. The information there has an urgent role to play in the Educational Gateway. After The National Library Consortium has been set up, the linking of these two systems can be completed, thereby establishing joint utilisation and improved services for users. The same applies to a new information system for upper secondary schools (inna.is) and access to electronic databases and magazines (hvar.is).
On their own, several software developers have already developed solutions related to content dissemination in one way or another. It can be assumed that content dissemination can be linked with these parties and thus increase the services offered on the Educational Gateway. However, since the Educational Gateway store the main basic information about content and provide access to it, it is necessary to ensure that the content meets quality standards.
As mentioned previously, groups have been working on how to record the data, i.e., which information must accompany particular data to make searches for them successful. Following this, an analysis is required of how and subject to what conditions a search will be conducted. A decision has been made to follow the Dublin Core input standard, and the standard and instructions for it have already been translated into Icelandic. This information can be found here.
The function of the Web site, menntagatt.is, is to provide access to all the information and functionality offered by content dissemination. The Web site therefore plays a key role in the entire project.
The Educational Gateway Web site build on a database with recorded educational content and searches defined by the users' needs. Teachers, students and others are able to find content related to curricular goals, teaching instructions, teaching materials, pictures, interactive examinations, etc. In the future, the Educational Gateway will provide information about other databases, domestic and foreign, containing content meeting search criteria.
The interface was of the Educational Gateway was set up in the simplest fashion to facilitate all communications. To ensure that the planned acceptance and the interface meet the needs of the users. If the user does not understand what he is supposed to do, the Educational Gateway will not be utilised as it should. In the same way, it was necessary to provide for detailed instructions about searching for and handling content.
As users learn to use the system, their demands grow. Consequently, the interface must be monitored constantly and be under continuous development. It is thus possible to follow whether the interface meets users' needs each time and make the interface as user-friendly as possible. Ultimately, the user has the final say on whether the Educational Gateway achieves its set goals.
In the later stages of the Educational Gateway, a natural development is connections with more educational databases. In many places abroad databases for educational content and teaching are being constructed, to which it will be possible to offer access.
It is necessary to continue to publicise this project well within the educational community and thereby create a positive image. A great deal of work has already gone on within the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture concerning presentations on incorporation of the Internet into the school system. It is necessary to continue and even increase this activity while this project is being built up.
