What is DLNET?
What is the relationship between DLNET and NSDL? Where can I find more information about NSDL?
Where do I start to contribute Learning Resources to DLNET?
Where do I start to review Learning Objects at DLNET?
Where do I start to search and browse DLNET resources?
Is there a list of DLNET documents that I can view/download?
Where can I make a suggestion or recommendation to DLNET?

What is DLNET?
DLNET stands for Digital Library Network for Engineering and Technology. It is a digital library project funded by the National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Digital Library (NSDL) initiative of the National Science Foundation under NSF Grant DUE-0085849. DLNET is envisaged as a repository of "Learning Objects" (LOs) as well as a platform for information discovery, interaction, content-building and distribution that will support pedagogy and learning in Engineering and Technology.DLNET is a collaborative effort of four institutions: American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), Iowa State University (ISU) and Virginia Tech (VATECH). DLNET is hosted by the Alexandria Research Institution (ARI) of Virginia Tech. Click here for more information.

What is the relationship between DLNET and NSDL? Where can I find more information about NSDL?
NSDL is an initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a National STEM* Education Digital Library. Its objective is to establish an integrated digital library serving the collective needs of the broad STEM educational community by providing a network of learning resources and environments. Physically, the NSDL consists of a federation of digital libraries and collections in all aspects of STEM. DLNET is part of or federation of the community of digital librairies under the NSDL hosting learning resources in engineering and technology. For more information on NSDL, read "Pathways to Progress: Challenges and Goals of building the Social and Technical Infrstructure of the NSDL." Additional information on the development activities and issues of NSDL is available at its Communication Portal.

* STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics


Where do I start to contribute Learning Resources to DLNET?
Contributing at DLNET is access-controlled, i.e., you must first login to DLNET. If you are new and do not have an account at DLNET, please register here. Once logged in, click the Submit Resource button on the menubar. You will then be directed to the appropriate site. Read more on contributing here.

Where do I start to review Learning Objects at DLNET?
Reviewing learning objects at DLNET is access-controlled, i.e., you must first login to DLNET. If you are new and do not have an account at DLNET, please register here. Once logged in, click the Review Resource button on the menubar. You will then be directed to the appropriate site. Read more on contributing here.

Where do I start to search and browse DLNET resources?
You can begin searching for resources at the DLNET homepage. Just enter the keyword at the Search Content space. For more advanced searches, try the combined search and browse search options. Read more on searching here.

Is there a list of DLNET documents that I can view/download?
Yes, DLNET resources such as working documents, reports, presentations, schemas, definitions and specifications, are all available for viewing and downloading by the public here.

Where can I make a suggestion or recommendation to DLNET?
You can submit your suggestions and recommendations to DLNET here.

Why register?
Selected services in DLNET such as downloading, contributing and reviewing are access controlled, i.e., you will need to login with a valid userid and password. You must register, therefore, to obtain a userid and password. The benefits of registering is that you will be able to get personalized service in the form of a "My DLNET" page, a central location where you can track your transactions (downloads, uploads, reviews, etc.) and launch various library activities. For DLNET, registration will help tailor its collections scope and services to better serve users.

How do I register with DLNET?
To register, fill out the form here. All registrants must fill Section A for the form. To become a contributor and/or reviewer, continue filling Section B of the form.

I forgot my userID and password…
Just send us your name, userid and email address through here and we will send you email with your password.

How do I update my DLNET profile?
Once you are logged in to DLNET, you can change your profile using the View/Modify Profile link on the left hand corner of the page.

I am registered as USER, how do I change to CONTRIBUTOR and/or REVIEWER?
To become a USER and/or CONTRIBUTOR, login to your My DLNET Page, click View/Modify Profile and change your status. Continue filling out Section B of the registration form where you will be asked to provide additional information regarding your education and profession as well as areas of interest. You will also be required to provide three references.

I am registered as a CONTRIBUTOR, how do I change to a REVIEWER and vice versa?
Login to your My DLNET Page and click View/Modify Profile. Go to Section B of the form and change your Role accordingly.

Why contribute?
DLNET is part of NSDL, an integrated digital library that will serve as a gateway to diverse digital collections in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics community. Contributing means joining this new and exciting world of education and collaboration. By contributing resources to DLNET, and hence to the NSDL community, you will earn recognition and esteem akin to that obtained from publishing on a respectable journal. For organizations and institutions in particular, the benefits of allowing the discovery of their Engineering and Technology collections through the DLNET and NSDL portals can be both rewarding and productive. Among others, it will increase the institution's visibility resulting in increase in memberships and subscriptions. More importantly, it will increase the transfer of knowledge and technology resulting in more scholarship, research and development activities.

What types of content does DLNET accept?
DLNET will accept various types and formats of learning resources in Engineering and Technology. These include papers, tutorials, course packages, multimedia presentations, and simulations, etc. Formats accepted include texts, markup languages, video, audio, image, applications, scripts and codes. A complete discussion on the types and formats as well as the requirements of contents accepted at DLNET is given in the Collections Scope Document. In general, contributions to DLNET must be classifiable under Engineering and Technology; exhibit exceptional quality, integrity and educational/pedagogical value and be copyright-free for personal and educational use and distribution.

Why can't DLNET accept my raw content (in MS word, pdf or html files) directly?
DLNET must first package your content into a package interchange file (PIF), a common standard being adopted worldwide for sharing, distributing and managing instructional resources over the web. DLNET is using the IMS Metadata and Content Packaging Specification which bundles your content together with its metadata (information about the content) into a DLNET Learning Object (LO) before uploading it to the repository.

What is a DLNET Learning Object?
A learning object in DLNET is defined as a structured, standalone resource that encapsulates information in a manner that facilitates learning and pedagogy. It is a resource with a stated objective and a designated audience. More importantly, it has ownership and associated intellectual property rights. For more information on DLNET Learning Objects, read this document.

How do I create DLNET LO?
You create a DLNET LO whenever you use DLNET's Learning Object Packaging Tool for packaging and submitting your learning resource.

I still don't understand the DLNET Tool and what it does?
DLNET's Learning Object (LO) Packaging Tool will assist you in preparing your content for the submission process. The Tool performs three tasks: (i) It harvests metadata (i.e., information about the content) from you, the author or creator of the content via an interactive form, (ii) It validates the contents of your resource by ensuring that all the components including files, folders, and links are present and accounted for. It parses through the folder or workspace recursively, creating a manifest of the files that constitute the learning object, and finally, (iii) It bundles the metadata with the resource and manifest files processed in the validation stage to create a packaged interchange file we call a DLNET LO, a zipped folder that can then be uploaded to the DLNET website. The LO created from your submission becomes a resource that can readily be utilized by learners, educators and course builders. The most important attribute of the LO is that it encapsulates metadata (information about the resource and its creator) together with the resource you contributed. Thus, wherever your LO goes, so will the metadata that you created, ensuring that your contribution is recognized and acknowledged readily by all who use it.

Where do I get the DLNET Learning Object Packaging Tool and how do I use it?
You can download the DLNET Learning Object Packaging Tool here. For details on how to use the tool, read the tool guidelines. You will need to login DLNET with a valid userid and password to download the tool.

Can I submit a URL link to my resource instead of submitting the content itself?
Yes, you can provide a link to your resource at DLNET. You will be required to fill out the form here. The information you provide in the form will be used to create a metadata record of the resource that will facilitate its discovery over DLNET and the NSDL.

Why review?
Reviews are necessary to assess the quality, integrity and educational value of both newly submitted and archived contents. By volunteering as a content reviewer, you will play an essential role in upkeeping the standards of DLNET thereby contributing to NSDL's vision of excellence in STEM education for all. Furthermore, serving as a conent reviewer can translate into getting STEM-wide recognition as being the expert in your particular subject area. As a general user, by reviewing and ranking the contents and learning objects that you access at DLNET, you can help maintain the quality of the collection and, more importantly, contribute to the continuing development of its collections scope. For more information, please read the Reviewer's Guidelines.

I am going to be busy for next few weeks, how do I temporarily suspend my reviewer status…
Just send email to the DLNET administrator.

What is the difference between simple search, advanced search and browse search?
The simple search is based on keywords only. The advanced search is used to narrow the search area by providing the user additional selections criteria such as Author Name, Title, Description, Keyword and Format, etc. The browse search is used to search the DLNET collection by the type of Engineering topics and subtopics.

Can I download DLNET Learning Objects?
Yes, you can download DLNET Learning Objects of your interest. However, downloading is access-controlled, i.e., you must be registered at DLNET with a valid userid and password, before you can download resources from DLNET.

What standards are being used in DLNET?
DLNET has adopted the IMS Meta-data Specification, Version 1.2.1 for its metadata records. The IMS specification was chosen instead of the Dublin Core Specification as it was more suited for engineering and technology content. DLNET has also adopted the IMS Content Packaging Specification  to describe and package learning objects into interoperable, distributable packages.

What about OAI?
OAI stands for Open Archives Initiative, a protocol that facilitates metadata harvesting through an application-independent interoperability framework that can be used by a variety of communities who are engaged in publishing content on the Web. DLNET has adopted OAI for sharing metadata with the NSDL. Visit our OAI site here.