Frequently Asked Questions for APS Archive of Teaching Resources
What is the APS Archive of Teaching Resources?
The Archive is a searchable database that can be used by teachers at all levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate and medical school) to enhance and supplement their current teaching resources. It was created for and by APS members and others as a repository of lessons, lab exercises, case histories, test questions, figures, lectures, graphics and multimedia files, and links to physiology teaching resources on the web.
What is BEN?
The BiosciEd Net (BEN) Collaborative is spearheaded by AAAS and includes more than 20 professional societies and coalitions for biology education (including the APS). Through the BEN portal site (http://www.biosciednet.org), the BEN Collaborative provides searchable and seamless access to the digital library collections of its partners to provide users with accurate and reliable biology education resources.
In 2005, BEN was recognized as the biology portal site for the National Science Digital Library.
What is NSDL?
The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) (http://www.nsdl.org) is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded digital library for all the sciences (biology, mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, etc.). It is composed of specialized portal sites (BEN is the biology portal).
Cataloguing information on all the materials in BEN is uploaded to NSDL to allow for searching from the National Digital Library. While all the materials listed at BEN have been peer reviewed, not all materials in NSDL have undergone that process for scientific accuracy.
Who are the APS partners?
APS currently has three partners in the Archive: Human Anatomy and
Physiology Society (HAPS), Society for Developmental Biology (SDB), and National
Association of Health and Science Education Partnerships (NAHSEP). These
societies chose to partner with APS rather than have the expense and time
involved to develop a digital library and database system of their own.
However, each of these societies is responsible for cataloguing and reviewing the materials that their members submit to the Archive. Accepted items are easily identifiable in the Archive as being associated with a particular society. In addition, the cataloguing information on all of their accepted materials also is uploaded to the BEN site where it is identified as being from a particular society. It also gets uploaded to the NSDL site.
Who can submit to the Archive?
Anyone can submit material he/she has developed to the Archive. You do not need to be a member of APS or of any of the BEN partner organizations to submit your material. The copyright for the material remains with you and you can withdraw your item at any time.
What restrictions are there on using the material I find in the Archive?
You may download and use materials hosted on our site for purposes such as teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. Images and information can be used on educational non-commercial materials and websites. Each time materials are downloaded from the Archive, the user is required to accept the policies established prior to obtaining the materials. The only requirement is to acknowledge that the item was taken from the Archive and to recognize the copyright holder. For more information, please see our Usage Agreement.
Is there a cost associated with using any material I find on the Archive?
Currently, the vast majority of items included in the Archive are free. However, there may be some items that do have a cost associated with them. That will be specified on the “Object Fact Sheet” under “Cost.”
Do I have to ask the author’s or APS’ permission to use an item?
We request that authors are notified as a courtesy and that APS receive a copy of the item (or the URL of the website) in which the resource is used.
How do I know if an item is scientifically accurate?
Each item submitted to the Archive undergoes review before being added to the Archive, either by APS or by the partner organization.
Those items submitted by individuals to APS undergo review by experts in the field for scientific accuracy and appropriate use of animals or humans.
Articles from Advances in Physiology Education undergo extensive peer review before being published by the journal editorial board.
Items developed by the APS Education Office are reviewed in-house and/or by project advisory boards prior to posting.
National organization web sites (NIH, AMA, etc.) are reviewed in-house for appropriateness.
Look at the “Object Fact Sheet” of an item for specifics on the type of review.
How do I know if an item is worth using in my classroom or laboratory?
Because user needs will vary, items submitted to the Archive are not reviewed based on their anticipated usefulness. However, there is a bulletin board attached to each item in the Archive on which users are encouraged to comment about the item and its usefulness to them.
How can I give feedback to the author?
You may post a comment on any item and rate its usefulness. Comments are vetted prior to posting by APS staff. Authors are notified about comments posted on their items and have the opportunity to post a comment in return or contact you directly.
Why won't the item I want come up when I click on the link?
Most likely, you have your pop-ups disabled on your browser. This is a default for Microsoft Explorer with Windows XP. You can either enable your pop-ups or you can hold down the "Control" key when you click your mouse button to make the window open.
How can I find more items on the subject I want?
First, double-check your search parameters. If you have too narrowly defined your search, fewer items will be found.
Also, check to see which educational levels are highlighted. Some items that could match your search parameters might be found at a higher or lower educational level than the one(s) you’ve specified. If you continue to have difficulty, please contact us for assistance.
Why isn’t my item in the Archive when I search?
Have you been notified that your item was accepted? If not, then it is still in the review process and has not been released to the Archive yet. You will be notified via email when it becomes “active.”
If your item has been accepted, then double-check to see what educational level is selected for your search. Make sure it matches the educational level of your item or select “ALL”.
If it still doesn’t appear in your search results, please contact us for assistance.
How can I find all of the items on which I'm an author that have been accepted to the Archive?
Do a search using your last name in the “Author” field. Be sure to select “ALL” under Educational Level.
Can I submit material if I’m not a member of the APS?
Yes. You do not have to be a member of the APS or of any of the partner organizations to submit material.
What kind of material can I submit?
The Archive is set up to accept almost anything you can submit. Formats include:
animation
audio or video file
diagram, illustration, graph/chart
digital presentation (e.g., PowerPoint)
photograph, image
simulation
teaching strategies & guidelines
course syllabus
lecture or lecture outline
laboratory exercise or manual
assignment/activity (non-laboratory)
assessment tool (non-exam)
exam with or without an answer key
any other educational material
How do I submit to a partner organization?
At the bottom of the first submission page, you will see a box where you can select an Archive partner organization. Once you select the partner organization, then the submission screens will reflect that choice.
How do I submit an item?
Simply select “Submit a Learning Object” on the left-hand red bar. It will walk you through a series of steps to submit your object and the relevant cataloguing information on it. Note that there are a number of questions. Allow 10-15 minutes per item.
Do I retain copyright on my material?
Yes, you will retain the copyright on any original material you submit to the APS Archive.
Where will my item be physically "stored?"
Items (such as PowerPoints, lectures, images) that you upload to the submission site are stored on the secure APS Archive server. Conversely, if you have them at a web address or if it is a web site, they remain at your site and we just point to the address. Please provide a stable URL that will not change in the near future.
How do I remove my item from the Archive?
You just need to contact us and make the request in writing (via email is acceptable). It may take up to 48 hours for the item to be removed from the database.
What happens if the internet address changes for my object?
Contact us and let us know the item number and the new address. It may take up to 48 hours for the item’s address to be changed in the database.
Who has access to my item?
Anyone is able to access your item once it is accepted and uploaded to the Archive site. Prior to that time, no one but the reviewers and APS staff have access to it.
Will BEN have a copy of my item on their server?
No, only the cataloguing (descriptive) information on the object is uploaded to BEN. If a BEN user selects your item for viewing, he/she is redirected to the APS server where the item can then be opened.
Will my item appear on the BEN site too?
Yes. Cataloguing (descriptive) information on the new items accepted at the APS Archive site is uploaded to BEN on a quarterly basis.
What should I do if my computer crashes part way through the submission process?
If this occurs before you entered your name and contact information, then you will need to start over with your submission.
If it occurred after you had entered your name and contact information, then simply re-enter the Archive and select “Revise a submitted learning object” from the red bar on the left. The information you entered up to the time you crashed will still be there.
How do I know if my submission was successful?
You will receive an email from the APS Archive thanking you for your submission. This indicates that your item has been entered into the database.
If you don’t get that email message, you should either 1) go in under “Revise a Submitted Learning Ojbect” on the red bar on the left and make sure you have given your correct email address, completed all sections, and either uploaded your item or given a correct internet address or 2) contact us for assistance.
What should I do if I find out I’ve submitted the wrong file?
If it is within 48 hours of making the original submission, you can go back into the Archive, and select “Revise a submitted learning object” from the red bar on the left. All your cataloguing information that you submitted will still be there and you can simply upload the correct file or address of the file.
If it is after 48 hours, please contact us for assistance.
When will I know if my item is accepted into the Archive?
You will receive an email notification about the acceptance of your item. A review sheet with the reviewers’ comments will be attached. You may be asked to make revisions to the item before it can be accepted.
Can I include figures from textbooks in my material?
No, unless you have specific copyright permission from the textbook publisher to place the figures in material that will be freely available on the web. Most publishers will not give you that permission, so you might want to either consider redrawing the figures to make them original, drawing your own figures, or just refer to the figure number in the textbook with a complete reference.
What if I revise my material in the future?
You have several options.
1. You can resubmit the material and update the cataloguing information, including version number.
2. The old version can remain in the Archive as an earlier version OR you can request the old version to be removed from the Archive.
3. You can send in the new file and request the old file be replaced with the new one, but the cataloguing information remains the same.
What if I want to change the keywords or descriptions after my item has been accepted?
Please contact us for assistance.
How are the items in the Archive reviewed?
Archive partner societies have review boards set up that specifically review items submitted to the Archive. These are experts in the field. They are assigned the items and find reviewers who have specific expertise in the field directly relevant to your item. Each partner has specific review criteria. See “Review Criteria” for more information.
How can I become a reviewer?
Please contact us for more information.
Who are the reviewers?
Each item is assigned to a Review Panel composed of experts in that particular field of physiology. The individual reviewers remain anonymous.
When will I know if my item is accepted into the Archive?
You will receive an email notification as to the acceptance of your item. A review sheet with the reviewers’ comments will be attached. You may be asked to make revisions to the item before it can be accepted.
What if I don't agree with the reviews?
You are welcome to write a rebuttal to the reviewers’ comments. That will then be passed along to the reviewers for their further comment. However, the final decision as to scientific accuracy does rest with the reviewers.
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