IMARK
Encyclopedia
The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) is a partnership-based e-learning
initiative developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
of the United Nations
and partner organizations to support individuals, institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of information and agricultural development. IMARK consists of a suite of distance learning resources and tools on information management
.
of the United Nations
initiated a partnership-based e-learning
programme in 2001 to support information management
. IMARK is targeted at information professionals in developing countries. Each IMARK curriculum is designed through a consultative process with subject matter experts
, field practitioners and representatives from the target audience from around the world. The IMARK initiative is a response to demand for enhanced information and knowledge management
in the effort to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), especially those related to hunger
and the information society, in the context of bridging the digital divide. The development goal of IMARK is to improve the capabilities of people concerned with information management
and knowledge sharing
.
by enhancing access to information by key stakeholders.
The specific objectives of IMARK are:
initiatives.
which allows the same application to be used for the different languages, as most of the textual information is maintained in the separate XML files. The interface serves as the common platform for a wide range of subjects and materials to be covered under the overall IMARK distance learning curriculum to be delivered on CD or via the internet. IMARK has been designed to ensure that learners who do not have access to the latest generation of computer equipment and software can access IMARK materials, as the modules are targeted for use in developing countries. The CD versions operate on a Pentium I class computer with as little as 32 Mbytes of RAM. Learners subject to low bandwidth and/or high connectivity costs can order a CD by e-mail and through the IMARK website.
Web 2.0 and Social Media for Development (English, French, Spanish: 11 lessons)
Digital Libraries, Repositories and Documents (English: 40 lessons)
Management of Electronic Documents (French, Spanish, English, Chinese: 27 lessons)
Digitization and Digital Libraries (French, English, Spanish: 31 lessons)
Investing in Information for Development (French, English, Spanish: 19 lessons)
Building Electronic Communities and Networks (French, English, Spanish: 29 lessons)
Networking in Support of Development (English: 4 lessons)
to an internationally widespread community. The initiative has brought together and built upon existing resources, extensive experience and subject matter expertise, while substantially reducing duplication of effort in capacity development
in the information management sector.
Partners’ contributions fall into the following categories:
, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
of the United Nations
, the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)
, Commonwealth of Learning (CLO)
, Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques (GRET)
, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (Cirad), Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
and UNESCO
.
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
initiative developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and partner organizations to support individuals, institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of information and agricultural development. IMARK consists of a suite of distance learning resources and tools on information management
Information management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
.
About IMARK
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
initiated a partnership-based e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
programme in 2001 to support information management
Information management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
. IMARK is targeted at information professionals in developing countries. Each IMARK curriculum is designed through a consultative process with subject matter experts
Subject-matter expert
A subject matter expert or domain expert is a person who is an expert in a particular area or topic. When spoken, sometimes the acronym "SME" is spelled out and other times voiced as a word ....
, field practitioners and representatives from the target audience from around the world. The IMARK initiative is a response to demand for enhanced information and knowledge management
Knowledge management
Knowledge management comprises a range of strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences...
in the effort to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), especially those related to hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
and the information society, in the context of bridging the digital divide. The development goal of IMARK is to improve the capabilities of people concerned with information management
Information management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
and knowledge sharing
Knowledge sharing
Knowledge sharing is an activity through which knowledge is exchanged among people, friends, or members of a family, a community or an organization....
.
Objectives and Scope
The development goal of IMARK is to improve the overall effectiveness of programmes in agricultural development and food securityFood security
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...
by enhancing access to information by key stakeholders.
The specific objectives of IMARK are:
- Building institutional capacity at national and local levels to manage and share agricultural information more effectively;
- Increasing the awareness, understanding and skills of individuals responsible for information managementInformation managementInformation management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
in agricultural agencies, institutions and networks; - Facilitating the development and adoption of internationally accepted standards and guidelines in agricultural information management;
- Adding value to face-to-face training activities in agricultural information management through a blended learningBlended learningBlended learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. It combines traditional face-to-face classroom methods with more modern computer-mediated activities. According to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both instructors and learners. Formerly,...
approach; - Supporting educational initiatives in agricultural information management and information managementInformation managementInformation management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
in general; and - Building electronic communities and networks through open and efficient sharing of information resources and knowledge.
Basic Principles
A set of basic principles have been established to guide the development of IMARK in order to ensure that an internationally widespread audience can have full access to such resources online and offline. The basic principles also serve to ensure that contributing partners and organizations take responsibility for their contributions, while benefiting from the collective pool of educational content and resources to support their own capacity developmentCapacity Development
The commitment, sealed in the in September 2000 in New York, of 190 countries to achieving the by 2015, and the urgent need for countries, particularly developing countries, to effectively and speedily respond to the current global economic recession, climate change and other crises that are...
initiatives.
Technical Requirements
The IMARK interface was developed using Adobe Flash in combination with XMLXML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
which allows the same application to be used for the different languages, as most of the textual information is maintained in the separate XML files. The interface serves as the common platform for a wide range of subjects and materials to be covered under the overall IMARK distance learning curriculum to be delivered on CD or via the internet. IMARK has been designed to ensure that learners who do not have access to the latest generation of computer equipment and software can access IMARK materials, as the modules are targeted for use in developing countries. The CD versions operate on a Pentium I class computer with as little as 32 Mbytes of RAM. Learners subject to low bandwidth and/or high connectivity costs can order a CD by e-mail and through the IMARK website.
Module List
Knowledge Sharing for Development (English: 36 lessons)- The module was developed to provide organizations and communities with the necessary tools and methodologies required to develop their knowledge capacities, and enable them to work more effectively. The module also describes the social dynamics and facilitation options for building trust and supporting participation. It presents a range of possibilities for creating content collaboratively, and the related issues around intellectual property rights (IPR). This Unit also gives a panoramic of the possibilities for internet-based communication and knowledge sharing.
Web 2.0 and Social Media for Development (English, French, Spanish: 11 lessons)
- The module provides an overview of the basic concepts behind Web 2.0, social mediaSocial mediaThe term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
, user generated content and social networking. The module describes a wide range of social mediaSocial mediaThe term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
tools that enhance the ways in which information is created and published, and which provide the means to collaborate and share resources online. It also describes how to take advantage of those tools for more effective networking, collaboration and exchange of knowledge.
Digital Libraries, Repositories and Documents (English: 40 lessons)
- The module covers the processes relevant to the creation and management of digital libraries and repositoriesDigital libraryA digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks...
, including digital file formats, metadata management, database management and the preservation of digital information.
Management of Electronic Documents (French, Spanish, English, Chinese: 27 lessons)
- The module covers effective and efficient management of electronic documents and associated images from the various stages of the overall workflow process including acquisition, collection, indexingIndex (database)A database index is a data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table at the cost of slower writes and increased storage space...
, archiving, management, and disseminationDisseminationTo disseminate , in terms of the field of communication, means to broadcast a message to the public without direct feedback from the audience. Dissemination takes on the theory of the traditional view of communication, which involves a sender and receiver...
.
Digitization and Digital Libraries (French, English, Spanish: 31 lessons)
- The module provides both the conceptual and practical bases for the digitization of document collections, and in the creation and provision of access to digital libraries, introducing the workflows, processes, technologies and skills involved.
Investing in Information for Development (French, English, Spanish: 19 lessons)
- The module is aimed at assisting information managers in developing an information strategy for their organizations, and in establishing new structures and procedures for effective information managementInformation managementInformation management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
.
Building Electronic Communities and Networks (French, English, Spanish: 29 lessons)
- The module covers electronic networking for peer groups and communities of practice and will teach users about the approaches, methods, and tools which help to build groups and communities, enhance communication and stimulate active participation.
Networking in Support of Development (English: 4 lessons)
- The module describes how different information and communication technologies (ICT)Information and communication technologiesInformation and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
in a country - local, national and international - fit together to provide a workable means of communication, and the issues that affect each level.
IMARK Partnership
The underlying concept of IMARK is based on the premise of a truly collaborative initiative, with the Steering Committee acting as a catalyst and working with strategic partners to build a knowledge base to bring new concepts, approaches, tools, and attitudes for effective information managementInformation management
Information management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
to an internationally widespread community. The initiative has brought together and built upon existing resources, extensive experience and subject matter expertise, while substantially reducing duplication of effort in capacity development
Capacity Development
The commitment, sealed in the in September 2000 in New York, of 190 countries to achieving the by 2015, and the urgent need for countries, particularly developing countries, to effectively and speedily respond to the current global economic recession, climate change and other crises that are...
in the information management sector.
Partners’ contributions fall into the following categories:
- lead role in developing a course;
- subject matter expertise;
- existing training materials;
- tools and applications;
- financial support;
- translations and adaptations;
- peer review and testing;
- dissemination; and
- evaluation.
Steering Committee
IMARK has over 30 partners and collaborating institutions since its inception in 2001, and its activities are coordinated through a Steering Committee whose members are: the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)
Agence universitaire de la francophonie
The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie , French for the "Association of Universities of the Francophonie", is a global network of French-speaking higher education and research institutions....
, Commonwealth of Learning (CLO)
Commonwealth of Learning
The Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organization of the Commonwealth of Nations headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
, Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques (GRET)
Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques
Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques is a non-governmental association supporting international cooperation, professional solidarity and poverty reduction in the countries of Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America...
, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria...
, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (Cirad), Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)
Institut de recherche pour le développement
The Institut de recherche pour le développement is a French public science and technology research institute under the joint authority of the French ministries in charge of research and overseas development....
, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the ACP countries and EU member states...
and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
See also
- E-learningE-learningE-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
- Information managementInformation managementInformation management is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information...
- Virtual educationVirtual educationVirtual education refers to instruction in a learning environment where teacher and student are separated by time or space, or both, and the teacher provides course content through the use of methods such as course management applications, multimedia resources, the internet, and videoconferencing...
- Lifelong learningLifelong learningLifelong learning is the continuous building of skills and knowledge throughout the life of an individual. It occurs through experiences encountered in the course of a lifetime...
- Blended learningBlended learningBlended learning refers to a mixing of different learning environments. It combines traditional face-to-face classroom methods with more modern computer-mediated activities. According to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both instructors and learners. Formerly,...
- Online course syllabusOnline course syllabusResearch emphasizes that an online course syllabus should function as a:* contract* communication tool* learning aid-Contract:Slattery & Carlson describe the syllabus as a "contract between faculty members and their students, designed to answer student's questions about a course, as well as inform...
- Online learning communityOnline learning communityAn online learning community is a public or private destination on the Internet that addresses the learning needs of its members by facilitating peer-to-peer learning. Through social networking and computer-mediated communication, people work as a community to achieve a shared learning objective...
- Distant education
- Capacity developmentCapacity DevelopmentThe commitment, sealed in the in September 2000 in New York, of 190 countries to achieving the by 2015, and the urgent need for countries, particularly developing countries, to effectively and speedily respond to the current global economic recession, climate change and other crises that are...
- E-agricultureE-agricultureE-agriculture is a relatively recent term in the field of agriculture and rural development practices. Consistency in the use of this term began to materialize with the dissemination of results from a global survey carried out by the United Nations...
- AGRISAGRISAGRIS is a global public domain Database with 2.6 million structured bibliographical records on agricultural science and technology. The Database is maintained by FAO, and its content is provided by more than 150 participating institutions from 65 countries...
- Virtual learning environmentVirtual learning environmentDefined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)FãoFão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....
- Agricultural Information Management Standards (AIMS)Agricultural Information Management StandardsThe Agricultural Information Management Standards, abbreviated to AIMS, is a web portal managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . It disseminates standards and good practices in information management for the support of the right to food, sustainable agriculture and...