Elin K. Jacob, PhD Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA Hanne Albrechtsen, PhD Institute of Knowledge Sharing, Copenhagen, Denmark Nicolas George Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA Empirical analysis and evaluation of a metadata scheme for representing pedagogical resources in a digital library for educators Abstract: This paper introduces the Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) digital library and describes the pedagogical nature of the resources that make up this library for educators. Because resources in this library are stored in the form of metadata records, the utility of the metadata scheme, its elements and its relationships is central to the ability of the library to address the pedagogical needs of instructors in the work domain of the classroom. The analytic framework provided by cognitive work analysis (CWA) is proposed as an innovative approach for evaluating the effectiveness of the JiTT metadata scheme. CWA is also discussed as an approach to assessing the ability of this extensive networked library to create a common digital environment that fosters cooperation and collaboration among instructors. 1. The Just-in-Time Teaching Digital Library In 2000, the National Science Foundation [NSF] initiated the National Science Digital Library Program [NSDL] in an effort to promote the development of innovative educational resources and to pioneer original methods for delivery of instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM]. Digital libraries currently funded by the NSDL Program are intended to offer "organized access to collections and services from resource contributors that represent the best of public and private institutions including universities, museums, commercial publishers, governmental agencies, and professional societies" (NSDL 2004, p. 1). While many of the NSDL libraries are focused on the development of digital collections addressing specific areas of instruction (e.g., geoscience, animal behavior, health sciences and microeconomics), there are several libraries whose mandate is to provide instructional support for STEM teachers. One such library whose primary motivation is to provide support for the classroom activities of STEM instructors is the Just-in-Time Teaching Digital Library (JiTTDL). JiTTDL is a web-based collection of pedagogical resources that have been developed to support the instructional methodology known as Just-in-Time Teaching, or JiTT (Novak et al., 1999). Instructors who have adopted the JiTT approach rely on pre-class "WarmUp" questions to enhance student-teacher interaction in the classroom: prior to class, students are given a carefully constructed web-based (digital) assignment and must submit their responses electronically to the instructor before the start of class. The instructor then reviews the responses from her students “just-in-time” to tailor her in-class instruction to respond to the level(s) of understanding (or misunderstanding) indicated by student responses. JiTT methods have been adopted in a number of high school and college classrooms throughout the United States: currently, there are approximately 400 instructors in 25