[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12636-12637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06361]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

Institute of Museum and Library Services


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request: Evaluation of 
the Museums for Digital Learning (MDL) Project

AGENCY: Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Foundation 
for the Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION: Notice, request for comments on this collection of information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 
conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general 
public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed 
and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act. This pre-clearance consultation program helps 
to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. This 
action is to create the overall evaluation plan, survey and data 
collection instruments and instructions for the various evaluation 
techniques to be used at different points in the development and 
implementation of the MDL pilot initiative for the next two years.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before June 1, 2019.
    IMLS is particularly interested in comments that help the agency 
to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity 
of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who

[[Page 12637]]

are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, 
or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: Dr. Sandra Webb, Director, Office of 
Grants Policy and Management, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 
955 L'Enfant Plaza North SW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20024-2135. Dr. 
Webb can be reached by Telephone: 202-653-4718 Fax: 202-653-4608, or by 
email at [email protected], or by teletype (TTY/TDD) for persons with 
hearing difficulty at 202-653-4614.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Wechsler, Supervisory Grants 
Management Specialist, Office of Museum Services, Institute of Museum 
and Library Services, 955 L'Enfant Plaza North SW, Suite 4000, 
Washington, DC 20024-2135. She can be reached by Telephone: 202-653-
4717 Fax: 202-653-4608, or by email at [email protected], or by 
teletype (TTY/TDD) for persons with hearing difficulty at 202-653-4614.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source 
of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, 
support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related 
organizations through grant making, research, and policy development. 
Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to 
transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, 
visit www.imls.gov.

II. Current Actions

    The Museums for Digital Learning (MDL) is a project funded by IMLS 
that seeks to identify and test new ways that digitized museum 
collections can be made available in the form of engaging digital 
educational resources via a pilot digital platform to educators around 
the country seeking to engage their students with all subjects. This 
two-year project is being led by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at 
Newfields in collaboration with two museum content partners--The Field 
Museum and History Colorado and a team of K-12 educators. Once the 
pilot suite of online products has been created by the project team, 
they will be tested in the classrooms of the ten educational partners. 
Testing and validation of the content contribution approach and 
standard templates to the pilot platform will be conducted with a 
cohort of up to ten additional museums of various sizes and 
disciplines.
    This project aligns with IMLS's strategic goal and priorities of 
building the digital capacity of the sector. MDL will catalyze and 
empower museums to come together and create a national model with a 
shared vision to thoughtfully assess some of the critical gaps in the 
current platforms and digital access/use models, and then leverage the 
power of a shared digital platform to provide easy-to-access, 
interdisciplinary, and dynamic content from museums in digital format 
for educators and students.
    The project will benefit the national education sector by providing 
a model for museums to collaborate as a sector with educators and 
engaging them not just as users of museum content and services, but as 
co-creators and co-facilitators of student learning; a suite of 
curriculum enhancing and student-centric digital collections-based 
educational resources; and an opportunity to pilot-test and improve the 
resources from the formative evaluation to better meet the needs of the 
nation's learners.
    A product and process evaluation of the MDL project will be 
completed by a third party evaluator with experience in evaluating 
digital education platforms produced by the cultural heritage 
community. The process evaluation aspect will assess the overall 
planning and implementation of the collaborative model of MDL between 
the partner museums and the educators, as well as the effectiveness of 
the training and ease of content contribution of the ten additional 
museums. Much of the front-end and user experience design of the MDL 
platform will be formed through the collaboration and co-creation 
process between the cooperator, lead museum content partners, and the 
team of educators. The product evaluation will assess the ease of 
access and educational value of the collections-based digital education 
products for educators and students.
    This action is to create the overall evaluation plan, survey and 
data collection instruments and instructions for the various evaluation 
techniques to be used at different points in the development and 
implementation of the MDL pilot initiative for the next two years.
    Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services.
    Title: Museums for Digital Learning Evaluation.
    OMB Number: 3137-TBD.
    Frequency: Once.
    Affected Public: Museum staff, teachers.
    Number of Respondents: TBD.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: TBD hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: TBD hours.
    Total Annualized capital/startup costs: N/A.
    Total Annual costs: TBD.
    Public Comments Invited: Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.

    Dated: March 28, 2019.
Kim Miller,
Grants Management Specialist, Institute of Museum and Library Services.
[FR Doc. 2019-06361 Filed 4-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7036-01-P