Colorado Springs, CO

 

Blue Dragonfly Labs developed a research-informed business case for digital transformation from BSCS' outdated text-book publishing model and disconnected professional development to a next-generation business model. This model proposed integrating digital STEM products and training, and cultivating a learning community, via a learning management systems (LMS). We are also advising on a metadata project for their digital library of online resources.

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ABOUT BSCS SCIENCE LEARNING

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BSCS Science Learning (formerly Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) is a more than sixty-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its mission is to transform science teaching and learning nationwide through research-driven innovation. This means creating impact that is both systemic and sustainable. They approach this goal through four areas of work: Instructional Materials Development, Teacher Professional Learning, Leadership Development, and Research. BSCS has a number of strategic initiatives and R&D programs.

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OUR PROJECT WORK

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Blue Dragonfly Labs has been engaged by BSCS for a few consulting projects. We are working with them on their signature FieldScope citizen science platform and initiative and our founder serves on the advisory board for that program. In addition, we have also worked on some other exciting projects during a period of substantial strategic planning and change at the organization. Over the past several years their new leadership has been focused on innovation and infusing their work with technology and digital approaches.

 

The first project BDL was engaged to address was BSCS's legacy reliance on an outdated print textbook publishing model for their research and content. This put a middleman publisher between them and the educators and learners engaged in their materials. BSCS strives to deliver its materials as cost-effectively as possible and the print approach was much more costly and slower than a digital approach. It also meant all of their materials had disparate looks and feels, were not easily updated, and could not reference or leverage other BSCS materials as is possible in a digital delivery approach.

 

To tackle these challenges, Blue Dragonfly Labs undertook a full solutions research process and developed a research-informed business case for digital transformation from BSCS' outdated text-book publishing model and disconnected professional development to a next-generation business model. This model proposed integrating digital STEM products and training, and cultivating a learning community, via a learning management systems (LMS).

 

To accomplish this strategic plan, BDL leveraged a middle school science initiative in the R&D phase as a case study and model. Some of the key tasks undertaken included:

 

• discovery and analysis of existing legacy products and model content in development

• users, personas, and use cases

• landscape, peer, and competitor research

• creation of strategic goals and recommendations

• business and functional requirements 

• research of LMS solutions and mapping against requirements

• vendor demos and selection of learning management system

• development of business case for BSCS transformation to digital solutions

 

Another project BDL is undertaking is a metadata project to improve the searchability and reference capabilities of the BSCS digital library of content. This includes creating a metadata taxonomy and design recommendations for its integration into the front end, back end, and search functionality.

The FieldScope initiative is detailed in a separate project description in this gallery.