Using document management software in education
Document management software is used to track and store electronic documents and images of paper documents. This software can be used by administrators, teachers and other educators to ensure that they keep their work organised and to facilitate rapid retrieval of useful documents and resources. It makes it easier to perform tasks such as searching for and retrieving documents, and thereby can be used as a tool to improve workflow and efficiency.
Document management software is necessary in order to address the issue of data proliferation. Data proliferation is problematic for several reasons:
- Difficulty and time required to find and retrieve information;
- Data loss and legal liability when data is disorganised, not properly replicated, or cannot be found in a timely manner;
- As data proliferates, more manpower is required to manage data storage resources.
- Slower networks and application performance due to excess traffic as users search and search again for the material they need;
- High cost in terms of the energy resources required to operate storage hardware.
Document management software commonly provide storage, versioning, metadata, security, as well as indexing and retrieval capabilities. Document management software will typically cover some or all of the following areas:
- Location and Time;
- Retrieval - Mode? Time? Technology?
- Filing - Organization? Strategy?
- Security - Protection against loss, tampering or destruction of documents? How to deal with sensitive information?
- Archival - Readability? How can we protect our documents against fires, floods or natural disasters?
- Retention - What to retain? Length of retention? Removal?
- Distribution - People? Cost of distribution?
- Workflow - If documents need to pass from one person to another, what are the rules for how their work should flow?
- Creation - Number of people and logistics of collaboration?
- Authentication/Approval - How do we provide needed requirements for legal submission to government and private industry that the documents are original and meet their standards for authentication?
Some examples of using document management software in education are listed below.
Scenario: Ms. Mara is a teacher would like to keep her students electronic work in an orderly and easily accessible way. She installs document management software and uses the software to store the work so that it is easily retrievable.
Scenario: Mr. Banaag would like to set up a digital library at his school. With the help of the librarian and some students, Mr. Banaag has compiled a large collection of digital documents. Using document management software, he creates meta-tags and organizes the documents so that they can be accessed easily and quickly.
Further information:
Related links:
- Document Management System – Wikipedia
- 21st Century Document Management
- Document Management Solution Helps to Support Qatar’s National Education Reform
- Blue Valley Unified School District
- Data proliferation – Wikipedia
- The paperless office: Accepting digitized data
- Counting Costs of Digital Preservation