Learning Object Repositories to Support Collaborating CommunitiesCharles DuncanC.Duncan@intrallect.com

In the past...• 15 years ago

• Collaboration is important because...– It saves time

– It propagates good practice

– It builds new communities

• But it was slow and difficult

Now...• Collaboration is even

more important...– Stimulating new ideas

– Integration with new technologies

– Huge range of digital formats

• Much easier with learning object repositories

What is a learning object repository• A system supporting a community

working together to share and reuse resources for learning

• Community? – local, institutional, national, international, subject-oriented

• Share? – reciprocal, cost-free, cost-recover, mixed economy, commercial

• Reuse? – play, print, modify, annotate, excerpt, aggregate, sell, give

• Resources? – assets, lessons, activities, designs

• Learning? – surely we all agree

What is a learning object

• Assets– Documents, images, videos, Flash, audio

• Aggregations– Web pages

– Aggregations of aggregations: modules

• Questions/assessments

• Templates (learning design ideas)

• …

Do you recognise this?

reinventingthe wheelcan’t find

anything

can thisbe used?

incompatibility

Using a repository

Repository benefits

• Support sharing communities

• Support any digital format– Use any tool for creating learning objects

• Support any delivery methods– eLearning and Distance Learning

– Traditional learning using digital resources

• Integrate with other tools – Reduce training effort

Implementation

• So let's have a repository!

• What do we need to plan?

• If we set up the software will everyone share?

• Maybe!

• What are the human factors?

• How can people be encouraged?

• Community Dimensions – www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/cd-lor/

Repository dimensionsSingle-subject

Multiple-institution

Single-institution

Multiple-subject

Dimensions - repositoriesPurpose – e.g. for sharing audio-files, or for

preservation of institutional educational resources

Subject area – e.g. social work, medicine

Scope - departmental, institutional, national, or international

Educational sector - school, higher education, further education, lifelong learning

Contributors - teachers, students, publishers, support staff, funded projects

Business model - business, trading and management framework underpinning repository

National policy – support for policy initiatives

Dimensions - communities Purpose - shared goal/interest of the community

Dialogue - modes of communication, e.g. online, face-to-face, or mixed

Roles and responsibilities

Coherence - whether the community is close-knit or loosely confederated/transient

Context - the broader ecology within which the community exists, e.g. professional bodies, government bodies

Rules – e.g. ground rules of conduct, rewards and incentives mechanisms, control of access and use of resources

Pedagogy of the community - for example, problem-based learning, collaborative learning

CD-LOR Methodology

• Workshops and interviews– 8 project partners

– 18 collaborative partners

– All experienced in repositories

Repository issues

Community issues

Community issues - 1

Community issues - 2

Key questions – CD-LOR Guidelines• Question 1. Why are you setting up a learning object repository? • Question 2. How many communities do you serve? • Question 3. What is the purpose of the community that the

repository will serve? • Question 4. Who are the key actors in the community and who,

of these, will contribute to the repository? • Question 5. What is the pedagogic approach of the community?• Question 6. How coherent is the community?• Question 7. What are the modes of participation and

communication within the community?• Question 8. What is the ecology of the community?• Question 9. What is the business model of the repository?• Question 10. How do you envision the evolution of your LOR?

• http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/cd-lor/documents/CD-LOR_Structured_Guidelines_v1p0_000.pdf

Some models - 1

• Jorum (www.jorum.ac.uk)

– Very large scale (400 institutions)

– Exit path for many funded projects

– Huge awareness raising activity – very successful

– Initial licence model too restrictive

– Now adopting more open licence model

– Reached 18 month target in 7 months

Some models - 2

• IRISS (www.iriss.ac.uk)– Single-subject: social work

– Universities, colleges and professionals

– Central content production – very high development standards

– Community derived classification

– Strong government policy support

– Open access component

Some models - 3

• NDLR (www.ndlr.ie)– 13 communities of practice

– Across all universities and colleges in Ireland

– Clear rights/licence in place

– Communities identify and create resources

Typical Repository Configuration

Research outputs/reports

Management

eLearning

ePrints Images Private

VLE

Open access portal

Web sites Reporting requirements

“Collection”Portal

Partner VLEsWikis, Blogs

intraLibrary ecoSystem

intraLibrary Connect – web services

discover - VLEs

discover - Browser search

Discover - Portals

gather – HE Academy

store - Desktop

inform – news reader

inform - Live Bookmarks

inform - iTunes

In a world of choices…

Research outputs

Scanned

eLearning

ePrints Images Private

Institution VLE

RAE evaluation

Web sites CLA reporting requirements

“Collection”Portal

Other VLEsWikis, BlogsOpen accessportals

Research outputs

Scanned Scanned

eLearning

ePrints Images Private

Institution VLEInstitution VLE

RAE evaluation

RAE evaluation

Web sitesWeb sites CLA reporting requirementsCLA reporting requirements

“Collection”Portal

“Collection”Portal

Other VLEsOther VLEsWikis, BlogsWikis, BlogsOpen accessportals

Open accessportals

Web Service Conclusions

• Digital Repositories can– integrate with your existing tools– offer reliable single source access– are easy to search

(metadata/classification) – encourage mashups, etc.

• Open standards– support new uses with existing tools– put power in the hands of the user – are the basis for open access

Some Answers

• Technological

– Mostly solved

– Interfaces to other technology vital

• Community

– Develop communities of practice

•Subject-based

•Across institutions

– Identify need – support development

More Answers

• Don't make the staff adapt to the technology

• Make the technology adapt to the staff

• Help people do their jobs better and they will collaborate with each other

Thank you

• C.Duncan@intrallect.com