Learning Object Repositories to Support Collaborating Communities

1. Charles Duncan C.Duncan@intrallect.com Learning Object Repositories to Support Collaborating Communities

2. 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

3. Now... • Collaboration is even more important... • Stimulating new ideas • Integration with new technologies • Huge range of digital formats • Much easier with learning object repositories

4. 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

5. What is a learning object • Assets • Documents, images, videos, Flash, audio • Aggregations • Web pages • Aggregations of aggregations: modules • Questions/assessments • Templates (learning design ideas) • …

6. Do you recognise this? reinventingthe wheel can’t findanything incompatibility can thisbe used?

7. Using a repository

8. 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

9. 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/

10. Repository dimensions Single-subject Single-institution Multiple-institution Multiple-subject

11. Purpose – 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 - repositories

12. 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 Dimensions - communities

13. CD-LOR Methodology • Workshops and interviews • 8 project partners • 18 collaborative partners • All experienced in repositories

14. Repository issues

15. Community issues

16. Community issues - 1

17. Community issues - 2

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. VLE Wikis, Blogs Partner VLEs Management Open access portal Web sites Reporting requirements “Collection” Portal Typical Repository Configuration eLearning Research outputs/reports ePrints Images Private

23. intraLibrary ecoSystem

24. intraLibrary Connect – web services

25. discover - VLEs

26. discover - Browser search

27. Discover - Portals

28. gather – HE Academy

29. store - Desktop

30. inform – news reader

31. inform - Live Bookmarks

32. inform - iTunes

33. In a world of choices…

34. 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

35. Some Answers • Technological • Mostly solved • Interfaces to other technology vital • Community • Develop communities of practice • Subject-based • Across institutions • Identify need – support development

36. 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

37. Thank you • C.Duncan@intrallect.com