What Systems Are Required to Manage Learning Resources?
If you want to easily store and share your own learning resources you will need access to a digital repository. Digital repositories are systems that facilitate the upload, storage, retrieval and reuse of resources. The main difference between a digital repository and a digital library is that any user can upload resources to a repository, but not to a library. Repositories are being implemented at local (institutional), national (for example Resource Discovery Network) or international levels. An example of digital repository software is Intralibrary (see figure below used by kind permission of Intrallect Ltd).
The following figure looks at package content from intralibrary
You can make use of Digital Repositories in a number of ways. At a basic level, you (or your students or colleagues) can search for resources (or Learning Objects) by keying terms into a simple search tool. If you are uncertain of the terms you should use, some repositories (such as Intralibrary) will allow you to make use of a browse tree which corresponds to a taxonomy of educational classifications. The search results will return metadata information about each Learning Object, such as the author, format and description of the resource. This information can help you quickly evaluate the suitability of each resource for your teaching.
You can upload resources (or Learning Objects) to a digital repository in a variety of formats. During the process of uploading, you will have to complete an online form that will ask you information about the resource (purpose of the materials, etc). This information is linked to the Learning Object as metadata. Other metadata information is automatically recorded by the system (author, date, etc). To complete the upload process someone, usually a librarian, has to classify the Learning Object using an appropriate taxonomy.
The figure below show an example of reviewing content metadata within intraLibrary (image used with kind permission of intrallect)
Other examples of widely used digital repositories include:
Dspace - an open source system that can be customized and extended. Developed jointly by MIT Libraries and Hewlett-Packard (HP)
Xtensis - commercial software
For take-up and use of digital repositories, it is important that they are sustainable and trusted, well-supported and well-managed (White paper from the ALT/SURF/ILTA Spring conference 2005).
