Methodology

Step by Step

1. Initial desk research will involve a literature review of characteristics of learning communities in relation to LO repositories. This will include relevant educational and social sciences research, and, for up-to-date grass-roots data, an analysis of documentation produced by LO repository R&D communities. This review will inform a mapping of learning community types currently supported by LO repositories, and a comparative description of models of LO repository use.

2. The desk research will be extended and evaluated through stakeholder consultation utilising the input of the associate and collaborative partners, and the wider HE/FE community, to validate its outputs.

3. Priorities for implementing and testing the solutions identified will be developed in consultation with the associate and collaborative partners, the wider programme, and JISC. Both technical and procedural/workflow use cases will be developed, implemented and tested within the associates' LO repositories/learning communities. This will result, if appropriate, in technical outputs in the form of technical recommendations and software plug-ins and tools with documentation. Additionally, both technical and process/workflow solutions tested will result in refined use cases, case studies and evaluation reports on each solution.

4. Running parallel to, and feeding into and from the above steps, CD-LOR will review personal resource management strategies of individual stakeholders within institutions, via desk research and a survey. Outputs from this step will include a report on the findings of the review.

5. Finally, a public draft of the structured guidelines will be released, followed by a stakeholder evaluation period on all public deliverables before final release versions.

(view Deliverables page)

This project is funded by JISC as part of the Digital Repositories Programme