Sunday, October 02, 2005

Institutional Repositories and Referatories I wrote this March 2, 2004 research bulletin with Bob Albrecht for the EduCause Center for Applied Research (ECAR); the article recently became freely available as a pdf file for readers who are not subscribers to ECAR. Although some of the references need updating, I believe most of the points made in the article are still pertinent, especially the point about the need for guiding referatories that will assist potential users (instructors and students) to find learning repositories and resources within repositories.____JH _______ Abstract.  The number and size of online instructional collections is rapidly expanding. This research bulletin examines the world of online repositories and referatories and explores their impact on faculty, students, IT support, and institutional policies and procedures. It defines the specific terminology surrounding learning objects; presents examples of repository and referatory sites; demonstrates what these sites offer; discusses the potential impacts these resources have for faculty and students; and considers the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of these resources for institutions and IT staff. 6:52:50 PM    COMMENT []