JISC

Did you know that the word ‘JORUM’ is derived from the biblical word for 'a collecting, or drinking, bowl'; that the JORUM service is free to all FE and HE institutions; and that there are already around 300 separate learning resources (or ‘learning objects’) in JORUM, covering areas including ESOL, engineering, astronomy and creative arts?

These are just three of the ten 'facts about JORUM' that have been published to mark the launch of the JORUM User service today. Allowing staff from registered institutions to search for and adapt online resources, the free service hosts a range of learning and teaching resources, covering a wide variety of subject areas.

Speaking on the day the JISC-funded User Service was launched, Service Co-ordinator Steve Rogers said: “JORUM is a community resource. How it develops and grows will depend on the contributions made by staff around the country. Already more than twenty institutions have signed up to contribute resources. It’s an exciting time for the service.”

JORUM Outreach and Promotions Officer Michael Dodds who devised the ‘ten facts about JORUM’ says that there has already been a great deal of interest in the service since the launch of the Contributor Service late last year: “A lot of people have already heard about our work, so our ‘ten facts about JORUM’ is an attempt to build on that knowledge, and to encourage people to use the service now that it’s available.”

Ten Facts about JORUM:

1. The word ‘JORUM’ is derived from the biblical word for a “collecting (or drinking) bowl”, emphasising the importance we place on sharing.
2. JORUM Contributor, allowing FE and HE institutions to share resources with teaching and support staff across the UK, was launched in November 2005.
3. JORUM User, which allows staff from registered institutions to search, browse, preview, download, review, reuse and repurpose resources, opens on 30^th January 2006.
4. JORUM is a collaborative venture between the EDINA and MIMAS Data Centres.
5. By the beginning of 2006, over 25 institutions had signed up to contribute materials to JORUM.
6. JORUM, working with the RDN, is funding a team of cataloguers to assist Contributors in completing metadata fields for their resources.
7. JORUM won the JISC Robiette Award 2005 for best poster at the July Programmes Meeting in July 2005
8. A survey conducted by the Rights and Rewards Project, based at Loughborough University and funded by JISC, found that 25% of academics questioned had heard of JORUM.
9. At the launch of the User Service there were around 300 objects in the system, covering areas which include ESOL, engineering, astronomy and creative arts.
10. JORUM runs a Research and Development strand in parallel with the service. This looks at improving and exploring a wide range of areas relevant to our service, the support we offer and developments in e-learning in general.

Institutions must register first before staff are able to gain access to Jorum User. Institutions can register free for the JORUM User Service at:  JORUM registration. A Site Rep and a Technical Rep must also be nominated, providing a local point of contact for staff within the institution and for the JORUM team.

The JORUM Contributor Service, allowing institutions and projects to donate resources to JORUM, was launched in November 2005. Since then an initial collection of resources has been submitted, from over 20 institutions who have signed up. The current collection reflects the projects and institutions which have contributed material so far, there are a number of sizeable collections including engineering and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Language).

The newly updated JORUM website has a comprehensive new section on JORUM User offering support in registering and logging in, as well as a useful selection of support, training and promotional materials.