JISC

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This project aimed to find quality e-learning materials and obtain IPR permissions prior to fitting them together coherently as the backbone of an established core Level 4 module.

Executive Summary

The module introduces undergraduate computing students to the internet and multimedia, covering a range of topics including html, web graphics, and compression, with a strong connection between technological theory and practice, and potential relevance across a range of disciplines; it now has an intake of part-time students who explicitly are not required to attend lectures. The Project encountered significant obstacles to reuse at different levels - many of which were summarised in a paper delivered at the IADIS e-learning conference. The obstacles included:

• defensiveness in HE management thinking about IPR, low awareness of reuse potential and importance of standards
• most ‘free’ material lacks sufficient quality to stop educators doing it themselves
• a dearth of material packaged according to a reusable learning object (RLO) standard
• very little use of RLO-distinctive capabilities such as grade and status communication
• incongruities caused by prominent branding and diverse interfaces
• the challenging nature of making reaggregation coherent in terms of appearance, texture and overall pedagogy

We also learned that while IPR holders are often positive about the recognition and wider use of their work, the enthusiasm is dampened somewhat by excessive legal documentation; this would be a disincentive in normal HE practice, and we would recommend the formulation of more streamlined, ideally online, procedures. Suitable materials were difficult to find, and we would also recommend a central subject-indexed (meta-)catalogue of significant open repositories. The procedures established on the project for clearning IPR and reusing materials will be integrated into regular practice on other units, and disseminated internally.

Report available electronically only