Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides questions and answers on common queries in relation to the NDLR.

1. Why does Ireland need a repository for shared content across the Universities and Institutes of Technology?

2. Who are the partners involved?

3. How do I get access to Learning Resources in the NDLR?

4. How do I create accounts (User & Contributor) for staff in my institution or community?

5. How can I get involved?

6. How does copyright affect the learning resources I contribute to the NDLR?

7. What is Metadata?

8. How do I fill in the metadata?

1. Why does Ireland need a repository for shared content across the Universities and Institutes of Technology?

The development of quality digital learning resources is an essential element in enhancing learning resources in the Irish Third Level sector. Such resources are increasingly sought for use in eLearning courses, blended eLearning, or for use in traditional forms of teaching in Irish Universities and Institutes of Technology. Departments, course teams and individual lecturers in higher education institutions are usually responsible for the production and development of most, if not all, teaching materials used in their courses.

The sheer scale and effort required in developing quality learning resources, particularly new materials for elearning, are often too much for a single University (CHIU Report, New Forms of Learning 2004).

The NDLR is intended as a means of supporting academics in sharing digital content and expertise in the use of that content. Most countries with a developed eLearning 3rd level sector have already or are currently putting such national repositories together. These include JORUM (UK); MERLOT, MIT OpenCourseWare (US ); EDNA (Australia) etc.

2. Who are the partners involved?

The partners of the project are the seven CHIU Universities of Ireland , Dublin Institute of Technology and the thirteen Institute of Technology.

HEAnet is an associate partner of the project; HEAnet currently host the repository and NDLR website.

3. How do I get access to Learning Resources in the NDLR?

Learning resources are currently available in the NDLR. All members of the partner institutions can apply for a user account and search the repository for resources. The population of learning resources within the NDLR is growing continuously and we encourage that academic communities contribute their resources to the repository. We also encourage that academics incorporate resources currently available in the NDLR within their teaching.

4. How do I create accounts (User & Contributor) for staff in my institution or community?

Please contact your NDLR institutional representative.

5. How can I get involved?

You can become involved by contacting your institutional representative or by contacting the coordinator of a Community of Practice for your subject discipline.

6. How does copyright affect the learning resources I contribute to the NDLR?

All materials must be cleared for copyright before contribution to the NDLR. In order to help with this the NDLR has created a 10 step document to check for copyright clearance.

7. What is Metadata?

Metadata is information which descibes each learning resource in the repository. For example metadata for each resource in the NDLR contains: how, when, and by whom the learning resource was created/modified, how it is formatted and licence information.

8. How do I fill in the metadata?

Metadata is entered when you upload a resource to the NDLR. More information on this is provided on "Uploading a Resource"