Finding and using openly available learning resources
NOW has a tool called the Learning Repository which is like a database of learning resources that have been shared by colleagues. Each resource can be used or repurposed by other colleagues and made available to their students through the module/programme learning room. It can help colleagues to share their learning resources between their own NOW learning rooms, as well as with other colleagues within the University.
In addition, it gives you access to learning resources which have been deposited by the wider academic community to learning repositories outside of NTU, namely the USA-based Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) and UK-based JorumOpen.
Using NOW as the gateway for these resources means you can link them straight into your learning room, making them available to your students or other colleagues.
Choosing where to search for openly available learning resources
It is possible to search all repositories at once, through NOW, or to select individual repositories if you want to look for specific resources.
Search your school repository when you want to see resources which have been shared only by your school colleagues, or when you want to find resources that are specific to your school, for example document templates.
Search the NTU-wide repository when you want to see resources that have been shared by colleagues from across the university.
Search JorumOpen when you want to find resources that have been contributed by UK further and higher education institutions.
Search MERLOT when you want to find multimedia resources that have been contributed by educational organisations from the USA.
To give the broadest search, we would recommend searching all repositories at once.
Considerations for adapting and repurposing openly available learning resources
All the resources you find through NOW can be used freely within your learning room in their original format. In addition, some resources can be adapted and repurposed to suit the context of your learning room. You need to check the license associated with the resource to see whether you are able to adapt a resource or not. For more information and advice about licensing and copyright, please refer to the section of this resource on Quality assuring online content
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Considerations for embedding a resource in your learning room
There are often a number of different ways to embed a resource into your learning room, with varying levels of complexity. It is therefore sometimes necessary to be pragmatic when embedding a resource. It may be necessary to compromise on the appearance of a resource when embedding using a simple method, or learn a more complex technical method to make the resource more customised in your learning room.
A summary of considerations for deciding which approach to take when embedding a resource in your learning room is presented below.
| Embedding Approach | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Linking | Straightforward | Incongruent style |
| Downloading PDF | Congruent style; straightforward | Lacks interaction |
| Links in a web page | Congruent style; Interactive | Can be complicated for a novice |
Key tasks
Finding openly available learning resources through NOW
Identifying which resources you can use and whether you can adapt them
Embedding a resource in your learning room
Supplementary resources
Other sources of properly licensed, openly available resources