Journal Article: “Repositories of Open Educational Resources: An Assessment of Reuse and Educational Aspects”

The following article was recently published online by the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL).
Title
Repositories of Open Educational Resources: An Assessment of Reuse and Educational Aspects
Authors
Gema Santos-Hermosa
University of Barcelona
Open University of Catalonia
Núria Ferran-Ferrer
Open University of Catalonia
Ernest Abadal
Open University of Catalonia
Source
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL)
Volume 18, Number 5 (August 2017)
Abstract

This article provides an overview of the current state of repositories of open educational resources (ROER) in higher education at international level. It analyses a series of educational indicators to determine whether ROER can meet the specific needs of the education context, and to clarify understanding of the reuse of open educational resources (OER) provided by ROER. The aim of the study is to assess ROER by combining these two perspectives, and to form a basis for discussion among the universities that are responsible for these repositories.
The method was based on content analysis and consisted of two phases: an exploration of international sources, and an analysis of 110 ROER using the proposed set of indicators. The results focus on data from the analysis of ROER websites and some models of good practices. They are presented according to three core dimensions for evaluating ROER: general factors to establish types of ROER, a focus on drivers for OER reuse, and a focus on educational aspects. It was found that most of the ROER that included one or more of the proposed reuse indicators were created exclusively for educational resources. Educational aspects are not yet firmly embedded into ROER. The few repositories that seem to have successfully included them are those that provide other educational metadata and use educational standards.

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