LORO (Language Open Resources
Online): a languages repository for
DoL
Tita Beaven, Anna Comas-Quinn, Annie Eardley,
Christine Pleines and Hélène Pulker
Demo / Workshop – 1 July 2009
Aim of the project
• To create an online repository, based on the Language Box
created by the Faroes team in Southampton, that will allow
course teams, tutors and staff tutors in DoL easy access to
tutorial materials for all languages and levels.
• Short term goals vs. long term possibilities
A languages repository…
…to allow:
- Central teams to distribute materials to ALs easily.
- ALs to access materials for all languages and all levels.
- ALs to store their own materials (and share them with others if
they so wish).
- Staff tutors to access materials for staff development purposes.
- All users to share resources with the Language Box, a
languages community repository
(http://languagebox.eprints.org).
The project
• April 2009 to June 2010 (deadlines: October 2009 and January
2010)
• Collaborating with Southampton for the technical development
• Budget of £29,069, with a substantial part set aside for AL
involvement
• Dissemination activities is one of the deliverables
What we have been doing (I)
• Creating our project website, logo, liaising with JISC, etc.
• Surveying tutors on their current practices (ICT expertise,
knowledge of repositories, attitudes towards sharing,…).
Researcher appointed to conduct focus groups & produce
report.
• Surveying Course Teams and Staff Tutors on current practices.
• Working out our needs (metadata, functionality) & drafting a
spec for the customised LORO repository.
• Working out timetable for testing and populating the repository
(AL involvement as Uploaders/Testers).
What we have been doing (II)
• Contacting Elluminate training team to incorporate LORO
awareness and training into their programme in the autumn.
• Informing stakeholders at different events (Elluminate training
session, Staff Tutors meeting, Regional staff development
events, Demo July 1st, JISC programme meeting).
• Working out rights issues (copyright, intellectual property rights,
rights when ALs cease to be employed by the OU).
• Working out relationship with Language Box, the community
languages repository (now linked to the subject centre).
What we still need to do
• Integrate LORO into the internal OU system (OU server,
Intranet, SAMS protected)
• Ensure LORO is ready for delivery of Elluminate materials to
beginners’ courses in October/November.
• Produce suitable training and reference materials for users.
• Use feedback from November and February courses to review
and refine LORO.
• Ensure sustainability after the project & adequate handover
from Southampton.
• Engage with further dissemination activities within the Faculty
and beyond.
Let’s have a look…
…at LORO (http://loro.eprints.org) but remember this is
work in progress!
Any questions?
Contact FELS-Repository@open.ac.uk
or
Anna Comas-Quinn
LORO Project Manager
A.Comas-Quinn@open.ac.uk