Descriptive analysis of learning object material types in MERLOT

Abstract

In the last years, learning object repositories have become a reliable source of information about the current state of art regarding learning resource technologies. As learning objects varies in many ways, it is necessary to understand to which extend the different types of materials stored in these repositories are more suitable for certain subject areas or exert more influence on users' choices when they are selecting a resource. Evaluative metadata, normally used inside repositories as the basis for ranking and recommending resources, allow the comparison amongst heterogeneous materials and help to identify preferences for usage of the repositories community. The present work describes the different types of materials in MERLOT according to the categories of disciplines and the most important evaluative metadata of the repository: peer-reviewers and users ratings, personal collections, and MERLOT Classics Awards. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.