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Stage 1 - Prepare

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success! -- Alexander Graham Bell

First things first. What is FAIR?

Findable

The editable learning material has a unique and persistent identifier (PID) and is described with sufficiently detailed metadata.

Accessible

The human and machine readable metadata and object are stored in a trusted repository with clear authentication and authorization procedures.

Interoperable

The metadata describing the learning material follows a the RDA minimum metadata schema combined with agreed-upon controlled vocabularies.

Formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language(s) and format(s) are used to develop the material.

Reusable

The learning material has a clear usage license (CC-BY-4.0 recommended) and accurate information on provenance.

Adopt a metadata schema

If you are not using a discipline specific metadata schema, then, to ensure that your learning materials are appropriately described using a common approach, you should adopt the:

RDA Minimal Metadata Set for Learning Resources

  • Title = The human readable name of the resource.
  • Abstract / Description = A brief synopsis about or description of the learning resource
  • Author(s) = Name of entity(ies) authoring the resource
  • Primary Language = Language in which the resource was originally published or made available
  • Keyword(s) = Keywords or tags used to describe the resource
  • Version Date = Version date for the most recently published or broadcast resource
  • URL to Resource = URL that resolves to the learning resource or to a "landing page" for the resource that contains important contextual information including the direct resolvable link to the resource, if applicable.
  • Resource URL Type = Designation of the identifier scheme used for the resource URL, e.g., DOI, ARK, Handle
  • License = A license document that applies to this content, typically indicated by URL
  • Access Cost = Choice stating whether or not there is a fee for use of the resource (yes, no, maybe)
  • Target Group (Audience) = Principal users(s) for which the resource was designed
  • Learning Resource Type = The predominant type or kind that characterizes the learning resource
  • Learning Outcome = Descriptions of what knowledge, skills or abilities a learner should acquire on completion of the resource
  • Expertise (Skill) Level = Target skill level in the topic being taught; example values include beginner, intermediate, advanced

Hoebelheinrich, Nancy J, Biernacka, Katarzyna, Brazas, Michelle, Castro, Leyla Jael, Fiore, Nicola, Hellström, Margareta, Lazzeri, Emma, Leenarts, Ellen, Martinez Lavanchy, Paula Maria, Newbold, Elizabeth, Nurnberger, Amy, Plomp, Esther, Vaira, Lucia, van Gelder, Celia W G, & Whyte, Angus. (2022). Recommendations for a minimal metadata set to aid harmonised discovery of learning resources (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00073

Learn more about FAIR learning objects

Start Ideating...

Think backward
Step 1

What are your desired effects, i.e. learning outcomes?

Think backward
Step 2

How are you going to assess the learners' achievements?

Think backward
Step 3

How should you structure the material to reach them?

Learn more about the backward learning process

Steps of the backward learning process

Define

  • Purpose

    When and how the learning materials can be used and for what purposes?

  • Target Audience

    Is there anything specific that needs to be taken into account, such as cultural context?

  • Prerequisites

    What does the target audience need to know or understand before starting the learning process?

  • Scope

    Is it going to be a single learning unit, or a group such as a course?

  • Learning Objectives

    What competences will be gained after successful completing of the learning process?

    Be SMART

    Objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

    Use Blooms Taxonomy

    Formulate the objectives as actionable verb + observable knowledge, skill, attitude, behavior or ability.

    Read more

Start an in-depth training on the Prepare stage.... FAIR-by-Design Methodology: Prepare stage....