Recommendations for a minimal metadata set to aid harmonised discovery of learning resources

Laura Molloy, Katarzyna Biernacka, Amy Nurnberger

The ”Recommendations for a minimal metadata set to aid harmonised discovery of learning resources” provides a core set of descriptors for learning resources especially focused on research data that is intended to help searchers for learning activities or experiences such as tutorials, webinars, curricula guides and other training materials find such content.  The minimal set identifies key characteristics of learning resources that are important for content creators and adapters to include with the resources they create, and for learning resource catalogue and registry service providers, and institutions that publish learning resources on their websites  to expose when they provide information about the resources in their collections.  Adoption of the recommended minimal set will improve the ability of learning resource searchers to more easily find the resources they seek and to discern whether those resources might fit their needs.

The recommendations build upon previous work of the learning and training communities, specifically those focused upon discovery of learning resources rather than their reuse.  Rather than starting anew, the group compared and analyzed existing learning resource-related metadata schemes to find the overlaps and then came to conclusions about the descriptors (metadata elements) that should be minimally required for purposes of learning resource discovery to those concerned with supporting or providing training resources.

The results of the group’s work to date include recommendations for a minimal set of metadata that can be used by learning and training stakeholders, a set of user stories used to both analyse and confirm the necessity of the metadata terms included in the minimal set, and a data dictionary that provides definitions and examples of how the minimal set can be used.  While the specific descriptors are required at this time, the group continues to explore the feasibility and utility of requiring the descriptors for discovery purposes by developing a metadata application profile that can facilitate adoption and adaptation of the minimal metadata set.  The metadata application profile is intended to improve the finability of resources by internet search engines and facilitate harvesting, aggregation and sharing by resource catalogues and registries.  Feedback from adopters of the recommendations would be welcomed by this group.