European learning resource exchange:a platform for collaboration of researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and publishers to share digital learning resources and new e-learning practices

Abstract

The chapter presents European Learning Resource Exchange (LRE) system and scientific research results used for its development. LRE is a platform for collaboration of researchers, policy- and decision-makers, content providers (publishers), and practitioners (teachers) to share digital learning resources/ objects – LOs and new e-learning practices. The chapter presents research on LRE architecture, interoperability, reusability and quality of LOs, and new e-Learning practices using LOs. Importance of pan-European collaboration of scientists, policy makers, publishers and practitioners is shown using examples of several LRE best practice networks. Scientific models and methods to evaluate quality and reusability of LOs are presented in more detail. The chapter also presents the results of several large scale R&D projects co-funded by EU programmes that were and are implemented currently to support LRE. The author believes that research results and best practices presented in the chapter will be useful for all aforementioned educational stakeholders groups.