MERLOT Learning Materials Development Initiative

Since its inception, MERLOT has focused on developing faculty and institutional support programs based on our online catalog and peer reviews that describe the highest quality of learning materials for our members and partners.    The MERLOT repository has sometimes been called a “referatory” because it contains descriptors (metadata) of learning materials that reside on Web-based servers around the world.    MERLOT has invited members to submit metadata about useful learning materials they discover on the Web or materials that they create themselves.   MERLOT has never promoted any particular learning material development processes, but has often been asked for recommendations regarding methodologies and tools for instructors to use to create such learning materials.  In order to address this growing requirement, MERLOT has formulated the MERLOT Learning Materials Development Initiative (LMDI).  This LMDI provides an understanding and foundation for those interested in developing online learning materials to select from among free, open access tools or proprietary, commercial ones.  The LMDI also suggests tools for novice as well as more experienced users.  

The table below contains options for some MERLOT-sponsored tools.  The LMDI is provided as only a set of options or guidelines for learning materials developers to consider, and does not in any way suggest that these are the best tools for any or all developers or learning materials.  This table also reflects MERLOT’s first “release” of a growing list of suggested tools and factors that will continue to  be developed and expanded  as we collect comments and information from our members and partners.

Some Tools for Developing Learning Materials

MERLOT Content Builder –a set of free, web-based tools that can be used by any registered MERLOT member to quickly create compact and engaging, MERLOT-hosted, Web-based learning materials.   The Content Builder has been adapted by MERLOT, from the Carnegie Foundation’s KEEP Toolkit, and integrated with www.merlot.org  in a fashion that allows instructors to create learning materials, make them publicly available if desired, and directly and easily define and contribute their metadata to the MERLOT repository.  More information about the MERLOT Content Builder is available at
http://taste.merlot.org/Programs_and_Projects/ContentBuilder.html 

SoftChalk Lesson Builder – a commercially available PC-based authoring tool for easy content creation that can be used by any level of developer to create online learning materials.  Developers can produce a learning material in SoftChalk via an integrated SoftChalk/MERLOT interface, submit its metadata directly to the MERLOT repository.  SoftChalk provides special pricing programs for MERLOT Academic Partners, and unit discounts for registered MERLOT members.  More information about these programs can be found at http://taste.merlot.org/Programs_and_Projects/softchalk.html.

Pachyderm - an open source, server-based development system that grew from a partnership led by The New Media Consortium(NMC) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), and funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  More information about Pachyderm can be found at http://pachyderm.nmc.org/.  Pachyderm is the authoring tool used to create video stories for the MERLOT ELXIR project (http://elixr.merlot.org/creatingstories/) .  Pachyderm-developed learning materials can be catalogued in the MERLOT repository by registered members who make use of MERLOT ‘s Contribute a Material function that registered and  logged-in MERLOT members can access at www.merlot.org.

For more information please contact the MERLOT Webmaster at webmaster@merlot.org.

Modified 10/27/09 - BBS