Sharedresource module

History of the project

The Sharedresource module is the generalization of a yet improved resource handling strategy born in the Teach Advanced Online(tm) programs of Intel(r) over Moodle.

Sharedresource originally was implemented to fullfit a need of storing resources in a common place shared by all resource producers and authors. It standed at this time as an achieved central repository, far before Moodle 2 get working on the new resource structure. Shared resource also concentrated several requests for centralized resource such as context independant identification, rich metadata handling, searchability, and public exposure for world wide open libraries.

Sharedresource originally was designed as TAOResource, then reworked to propose a generic, single storage, standard metadata compliant and context independant solution.

In some way it was a precursor of actual file storage, in another way it is going much further.

Sharedresource and Moodle 2 discussion

We worked and though a very long time around the topic of upgrading and presenting the sharedresource construction to Moodle 2 world. Actually, as being something "very near", but at the same time still attached to the "old thinking way" of Moodle, it was not so trivial to weight the pro and cons of adding this strategy to the reworked resource management for Moodle 2.

At the end, we found some amount of reasons to do it :

Metadata handling : Although the new construction is more strict and flexible object architecture, some initial steps of resource construction (f.e. uploading a file from the file manager) were too deeply burried into either core code, or YUI tricky constructs. One of the essential point of sharedrezource is that teacher (authors) are asked to input some partial indexing data coming from the choosen metadata standard. Such a hooking was not possible neither in file related constructs, nor new resource or url activity module simplifications.
Model cooperation : Finally the sharedresource index is using the internal Moodle file core index to put files into adequate fileareas, thus not subrogating to the core Moodle thoughts about file.
Resource handling alternatives : As Moodle new file system and repository developement was groing, the idea was to bind as many external repositories as possible, thus discharging Moodle to develop a real complete document management and library module inside. We believed that this may be adopted by some, but providing an alternative internal rich and full feature resource library could also answer to many requirements.
MNET Library distribution strategies : Originally, the sharedresource implementation made use of MNET principles to study how resources could be shared at network level, and how libraries could cooperate and connect themselves to reinforce the benefit of MNET based distributed "Moodle arrays". the provider/consumer concept integrated into Sharedreource provides an efficient and clear complement of organizing the learning over distributed moodles.
Sharedresource opens contribwork upon new prospective features upon pedagogic asset management such as resource use tracking and popularity management, enhanced indexing with thumbs, multiple classification browsing etc, as development projects.

Sharedresource features

Sharedresource is a separate indexation register of "entries" which ensures single identity of a physical file or a target URL. Sharedresource is also an activity module that allows publishing one single shared entry into the course.

Adding a sharedresource instance to the course publishes an existing resource by allowing search in the library, but also can let the teacher add directly to library a new resource to be indexed in.

The sharedresource is attached to a full standard compliant metadata notice. The administrator can choose which of the standard can be used for the whole library :

LOM

As the project was originally drawn in French environement, some of the french extensions have been developped :

LOMFR : French general application extension
ScoLOMFR : French Ministy of Education recomendation for secondary education
SupLOMFR : French University standard for higher education

The sharedresource implementation allows developpers to quickly design additional supports for any Dublin Core based metadata definitions.

Installing the module

Sharedresource module needs at least 2 mandatory elements to be installed:

mod/sharedresource as a module activity, publishing resources in course as explicit sharedresources, and allowing teachers to provide new material to the library while doing so.
local/sharedresources as a local plugin, which is the library font end.

2 other components are part of the set, but are not mandatory to get resources working:

blocks/sharedresources as a conversion utility block
repository/sharedresources as a repository implementation that allows using sharedresource pool from other contexts where files can be usually used in Moodle.

These last 2 components are independant. You can install them independantly one from each other.

Deploy the required and optional components at the appropriate location and run the Administration/Notifications.

Configuration

There is a set of settings to be configured to get the proper behaviour of the sharedresource, specially regarding the metadata used in Moodle.

Global settings for Sharedresource

Screens

Capabilities

The Sharedresource Module adds a set of capabilities essentially to control some features on the sharesresource library handling:

Sharedresource Module Capabilities

Credits

This module is the result of a common work of many developpers:

Piers Harding (Catalyst NZ)
Valery Fremaux (VF Consulting)
Frédéric Guillou (EISTI 2010)
Wafa Adham (Adham Ltd)

Documentation