Searching an LOR

The Search page is the default search method when you access Learning Repository. The search gives you results based on occurrence of your search words in a learning object’s title, description, text or keywords. It also suggests alternative spellings for you to help your search.

Searches are case insensitive and results include all the words that you type in the Search For field. For example, if you search for mineral sciences the results include matches for both mineral and sciences. However, the matches do not necessarily have mineral sciences included as a phrase.

A search sent to MERLOT might not use the exact matching criteria as the local repository search because of differences in the MERLOT service.

• Perform a basic search
• Searching an LOR using advanced search options
• Browsing an LOR's content
• Filtering search results
• Viewing versions in search results
• Working with LOR search results

Perform a basic search

1. Start from one of the following:
• LOR on the navbar
• In Manage Content, click Add Learning Object from the Table of Contents page
• In Manage Files, click Add Learning Object
• Click Search / Browse in the Learning Repository (LOR) Widget on Course Home or My Home.
2. Type your search terms. Enclose phrases with quotation marks. Use “OR” to search for instances of one word/phrase or another by adding “OR” (uppercase, no quotes).
3. Click Search.

Searching an LOR using advanced search options

The advanced search enables you to specify more criteria for retrieving LOR content than the basic search. This feature is especially useful if your LOR has a large amount of content on the same subject.

Searching the full text of learning objects

You can search the full text of learning objects. To search the full-text index of learning objects published in the LOR, ensure the following:

• DOME variable d2l.Tools.LOR.AllowFullTextIndexing is on (should be on by default)
• Full Text check box on Advanced Search page is selected
• Learning object index includes all objects, including those published before the variable was enabled.

  Note  Since the full-text search only includes learning objects published after the DOME variable was enabled, you must engage the services of PSO to rebuild the index to include all learning objects (i.e. published earlier).

To check whether full-text indexing is enabled without accessing the DOME, click Dashboard in the LOR tool navigation.

Perform an advanced search

1. On My Home or a course home page, click LOR on the navbar or click Search / Browse from the Learning Repository (LOR) widget if it is available.
2. On the Search page, click the Advanced Search link.
3. Type your search terms in the Search field.
4. Limit the search using the Title, Description, Keywords, or Full Text checkboxes.
5. Choose specific repositories, listed under Repositories and Federated Resources, to search.
6. If you want to further narrow your search, choose from restrictions in the Search Restrictions area:
   • Search for particular types of resources.
   • Search for resources with set licensing cost and restrictions.
   • Select the types of learning objects that you want to find.
   • Select the rating of the learning objects or files that you want to find.
   • Select the status of the learning objects or files that you want to find.
   • Exclude the metadata of sub-objects in your search.
   • Limit Results to learning objects/files that you created.
   • Select the time frame during which the learning objects or files were published.
7. Select a Metadata view from the Select Metadata View drop-down list.
   • The field associated with the metadata category is either a text box or drop-down list. For text boxes, the search string follows the same rules as those for a basic search.
8. If you want to narrow your search of the metadata, add or remove fields from the search.
9. Click Search.

Browsing an LOR's content

Browse presents a directory view of learning objects according to the IEEE LOM Classification Taxonomy fields. The classification organizes objects according to a hierarchical or tree structure. Individual learning objects in the tree are nodes, and the path from the root node to any other node is a classification taxonomy path (or taxon path).

Browse enables you to traverse this hierarchy of learning objects. At any level in the hierarchy, you can search for all learning objects classified at that level and below. This includes objects from external repositories whose metadata has been harvested.

The browse page includes a count of objects in each category. You can browse by author, publisher, or course.

 

Example of a Classification Taxonomy Path hierarchy

For example, in the above diagram:

• Searching on “A -> B” will retrieve all learning objects classified within B, C, D, E, F and G
• Searching on “A -> B -> F -> G” will retrieve all learning objects classified within G
• Searching on “A -> H” will retrieve all learning objects classified within H, I, J and K

Browse the LOR

1. On My Home or a course home page, click LOR on the navbar or click Search / Browse from the Learning Repository (LOR) widget if it is available.
2. In the Browse By grid, click the Category name to further refine the browse categories, or click the number of learning objects to display all items in the category.
3. To change your browse path, click Refine Browse or use one of the drop-down menus in the browse path.
4. To start over, click New Browse.

From the Search Results (Category Browse), depending on your permissions, you can perform the same actions as those for any LOR search results.

Filtering search results

When Learning Repository returns your results, you can filter them, except for results from federated repositories (i.e., MERLOT).

Filter your search results

Click the links in the Search Filters panel. To remove a filter, click Clear beside the filter you want to remove.

Set which filters display in search results

1. Click DOME in the Admin Tools widget, or from the Admin Tools menu on the minibar.
2. In the treeview, expand the Config Variable Browser node, then All Variables > Tools > LOR > Search Results > Filters.
3. Click the filter in the treeview that you want to display on the LOR Results page.
4. In the main content frame for the filter, click the Edit link.
5. Select or clear the Default Value check box.
6. Click Save.

Viewing versions in search results

Learning Repository enables users to view, manage, and use older versions of learning objects in local repositories. You can access versions of any learning objects that can have a locked link.

Search results display the available learning object versions in the Course Builder tool and Insert Stuff. You can create a locked link to older versions of learning objects or the newest version by clicking change.

Note  Versions are not available for objects in federated or harvested repositories.

Working with LOR search results

Work with search results

From the LOR Results page, you can (depending on permissions):

• View the learning object or file.
• View the learning object's file type (if any).
• View the learning object’s details, including:
  • Overview of the modules and topics that make up the learning object (its
    sub-objects)
  • Event logs detailing the activity for the learning object or file
  • Reviews of the learning object or file
  • The files that the object is composed of
  • A thumbnail display of the learning object if it consists of image files
  • View versions of learning objects, from oldest to most recently updated
• View or edit metadata for the learning object or file and its sub-objects
• Retrieve the learning object in the following ways:
  • Create a dynamic or locked link to the object (for objects from MERLOT, you can only create locked links)
  • Copy the object into the Content tool, keeping the navigational structure of the object intact and creating a copy of all associated files in your course files
  • Copy the files of the learning object or file to your course files folder, but without the object’s navigational structure
  • Download the learning object or file to your desktop as a content package
• Add the learning object to your collection
• Manage the learning object’s properties:
  • Repository the learning object currently resides in
  • Status as Unassigned, Draft, In Review, Approved, or Archived
  • Visibility
  • External availability
  • Add or edits rights information on single learning objects
• Delete the learning objects or files and all previous versions.
• Add or delete classifications.
• Add a review to the learning object

Change display settings for search results

1. Click Settings on the LOR Results page.
2. Edit display options.
3. Click Save.