Understanding collections

If you have permissions that allow you to search any repository, you can organize learning objects (including harvested resources) into collections. Collections have the following characteristics:

• Only the user who creates the collection can add items to it.
• Collections aggregate their key words from the learning objects they contain.
• Collections always reference the newest version of the learning object they contain.

You can:

• Include content from any local repository or harvested resource (which you have permission to search) in a single collection.
• Make your collection public, or limit it to your personal use by hiding the collection in search results.
• Retrieve a collection into course content.

tip  Gather reading list resources into a collection that an instructor can retrieve for course use.

Searching for a collection

You can search for a collection in two ways, depending on whether you're looking for any collection or for one of your own.

• All of your own collections are listed under My Collections on the LOR Search page. Try clicking More... if you don't see the collection you want in the list.
• You can limit your search to only collections by clicking Advanced Search and selecting Collections from the Type drop-down list under Search Restrictions.

See Searching an LOR for more information about how to conduct an Advanced Search.

Retrieving a collection

You can retrieve an entire collection into course content. Since collections always contain the newest versions of the learning object, you cannot retrieve them through import, download, or a locked link.

See Retrieving learning objects to Content with their navigation intact for information about how to retrieve a collection.

Subscribing to a collection

Collection RSS feeds help you keep track of learning objects that have been added to collections that interest or impact you.

See About collection RSS feeds for information about how to subscribe to a collection.

See also

• Searching an LOR
• Retrieving learning objects to Content with their navigation intact
• RSS for learning object repositories