Following the FAIR principles and best practices, the ENVRI FAIR training catalogue hosts the metadata of relevant learning resources so that these can be shared, searched, discovered, accessed and reused. This page explains how to use and navigate the catalogue and find the most appropriate available learning resource.

LAYOUT
The home page of this catalogue presents (from top to bottom):

  • the “Login” button – on the top right corner of the page – where you can login and/or register your profile (see below for more details);
  • a “Full Catalogue” button where you can access the full list of resources available on the catalogue;
  • a number of categories icons where you can access a sub-list of resources arranged by resource type;
  • a “Latest Resources” section where you can quickly access the latest resources that were onboarded (uploaded) in the catalogue;
  • a menu – on the left-hand side of the page – where you can find quick links and contact details.
When you click on “Full Catalogue” or on a specific category icon, you will be presented with a list of resources and for each one of these you will see a presentation box that illustrates the language, the difficulty and the rating of the specific resource.
Clicking on the selected resource, you will access the page of the resource with all the metadata included in the catalogue. In the same page, on the right-hand side, you will find a “Start the course” button that redirects you to the learning resource.

NAVIGATION
To navigate through the resources included in the catalogue, you have two options: you can click on the “Full Catalogue” button and access the full list of resources available on the catalogue; or you can click on the categories icons and access a sub-list of resources arranged by resource type.
When you click on “Full Catalogue” or on a specific category icon, the related list of resources will show. In addition, on the top of the page you will also find a “Search” box. Here you can perform searches by writing a keyword in the search input and clicking on the “Search” button. The resulting resources will be those containing the selected keyword in the title or in the description. Similarly, you can perform advanced searches by clicking on the “Advanced Search” link. The search form that will open will allow you to perform a search on specific metadata fields.
Once you find the resource you were searching for, you can access it by clicking on the title, on the thumbnail or on the “Read more...” link. The page of the specific resource will contain all information and metadata on that resource. On the right side of the page, the button “Start the course” allows you to access the resource and start the training. You can also leave comments and ratings on a specific resource. Such feedback will be subject to revision by admin before publication

CREATING A USER PROFILE (for contributors only)
If you only want to navigate the catalogue and access the metadata of the training resources you do not need a User profile; you have access to the full catalogue directly.
If, on the other end, you were accepted as a participant to one of the ENVRI FAIR short programmes and Schools or you were approved as a contributor for the catalogue, you would need to register and create a User profile.
You can register by clicking on the “Login” link in the top right corner of the home page.
After completing the registration, you will receive to the email address specified in the registration form a confirmation email to activate the account. Please follow the link specified in the email to acknowledge the success of the confirmation and see the outline of your profile, which will contain username, role (User by default after the registration), and all the other profile details. In this page you can also modify the password and edit the profile information.

METADATA SET IDENTIFICATION
The ENVRI FAIR training catalogue’s accurate and descriptive metadata allow all users to find the most appropriate and well-suited educational resources for their needs.
This catalogue is based on the IEEE Standard for Learning Object Metadata (IEEE 2002) that has been customised in order to be compliant with the EOSC Training Resource Profile - Data Model. It consists of 31 elements.
The meaning of each of these metadata elements is given below and might help you in defining your search keywords:

  1. General: this category groups the general information that describes the learning object as a whole.
    1. Identifier: (mandatory) a globally unique label that identifies the learning object.
    2. URL type: (mandatory) the designation of identifier scheme used for the URL. It represents the type of the URL of the learning object, that is the used scheme. It can be:
      • ARK (Archival Resource Key);
      • DOI (Digital Object Identifier);
      • HANDLE;
      • URN (Uniform Resource Name);
      • URI (Uniform Resource Identifier);
      • URL (Uniform Resource Locator);
      • NOT APPLICABLE.
    3. URL: (mandatory) the URL that resolves to the learning object or to a "landing page" that contains important contextual information including the direct resolvable link to the learning object, if applicable.
    4. Title: (mandatory) the name given to the learning object.
    5. Language: (mandatory and multi-value) the primary human language or languages used within the learning object.
    6. Description: (mandatory) the textual description of the content of the learning object.
    7. Keywords: (mandatory and multi-value) the keyword(s) describing the topic of the learning object.
    8. Geographical availability: (mandatory and multi-value) the locations where the learning object is offered. It can be:
      • WW: Worldwide, all countries;
      • EO: Europe, all European Countries;
      • EU: European Union, all countries of the European Union;
      • EZ: Euro Zone, all countries of the Eurozone;
      • AH: Schengen Area, all Schengen Area countries.

  2. Lifecycle: this category describes the history and current state of this learning object and the entities that have affected it during its evolution.
    1. Version: (mandatory) the edition of the learning object. Example: 1.2. Specify "Not available" if needed.
    2. Status: (mandatory) the completion status or condition of the learning object. It can be Draft, Final, Revised, Unavailable.
    3. Contribute: those Entities (i.e., people, organizations) that have contributed to the state of the learning object during its life cycle (e.g., creation, edits, publication).
      1. Role: (mandatory) the kind of contribution. It can be Author, Content provider, Editor, Educational validator, Graphical designer, Initiator, Instructional designer, Publisher, Script writer, Subject matter expert, Technical implementer, Technical validator, Terminator, Other.
      2. Entity: (mandatory and multi-value) the identification of and information about entities (i.e., people, organizations) contributing to this learning object. The entities shall be ordered as most relevant first.
    4. Date: (mandatory) the date of the contribution. E.g., 2001-08-23. Specify "Not available" if needed.

  3. Educational: this category describes the key educational or pedagogic characteristics of the learning object.
    1. Interactivity type: (mandatory) the predominant mode of learning supported by the learning object. It can be Active, Expositive, Mixed. “Active” learning (e.g., learning by doing) is supported by content that directly induces productive action by the learner. Active documents include simulations, questionnaires, and exercises. “Expositive” learning (e.g., passive learning) occurs when the learner's job mainly consists of absorbing the content exposed to her/him (generally through text, images or sound). Expositive documents include essays, video clips, all kinds of graphical material, and hypertext documents. When a learning object blends the active and expositive interactivity types, then its interactivity type is “mixed.”
    2. Learning resource type: (mandatory) the specific kind of the learning object. It can be Diagram, Exam, Exercise, Experiment, FAQ, Index, Lecture, Narrative text, Problem statement, Questionnaire, School, Self assessment, Simulation, Slide, Table, Video, Webinar, Other.
    3. Interactivity level: (mandatory) the degree of interactivity characterizing the learning object. It refers to the degree to which the learner can influence the aspect or behavior of the learning object. It can be: Very low, Low, Medium, High, Very high.
    4. Semantic density: (mandatory) the degree of conciseness of the learning object. The semantic density of a learning object may be estimated in terms of its size, span, or - in the case of self-timed resources such as audio or video - duration. It can be: Very low, Low, Medium, High, Very high.
    5. Target group: (mandatory and multi-value) the principal user type for which the learning object was designed. It can be Researchers, Research groups, Research communities, Research projects, Research networks, Research managers, Research organisations, Students, Innovators, Businesses, Providers, Funders, Policy Makers, Research Infrastructure, Managers, Provider Managers, Resource Managers, Publishers, Other.
    6. Context: (mandatory) the principal environment within which the learning and use of the learning object is intended to take place. It can be Higher education, School, Training, Other.
    7. Expertise level: (mandatory) the target skill level in the learning object for the typical intended target audience. It can be: Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner, All.
    8. Typical learning time: (mandatory) the approximate or typical time it takes to work with or through the learning object for the typical intended target audience. Example: PT1H30M, which means 1 hour and 30 minutes. Specify "Knowledge-dependent" if the learning time depends on the familiarity with the context.
    9. Learning outcome(s): (mandatory and multi-value) the descriptions of what knowledge, skills or abilities the target group should acquire on completion of the learning object. The Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used to write effective learning outcomes.
    10. Access rights: (mandatory) the access status for the learning object. It can be:
      • Open access: it refers to a learning object that is immediately and permanently online, and free for all on the Web, without financial and technical barriers.
      • Restricted access: it refers to a learning object that is available in a system but with some type of restriction for full open access.
      • Metadata only access: it refers to a learning object in which access is limited to metadata only. The resource itself is described by the metadata, but neither is directly available through the system or platform nor can be referenced to an open access copy in an external source.
      • Paid access: it refers to the need to pay a fee to access the learning object.
    11. Cost: (mandatory) whether use of the learning object requires payment (Yes/No).
    12. Copyright and other restrictions: (mandatory) whether copyright or other restrictions apply to the use of the learning object (Yes/No).
    13. Condition of use: (mandatory) comments on the conditions of use of the learning object.

  4. Technical: this category describes the technical requirements and characteristics of the learning object.
    1. Size: (mandatory) the actual size of the digital learning object in bytes not Mbytes, GB, etc. If the learning object is compressed, then this data element shall refer to the uncompressed size. Specify "Not available" if needed.
    2. Scientific domain and subdomain: (mandatory) the branch and subbranch of science, scientific discipline that is related to the learning object. It can be: i) Natural Sciences:
      • Mathematics
      • Computer and information sciences
      • Physical sciences
      • Chemical sciences
      • Earth and related environmental sciences
      • Biological sciences
      • Other natural sciences
      ii) Engineering & Technology:
      • Civil engineering
      • Electrical, electronic and information engineering
      • Mechanical engineering
      • Chemical engineering
      • Materials engineering
      • Medical engineering
      • Environmental engineering
      • Environmental biotechnology
      • Industrial biotechnology
      • Nano-technology
      • Other engineering and technology sciences
      iii) Medical & Health Sciences:
      • Basic medicine
      • Clinical medicine
      • Health sciences
      • Medical biotechnology
      • Other medical sciences
      iv) Agricultural Sciences:
      • Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
      • Animal and dairy sciences
      • Veterinary sciences
      • Agricultural biotechnology
      • Other agricultural sciences
      v) Social Sciences:
      • Psychology
      • Economics and business
      • Educational sciences
      • Sociology
      • Law
      • Political sciences
      • Social and economic geography
      • Media and communications
      • Other social sciences
      vi) Humanities:
      • History and archaeology
      • Languages and literature
      • Philosophy, ethics and religion
      • Arts
      • Other humanities
      vii) Generic: Generic
      viii) Other: Other
    3. Topic codes: (mandatory and multi-value) the code and title of the covered topics according to the list of the training topics identified in Table 1 of the ENVRI-FAIR project Deliverable 6.1. Topic codes are divided into two main categories: “general FAIR-related” (from G1 to G7) and “research data management-related” (from R1 to R17).

  5. Relation: this category defines the relationship between this learning object and other learning objects, if any.
    1. Kind: (optional) the nature of the relationship between this learning object and the target learning object. It can be isPartOf, hasPart, requires, isRequiredBy.
    2. Entry: (optional and multi-value) the value of the identifier within the identification or cataloging scheme that designates or identifies the target learning object. A namespace specific string, e.g., http://www.ieee.org/documents/1234.