OERca

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What is OERca?
OERca is a web-based content clearing application that supports the dScribe process. People engaged in the process of creating open content can use OERca to organize materials, track changes within the resource, manage rights and license information, and collaborate with others with whom you’re working to create and clear content. OERca is Open Source Software is run on *nix servers. It could possibly work on Windows, but we have no experience with installation and configuration on Windows. We have run it on:
 * Ubuntu 8.10, 9.04, 9.10
 * MacOS 10.4, 10.5, 10.6 (this is only for development. 10.6.x/Snow Leopard requires some tweaks)
 * RedHat Enterprise Linux 5.3, 5.4
 * CentOS 5.3, 5.4

View our "What is OERca?" handout ([[Media:OERca-handout-2pages.pdf|PDF]], [[Media:OERca-handout-2pages.indd|INDD]])

View our OERca project page.

OERca Features

 * Clean web-based interface
 * Bulk import/export of resources
 * Built in content object tagging (keywords, citations, licensing information)
 * Copyright status metadata for all content objects
 * Facilitates communication between dScribes (be they faculty, staff or students)

Basic OERca Functionality
OERca allows you to do the following:


 * upload individual or bulk resources
 * extract and organize the embedded images/objects within a particular resource (instructions)*
 * add metadata (citations, license information, keywords, etc) to these embedded objects
 * recommend an action for clearing the object
 * upload new/replacement images and add metadata
 * reassemble the original; includes any metadata and replacement images* (instructions part 1 and part 2)
 * download file containing edited version, and copies of all individual image files with associated metadata

*OERca supports the upload of nearly all file types, but will only extract images embedded in .ppt, .doc, and .pdf files. Furthermore, we can only reassemble .ppt files.

Test OERca: Request an account
Fill out this form to request a demo account on our hosted installation of OERca.

If you do not have a @umich.edu email address, you'll need to request a University of Michigan Friend account as well.

OERca Support
OERca support is done via Google Groups. The OERca group is at http://groups.google.com/group/oerca. Please join the group to post messages although you may view the archives without joining.

Login to OERca
If you already have an OERca account, proceed and login here.

Documentation: How to Use OERca

 * User instructions
 * OERca Screencasts
 * Admin instructions

Install OERca
Install your own instance of OERca by following the OERca Installation Instructions. The code is also available from SourceForge. If you encounter bugs when using the system, or if you have questions about functionality, we have a Google Group at http://groups.google.com/groups/oerca, please join the group and post a message.

Development
Just as the dScribe process evolves, so does OERca and its functionality. Please let us know if you’re interested in learning more about the development process and ways that you might assist, we'd love for you to participate.

The OERca Development page outlines how to get, install, and contribute to OERca.


 * OERca bug tracking

Development status
OERca is currently seeing little front-end development. We are developing new functionality, but won't be changing the User Interface much.

We also have an outline for the next version (OERca2). The planning document for it can be found at OERca2 planning. Further development is currently stalled, but feel free to look at our spec. If you are inspired to write code, please let us know and if you're particularly kind, you'll open source it.


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