How to host and deliver your training in a FAIR way

Module 3 – FAIR Training Material by Design

October 21-22, 2025

Nina Norgren

Learning outcomes

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• List common e-learning platforms
• Explain what the SCORM format is
• Describe pros and cons of different Learning Management Systems, from a FAIR perspective
• Create a course page setup to host and deliver training
• Describe how to make your training material FAIR using only google drive

What do we mean by hosting and delivery?

Hosting of materials:

• Google Workspace / Nextcloud
• Github
• Zenodo / Figshare

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Delivery:

• LMS
• Github pages

Image by svstudioart on Freepik

Image by jcomp on Freepik

The 4 phases of training materials life cycle

The 4 phases of training materials life cycle

Google Workspace / Nextcloud

Github

LMS

Github pages

Google Workspace / Nextcloud

Github

Google Workspace / Nextcloud

Github

LMS

Zenodo / Figshare

Google Workspace + LMS

Google Workspace to develop the materials in a collaborative environment

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Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

An LMS to deliver, share, and archive the training

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Google Workspace

Collection of tools from Google

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• Drive (for storing material)
• Slides
• Documents
• Other data
• Email (for communication with students)

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Google Workspace (google drive) / Nextcloud

No global discovery (not indexed by search engines). Link required.

Access control can be regulated (individual sharing, public access, read/write permissions)

Supports common file types for viewing and editing: PDFs, google docs, microsoft office files. Possible for several persons to work in same collaborative document.

Content can be duplicated, but only basic version control. Make sure to add README and other relevant information.

Learning management systems (LMS)

What is a Learning management system (LMS)?

• A platform to host and manage training materials, track student progress, and engage learners

Why use an LMS?

• Centralized platform
• Tracks learner progress and support learning

Image by vectorjuice on Freepik

Common LMSes

How an LMS makes your training FAIR

LMSes often include metadata, search features, and indexing for easy retrieval. Not all LMSes are indexed by Google

LMSes manage access controls, supporting open and restricted access as needed.

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) enables interoperability across different platforms.

Courses can be easily repurposed or adapted on most LMSes.

Standards for e-learning content

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)

is a technical standard for packaging training materials to ensure interoperability across different e-learning systems.

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xAPI

is a modern standard that allows tracking of diverse learning experiences both inside and outside the LMS.

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CMI5

CMI5 combines the flexibility of xAPI with the structure of SCORM. It is designed for traditional LMS use cases but also extends to more modern, flexible learning environments.

Standards for e-learning content

Google Workspace + LMS

1. Develop course syllabus + LOs in google drive
2. Make presentations using google slides
3. Set up a LMS (for example OpenEDX)
4. Either download presentations as pdfs and upload to OpenEDX, OR, integrate them directly from google drive using iframes
5. Make sure to link to the google drive folder with all materials (making it read-only)

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Github + github pages

Develop, share, archive content on github

Deliver and share it through github pages

Github + github pages

Indexed by search engines. Repositories can include detailed metadata.

Repositories can be made public, providing open access, without giving away edit rights.�Github pages allows access for everyone as a simple website.

Supports multiple file formats: markdown, html, notebooks, etc. �Git allows for collaborations on the same repository, allowing several users to develop content.

Public repositories can be forked and reused as they are.�Releases or branches can be made to keep several course instances up and running.

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Github + github pages

1. Create a github repository
2. Collaborate and create training materials in for example markdown
3. Use a framework for creating course page layout
1. mkDocs
2. Quarto
3. Liascript
4. Set up a github page from your repo (not needed with Liascript)
5. Share the link to the website with your students

Other combinations

Google drive + LMS

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Github + Github pages

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Google drive + Github pages

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Github + LMS

Other combinations

Google drive + LMS

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Github + Github pages

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Google drive + Github pages

• Set up a simple github page with basic structure of course and syllabus
• Display course presentations, slides, videos on page, but hosted on google drive

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Github + LMS

• Develop all your course material on github
• Use iframes or other renderers to display content in LMS

Discussion

RNAseq analysis course - case study

Kate has an onsite course in RNAseq analysis. She sends out all relevant course information by email to the students. During the course she has prepared powerpoint slides for her presentations, and exercise instructions that she has in a google drive folder she shares with her students. After the course is done, she sends the slides as pdfs to her students.

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Microscopy course - case study

Steve has a course in microscopy, delivered online. He also has a google drive folder where he prepares all his slides, exercises, and other relevant information regarding the course. This folder is read-only for anyone with the link. He sets up a course website in Canvas, where he links all information from his google drive, including presentation slides and exercises. The course website he makes public so everyone can see it. Plus, he links to the original google drive folder from Canvas.

R course - case study

Jane has a hybrid course in R. She has set up a course website using github pages and Quarto. She has a github repo where she creates all information regarding the course, including slides and exercises using markdown. She uses releases to separate different instances of her course. All relevant information is published on the github page, with the links to the github repo.

Exercise - set up your course website

Based on the syllabus and learning outcomes from the previous session

Easy: OpenEDX

Intermediate: github with Liascript

Advanced: github with github pages