# ITC OER: From Research to Implementation of an Open Educational Resources (OER) Platform for Higher Education in Cambodia

Nimol Thuon

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Nimol Thuon. ITC OER: From Research to Implementation of an Open Educational Resources (OER) Platform for Higher Education in Cambodia. KH003, Institute of Technology of Cambodia. 2014. [hal-05072234](https://hal.science/hal-05072234v1)

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# ITC OER: From Research to Implementation of an Open Educational Resources (OER) Platform for Higher Education in Cambodia

Author: Nimol Thuon

Institution: **Institute of Technology of Cambodia**

Technician Paper

First Edition: **2014**

Initial Release: **2025**

Author Note

Grant supported by Institute of Technology Cambodia (Cambodia) and ARES Scholarship (Belgium)
Abstract

The Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) has initiated the development of a comprehensive web-based Open Educational Resources (OER) system aimed at enhancing access to quality educational materials for learners, educators, and researchers. The platform is intended to be freely available for non-commercial, academic use, promoting the sharing, adaptation, and reuse of educational content through the integration of modern web technologies.

The primary objective of this project is to design and implement an OER system that delivers an optimal user experience for various user roles including guests, contributors, moderators, and administrators while maintaining scalability, accessibility, and academic integrity. To ensure high performance and sustainability, the system leverages open-source tools, frameworks, and technologies, selected through a rigorous comparative analysis.

A significant component of the project involves the evaluation of five leading open-source Learning Management Systems (LMS): Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, Sakai, and Latitude. These platforms are assessed based on key criteria such as course development capabilities, administrative features, platform support, user management, and accessibility. The insights gained from this comparison guide the architectural and functional design of the ITC OER platform.

The project is collaboratively executed by two core teams: a research team and a development team. The research team is responsible for analyzing well-established global OER platforms to extract best practices regarding system architecture, licensing models (e.g., Creative Commons), user roles, and technical frameworks. These findings are then used by the development team to construct a tailored, modular OER solution for ITC.

Ultimately, this initiative aligns with global efforts to democratize education through information and communication technologies (ICT). It aims to establish a dynamic, community-driven platform that supports lifelong learning and academic collaboration across Cambodia and beyond.

Keywords: Open Educational Resources, Open-source tools, Education System Management
# I. INTRODUCTION OF PROJECT

Knowledge, education, and learning are inherently tied to the development of society. Teaching and learning practices must continuously evolve in response to societal changes, particularly in the digital era. The rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has fundamentally transformed how knowledge is created, accessed, and disseminated. In response to the growing need for accessible and diverse educational resources, Open Educational Resources (OER) have emerged as a key solution to support inclusive and equitable learning opportunities.

The UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE) plays a central role in assisting Member States with policy development and capacity building for the effective integration of ICT into education systems. By promoting access to information, encouraging research, sharing best practices, and enabling self-directed learning, IITE seeks to bridge the digital divide and ensure lifelong learning opportunities for all, including marginalized and vulnerable populations.

OER are broadly defined as any teaching, learning, or research materials—such as curriculum frameworks, textbooks, multimedia, videos, podcasts, and software tools—that are freely available for use, reuse, and adaptation without licensing or royalty fees. According to *A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER)*, these resources are designed to support educators and learners by removing barriers to access and encouraging collaborative educational practices.

The definition most commonly accepted today, as outlined in *Giving Knowledge for Free: The Emergence of Open Educational Resources*, refers to “digitized materials offered freely and openly for educators, students, and self-learners to use and reuse for teaching, learning, and research.” This includes not only educational content but also tools for content development and delivery, as well as implementation frameworks such as open licenses that facilitate widespread use and adaptation.

The global movement in support of OER has gained significant momentum, particularly in light of efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal of "Education for All." The 2012 UNESCO World Open Educational Resources Congress in Paris issued a declaration advocating for:
1. Raising awareness and encouraging the use of OER;

2. Creating supportive environments for ICT integration;

3. Developing national strategies and policies for OER adoption;

4. Promoting understanding of open licensing frameworks;

5. Supporting the sustainable creation of quality learning materials;

6. Building strategic partnerships to advance OER initiatives;

7. Adapting OER to diverse languages and cultural settings;

8. Promoting research on OER impact and practices;

9. Improving systems for discovering and sharing OER;

10. Encouraging the open licensing of educational materials funded by public sources.

The term "Open Educational Resources" was first introduced during a UNESCO-hosted
forum in 2002, initially described as "the open provision of educational resources, enabled by
information and communication technologies, for consultation, use and adaptation by a
community of users for non-commercial purposes" (Johnstone, 2005). Today, OER
encompasses:

* **Learning Content:** Complete courses, modules, digital textbooks, academic journals, and curated collections;

* **Tools:** Platforms and software for content creation, learning management, collaboration, and distribution;

* **Implementation Resources:** Open licenses, localization frameworks, and guidelines for quality assurance and best practices.

By leveraging the principles of openness, collaboration, and equity, OER are positioned as
transformative tools for modern education systems, enabling broad participation and
innovation in knowledge dissemination.
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1: Conceptual Map of OER system</figcaption></figure>

## 1.1 Problematics

Despite the increasing global advocacy for Open Educational Resources (OER), their actual impact on daily teaching practices in higher education remains limited. While digital technologies have become ubiquitous and nearly all students engage with online platforms, the integration of OER into curricula has been minimal. Traditional teaching materials—such as printed textbooks, closed-access readings, and proprietary content—continue to dominate classroom instruction. Course management systems (CMS), though widely used, are often limited to administrative functions such as distributing syllabi, uploading class notes, managing announcements, and recording grades. They are seldom used as dynamic platforms for delivering openly licensed or collaboratively developed educational content.

One of the core challenges lies in the gap between availability and adoption. Although a growing number of educators recognize the potential of OER to democratize access to knowledge, the lack of high-quality, localized, and curriculum-aligned open resources discourages meaningful use. In the past, educators, students, and independent learners struggled to access affordable and adaptable educational content, primarily due to the scarcity of openly available learning materials. This situation contributed to inequities in educational access, particularly in developing countries and among underserved communities.
In response to this need, many institutions, research bodies, and international organizations have begun actively developing and promoting OER initiatives. These efforts aim to enhance the availability of free, high-quality resources for teaching, learning, and research. However, the full potential of OER has not yet been realized due to several key barriers:

* **Lack of awareness and training**: Many educators are still unfamiliar with how to locate, evaluate, adapt, and integrate OER into their courses.

* **Concerns about quality and credibility**: There is often skepticism about the academic rigor of openly licensed content compared to traditional publishing channels.

* **Insufficient institutional support**: In many cases, there are no clear policies or incentives encouraging educators to adopt or contribute to OER.

* **Technological and language limitations**: The digital divide, especially in low-resource settings, and the lack of materials in diverse languages and cultural contexts limit the reach of OER.

Recognizing these challenges and the transformative potential of open education, it becomes imperative to invest in sustainable OER ecosystems that are inclusive, adaptable, and aligned with national educational priorities. Such systems should not only support content development but also provide guidance on licensing, localization, quality assurance, and pedagogical integration.

The growing recognition of OER's advantages—including increased access to educational content, cost savings for students, and greater pedagogical flexibility—underscores the urgency of addressing these challenges. For educators to fully harness the benefits of OER, there must be a concerted effort to promote awareness, build capacity, and develop institutional frameworks that encourage their effective use. Only then can OER move from peripheral use to becoming a core component of modern, inclusive, and equitable education systems.

## 1.2 Objective

Building upon the context outlined above, this project aims to design and develop an Open Educational Resources (OER) system for the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), with the support of ARES-Commission Universitaire pour le Développement. The main objective is to establish a comprehensive platform that enables users to manage, share, and engage with educational materials in an open and collaborative environment.
The proposed system will provide the following core functionalities:

* **Material Upload and Management:** Enabling instructors and learners to upload, organize, and access a wide range of educational content, including e-learning modules, video tutorials, and academic documents.

* **User Management:** Supporting different user roles (e.g., administrators, instructors, learners) with appropriate permissions and functionalities.

* **Interactive Features:** Facilitating discussion forums and collaborative learning spaces to enhance knowledge exchange and peer engagement.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2: Standard System Architecture</figcaption></figure>

During this project at ITC, I conducted an extensive review of existing global OER platforms, analyzing their key features, user types, workflows, and underlying technologies. This research included a comparative study of leading Learning Management Systems (LMS), assessing their strengths and limitations in the context of Cambodian higher education. Particular attention was given to selecting suitable LMS tools that align with the local educational infrastructure and user needs.

Additionally, a common limitation of conventional educational websites is their inability to perform full-text keyword searches within uploaded documents. To address this, our project integrates a **semantic search engine** that extracts and indexes key terms from file content, allowing users to perform more precise and meaningful searches beyond just file names or metadata.

In summary, the objective of this project is to develop a robust, localized OER system tailored to the Cambodian educational landscape, enhancing both the accessibility and usability of digital learning resources through modern content management and semantic technologies.
## 1.3 Planning

The project is carried out for 6 months. Planning is therefore proposed after the main objective of this project and we had ideas about the overall need in project.

<table><caption>Table 1: Project timeline</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2"></th><th colspan="6">Month</th></tr><tr><th>1</th><th>2</th><th>3</th><th>4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Studying about OER System</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Research on existing OER system</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Analysis Users and Functionalities of ITC's OER</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Design of database</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Implementation</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Test and debug</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Deploy to ITC server</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

## 1.4 Module Overview and Functionality

<table><thead><tr><th>Module</th><th>Functionality</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Study of OER Systems</td><td>- Conduct research on existing global OER platforms<br>- Identify common architectures, key features, and user interactions to guide the design of the local OER system</td></tr><tr><td>Functionality & Database Analysis</td><td>- Analyze technical structures, including key modules and their integration<br>- Map out database schemas for user profiles, materials, and interactions</td></tr><tr><td>General User Features</td><td>- Enable users to browse and search for educational materials<br>- Provide registration and login functions<br>- Allow users to edit and update their personal profiles</td></tr><tr><td>Administration Module</td><td>- Manage user accounts, permissions, and roles<br>- Oversee system-wide data operations including backups, content moderation, and usage statistics</td></tr><tr><td>Material Management</td><td>- Allow instructors and learners to upload digital resources (PDFs, videos, tutorials)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 2: Module Overview and Functionality</caption><tr><td></td><td>- Support categorization, tagging, and registration of materials for easier access and classification</td></tr><tr><td>Survey of Tools and Technologies</td><td>- Conduct a comparative analysis of top Learning Management Systems (LMS) based on functionality, scalability, and compatibility<br/>- Evaluate frameworks and development tools suitable for the Cambodian education environment</td></tr><tr><td>Research & Implementation of Semantic Search</td><td>- Design and implement a search engine that extracts meaningful keywords from documents<br/>- Develop a semantic search function to enhance content retrieval beyond basic title or filename searches</td></tr></table>

# II. Survey of Tools and Technologies for ITC's OER Development

## 2.1. Introduction

The advancement of digital education and the global movement toward open access to knowledge have made the development of Open Educational Resources (OER) systems an essential component of modern educational strategies. At the **Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC)**, the goal of building an OER platform aligns with national and international objectives to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education. In order to ensure that such a system meets the academic and technical requirements of the institution, a comprehensive survey and evaluation of available technologies was first undertaken.

Developing an OER platform involves more than simply uploading digital documents; it requires building a robust ecosystem that supports the creation, management, sharing, and collaborative use of educational content. This necessitates a careful selection of development tools, programming languages, frameworks, and digital infrastructure that not only meet functional needs but also ensure long-term sustainability, adaptability, and ease of maintenance.

One of the core components of an OER system is the **Learning Management System (LMS)**. Globally, LMS platforms are used to support online teaching, learning, and administration. Open-source LMS solutions, in particular, offer significant advantages, such as cost-
effectiveness, community-driven improvements, and flexibility for customization. In light of
this, we conducted an in-depth comparative analysis of five widely adopted LMS platforms:
**Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, Sakai, and Latitude.** The aim was to evaluate their core
functionalities, scalability, user interface, mobile compatibility, and suitability for deployment
within Cambodia's higher education context.

Beyond LMS evaluation, the technical foundation of the system also required careful planning.
We assessed several **programming languages** and **development frameworks**, focusing on
aspects such as ease of integration, support for modular design, security features, and developer
community size. This included evaluating back-end technologies like PHP and Laravel, front-
end frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation, as well as database systems and hosting
environments.

Moreover, recognizing the importance of **interactive and collaborative learning**, we included
the integration of a **discussion platform** to facilitate forums and peer-to-peer engagement
among educators and students. We also considered **semantic search technology** to enhance
the platform's ability to extract and index content, enabling users to perform intelligent
keyword searches across uploaded learning materials.

The selection of each technology was guided by practical considerations such as:

* Compatibility with ITC's existing IT infrastructure,

- Availability of local developer expertise,

- Long-term sustainability and maintainability,

- Open-source licensing and documentation,

- Support for multilingual and mobile-friendly environments.

This introductory assessment laid the groundwork for a strategic approach to building a
tailored, high-impact OER system for ITC—one that supports digital transformation in
Cambodian higher education while aligning with UNESCO's broader vision for accessible and
inclusive learning through open educational practices.

## 2.2. Comparison of Tools and Frameworks

2.2.1 Programming Languages and Frameworks
The choice of programming language and framework forms the backbone of any software development project. For the ITC OER system, the selected technologies had to meet criteria related to scalability, maintainability, security, performance, and long-term support. After a thorough evaluation of various modern development stacks, **PHP 7** and the **Laravel 5** framework were chosen as the foundation for the platform's back-end development.

## Selected Programming Language: PHP 7

PHP 7 was selected due to its proven reliability in powering dynamic and data-driven web applications. As one of the most widely used server-side scripting languages, PHP 7 brings several advantages that align well with the needs of an educational platform:

* **Fast Load Time**: PHP 7 includes significant performance improvements over earlier versions. With a modernized Zend Engine, PHP 7 executes scripts more quickly, ensuring responsive interactions for users even under high traffic.

* **Cost Efficiency**: Being open-source, PHP requires no licensing fees, and its supporting tools and libraries are also free. This makes it an ideal choice for institutions with limited budgets seeking to deploy robust digital solutions.

* **Database Compatibility**: PHP works seamlessly with various relational and NoSQL databases. In particular, it integrates natively with MySQL/MariaDB, which is commonly used in educational applications for handling structured educational content, user profiles, and activity logs.

* **Talent Availability**: PHP is supported by a vast global community. The widespread use of PHP means that ITC will have easy access to a broad pool of developers for future upgrades, maintenance, or training. This minimizes human resource risks and ensures long-term support.
## Selected Framework: Laravel 5

To enhance the structure and efficiency of development, Laravel 5 was selected as the supporting web application framework. Laravel builds upon PHP's capabilities by offering a cleaner, modular, and modern programming interface, which is essential for scalable and maintainable codebases. The framework provides numerous built-in tools that reduce development time while increasing overall project quality.

Key reasons for choosing Laravel 5 include:

* **Community and Popularity**: Laravel is the most widely adopted PHP framework and benefits from strong community support, active development, and continuous updates. It provides access to reusable packages and extensions that simplify common tasks.

* **Scalability and Robustness**: Laravel is suitable for both small-scale applications and enterprise-level projects. Its modular design supports scalability, making it appropriate for the gradual expansion of the ITC OER system in terms of users, content, and functionality.

* **Lightweight Templating Engine**: Laravel's Blade templating engine allows developers to build dynamic, efficient, and reusable views. This supports rapid UI development and easy integration with front-end frameworks.

* **Modern Development Principles**: Laravel encourages the use of clean coding practices such as RESTful routing, dependency injection, and object-oriented design. These standards contribute to code clarity and long-term maintainability.

* **MVC Architecture Support**: Laravel strictly adheres to the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. This separation of concerns enhances code organization, facilitates parallel development, and supports test-driven development practices.

* **Security and Configuration Tools**: Laravel includes features such as CSRF protection, encryption, authentication scaffolding, and role-based access control. These are crucial for an educational platform dealing with sensitive user data and content.

In summary, the combination of **PHP 7** and **Laravel 5** offers a powerful and flexible foundation that balances performance with developer productivity. It supports ITC's goal of building a secure, maintainable, and scalable OER system that can evolve with the institution's growing digital learning needs.
### 2.2.2 Learning Management Systems (LMS)

* Overview of Compared LMS Platforms

<table><caption>Table 3: Overview of Compared LMS Platforms</caption><thead><tr><td>LMS</td><td>Developer/Company</td><td>Year Introduced</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Moodle</td><td>Moodle Inc.</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>Blackboard</td><td>Blackboard Inc.</td><td>1997</td></tr><tr><td>Canvas</td><td>Instructure Inc.</td><td>2008</td></tr><tr><td>Sakai</td><td>Apereo Foundation</td><td>N/A</td></tr><tr><td>Latitude</td><td>Latitude Learning, LLC</td><td>N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>

* Platform Support and Accessibility

<table><caption>Table 4: Platform Support and Accessibility</caption><thead><tr><td>Feature</td><td>Moodle</td><td>Blackboard</td><td>Canvas</td><td>Sakai</td><td>Latitude</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Standard Tools (SCORM)</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Platform Availability</td><td>Web, Mobile, Windows, Linux</td><td>Web, Mobile, Windows, OSX</td><td>Web, Mobile, Windows, Linux</td><td>Web, Windows</td><td>Web only</td></tr><tr><td>Mobile Platform Support</td><td>Android, iOS, Windows Phone</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

* Comparison of Functionalities

<table><thead><tr><td>Category</td><td>Moodle</td><td>Blackboard</td><td>Canvas</td><td>Sakai</td><td>Latitude</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Course Development</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Custom User Interface</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Templates</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Exam Engine</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Administrative Tools</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Reporting</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Course Catalog</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 5: Comparison of Functionalities</caption><tr><td>Grading System</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Role Management</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Registration Management</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Mobile Access</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Data Import/Export</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Individual Learning Plans</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Collaboration Tools</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Messaging &amp; Forums</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>File Exchange</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Collaboration Mgmt</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Assessment Tools</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Skill Tracking</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Career Tracking</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Instruction Methods</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>E-Learning Support</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Multimedia Integration</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td></tr><tr><td>Virtual Classrooms</td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td><td></td><td>✓</td><td>✓</td></tr></table>

### 2.2.3 Forum and Discussion Platform

#### Selected Platform: FLARUM

To foster a collaborative learning environment, it is essential to integrate a robust forum and discussion system within the OER platform. Such a system enables peer interaction, academic discourse, and instructor-student engagement, which are vital for building an active learning community. After evaluating several forum solutions, **Flarum** was selected as the most appropriate platform for ITC's OER discussion module.

Flarum is a modern, open-source discussion platform built with simplicity and extensibility in mind. It is particularly well-suited for educational use cases due to its lightweight architecture and clean, intuitive user interface. Key reasons for selecting Flarum include:
* **Wide Web Server Compatibility**: Flarum can be deployed on commonly used web servers such as **Apache**, **Nginx**, and **Lighttpd**, providing flexibility in hosting configurations.

* **PHP and MySQL Support**: It runs on **PHP 5.5+** and supports **MySQL 5.5+**, making it compatible with the overall **Laravel-based back-end system** of the OER platform. Required PHP extensions such as `mbstring`, `PDO_MySQL`, `openssl`, `json`, `gd`, `dom`, and `fileinfo` are standard and easy to configure in most server environments.

* **Command-line Access**: For developers and system administrators, Flarum offers command-line support via **SSH**, enabling streamlined installation, updates, and plugin management.

* **Modern and User-Friendly Interface**: One of Flarum's standout features is its minimalist, responsive interface. It supports essential community-building tools such as **tags**, **categories**, **sticky threads**, and **user mentions**, all designed to keep discussions organized and accessible.

* **Extensibility Through Plug-ins**: Flarum has a vibrant developer community that produces a wide range of extensions to enhance functionality. These include authentication integrations, moderation tools, analytics, notifications, and more— allowing ITC to scale the system as needed.

* **Performance and Efficiency**: As a lightweight system, Flarum consumes minimal resources while maintaining high performance, which is critical for institutions with limited server capacity or bandwidth constraints.

<table><thead><tr><td>Feature</td><td>Bootstrap</td><td>Foundation</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Current Version</td><td>v3.3.6</td><td>v6.0</td></tr><tr><td>Preprocessors</td><td>Less and Sass</td><td>Sass</td></tr><tr><td>Responsive &amp; Modular</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td>Unique Components</td><td>Jumbotron</td><td>Icon Bar, Joyride, Flex Video, Lightbox</td></tr><tr><td>Icon Set</td><td>Glyphicons Halflings</td><td>Foundation Icon Fonts</td></tr><tr><td>Add-ons</td><td>Many third-party plug-ins available</td><td>Bundled extras available</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 6: Front-End Framework Comparison</caption><tr><td>Customization Options</td><td>GUI-based with manual color input</td><td>Manual customization only</td></tr><tr><td>Browser Support</td><td>IE8+, Chrome, Firefox, Safari</td><td>IE9+, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, iOS, Android</td></tr></table>

### 2.2.4 Selected Front-End Framework: Foundation

For the front-end development of the OER system, **Foundation** was selected as the preferred responsive framework. Developed by Zurb, Foundation is recognized as one of the most advanced front-end frameworks for building responsive and accessible web applications. It is especially well-suited for educational platforms that require flexibility across multiple devices and user accessibility standards.

Key reasons for selecting the Foundation framework include:

* **Mobile-First and Responsive Design:** Foundation is built with a mobile-first philosophy, ensuring that all components are optimized for performance on smartphones, tablets, and desktops. This is particularly important in the Cambodian context, where mobile devices are often the primary means of accessing online resources.

* **Modular Architecture:** Developers can include only the components they need, resulting in cleaner, faster-loading interfaces. This supports the lightweight nature of the OER system and minimizes load on client devices and networks.

* **Customizability and Extensibility:** Foundation supports Sass preprocessor, allowing easy theming and branding for ITC. Developers can fully tailor the visual identity of the OER platform while maintaining a professional and consistent user experience.

* **Advanced UI Components:** Foundation comes with a rich set of built-in UI tools such as modal dialogs, dropdowns, tabs, accordion menus, and responsive grid systems—all of which streamline the creation of intuitive learning interfaces and content presentation layouts.

* **Accessibility Compliance:** The framework adheres to accessibility best practices (WCAG standards), ensuring that the OER platform is usable by students and educators with disabilities, thereby promoting inclusive education.
* **Cross-Browser and Device Compatibility**: Foundation provides robust support across all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS), increasing the reliability of the user experience regardless of access method.

### 2.2.5 Final Technology Stack Summary

Based on the comprehensive comparative analysis and evaluation of practical needs at ITC, the following core technologies have been selected for the development and implementation of the Open Educational Resources system:

* **Back-End: PHP 7 with `Laravel 5`** – Ensures robust server-side logic, MVC structure, and scalable backend performance with strong developer community support.

* **Front-End: `Foundation Framework`** – Provides a modern, modular, and mobile-optimized interface for a clean and accessible user experience.

* **Forum and Collaboration Platform: `Flarum`** – Offers a minimalist, high-performance discussion module to encourage interactive learning and community building.

* **Learning Management System (LMS): `Moodle` and `Blackboard`** – Identified as the most adaptable and feature-rich LMS platforms, offering strong capabilities in content delivery, administrative control, grading, collaboration tools, and instructional methods.

The selected technology stack represents a well-balanced combination of performance, flexibility, cost-efficiency, and maintainability. Each component has been chosen not only for its technical merits but also for its relevance to the educational and infrastructural context of Cambodia. By integrating these technologies, ITC will be able to establish a scalable and sustainable OER platform that empowers educators and learners alike. This system will support the long-term goals of expanding digital access to quality education, fostering collaboration, and advancing lifelong learning across Cambodia's higher education institutions.
The proposed OER platform is expected to be a key driver of digital transformation at ITC, serving as a model for other institutions in the region and aligning with global movements toward open, inclusive, and technology-enabled education.

# III. ANALYSIS AND SPECIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS

## 3.1 Functional Requirements

The functional requirements define the essential capabilities that the ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) system must provide to meet the needs of its target users—educators, students, researchers, and academic administrators in Cambodia. These requirements are derived from a thorough study of existing OER platforms, a comparative analysis of technologies, and specific feedback from stakeholders at ITC. The goal is to build a flexible and feature-rich system that encourages content contribution, facilitates efficient resource discovery, and supports collaborative educational practices.

Below is the list of proposed functional modules and their descriptions:

* **Advanced Search**

A powerful search engine that allows users to locate materials using multiple parameters such as author, keywords, description, category, material type, language, and file format.

* **Semantic Search Engine**

An intelligent search module that extracts and indexes key terms from within documents (e.g., PDF, PowerPoint) and metadata (title, author, description) to enable context-aware keyword searching.

* **Browse Materials**

A dedicated interface for exploring all available learning materials. Users can apply filters—such as category, content type, popularity, or device compatibility—to refine their search results and discover relevant resources.

* **User Registration**
Enables users to register as members, allowing them to upload content, contribute to discussions, bookmark materials, and access personalized features.

* **Member Review and Moderation**

A system for monitoring user activity. Members can report inappropriate content or spam, which is then reviewed by moderators who can delete, edit, or take appropriate action.

* **Bookmark Collections**

Registered users can save and organize learning materials into personal collections for easy access, sharing, and reference.

* **Discussion Forum**

An integrated public forum that serves as a space for users to ask questions, share knowledge, and engage in academic discourse.

* **Modify Content**

This module allows users to update or delete the content they have uploaded, providing them with control over their contributions.

* **Contribute Material**

Authenticated users can submit learning materials to the platform by entering detailed metadata (title, description, subject, keywords, file format, etc.). This structured submission process enhances discoverability and classification.

* **Content Builder**

A built-in tool that allows users to create new educational content or web pages using pre-designed templates. Templates support a variety of formats including lesson plans, e-portfolios, tutorials, reflection journals, and community-driven content.

* **User Banning System**
Administrators or elite users can ban members who violate the platform's terms of use, particularly those who repeatedly post spam or inappropriate content.

* **Peer Review System**

A structured review and rating mechanism where materials submitted by educators or institutions undergo academic evaluation. High-quality resources receive ratings to highlight credibility and usefulness.

## 3.2 Non-Functional Requirements

While functional requirements define **what** the system should do, non-functional requirements specify **how** the system should perform. These criteria ensure that the platform remains efficient, user-friendly, maintainable, and secure over time. The following non-functional requirements are considered critical to the success of the OER system:

* **Ergonomics and Usability**

The user interface should be intuitive, consistent, and visually clean. As the platform will be used primarily by educators, ease of navigation, accessibility, and a minimal learning curve are essential.

* **Performance and Scalability**

The system should perform efficiently under normal and peak usage. Page loads, search queries, and file uploads/downloads should occur without noticeable delays, even as the platform scales to accommodate more users and content.

* **Security**

The system must implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms to protect user data and content integrity. Proper encryption, session handling, and input validation are mandatory.

* **Maintainability and Modularity**

The software should follow a modular architecture, allowing developers to isolate, debug, and upgrade individual components without affecting the entire system. This makes long-term maintenance and enhancements more manageable.

* **Localization and Language Support**

The platform should be adaptable to multiple languages, including Khmer and
English, to ensure accessibility for users across Cambodia and potentially the broader region.

* **Compatibility**

The platform should function smoothly across various browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) and support mobile responsiveness for both Android and iOS devices.

* **Reliability and Availability**

The system must remain stable and available with minimal downtime. Backup and recovery mechanisms should be in place to ensure content and data preservation.

* **Documentation and Support**

The platform should include comprehensive user documentation and help guides to assist both contributors and learners. Admin-level documentation is also required for future development and technical support.

# IV. User Roles

## 4.1 User Types

The ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) platform is designed to support multiple user roles, each with specific permissions and responsibilities. This role-based access control ensures proper governance, content moderation, and usability across the platform. The system classifies users into **five primary types**, as described below:

<table><thead><tr><td>User Type</td><td>Description</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Guest</td><td>Unregistered users who access the platform without logging in. Guests have limited permissions and can only browse publicly available materials and forum discussions. They cannot upload content, comment, or participate in personalized features. This role is ideal for casual visitors or first-time users.</td></tr><tr><td>Member</td><td>Registered users who have created an account on the platform. Members can upload learning materials, bookmark content, contribute to forum discussions, and use features such as content builder and personal collections. This user type represents the core contributor and learner community.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 7: User Role's ITC OER</caption><tr><td>Moderator</td><td>Moderators are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the platform, particularly within forums and community interactions. Their duties include reviewing comments, managing flagged content, and ensuring that discussions remain relevant and respectful. They also have authority to edit or delete inappropriate material.</td></tr><tr><td>Elite</td><td>Elite users are typically experienced contributors or staff members who have previously served as moderators. They hold advanced permissions, including content curation, user feedback evaluation, and conducting <strong>peer reviews</strong> of uploaded learning materials. They play a key role in quality assurance and academic credibility.</td></tr><tr><td>Administrator</td><td>The administrator is the highest-level user, responsible for overall system management. This includes user account control, platform configuration, data backup, system security, software updates, and policy enforcement. The administrator can assign roles, manage databases, and oversee all backend operations.</td></tr></table>

## 4.2 Role Hierarchy and Privilege Scope

The following diagram illustrates the hierarchy of user types and their respective scopes of authority:

markdown

CopyEdit

Administrator

Elite

Moderator

Member

Guest

This hierarchical model allows for clear delegation of responsibility and ensures that access to sensitive functions—such as banning users, performing peer reviews, or managing system settings—is restricted to users with appropriate roles.

## 4.3 Role Management Features
* Role-based dashboards with customized UI and available actions

* Approval workflows for contributed materials and peer reviews

* Moderator tools for community management and content filtering

* Administrator panel for advanced configuration and audit trails

By establishing a structured and role-aware environment, ITC's OER system ensures not only a secure and collaborative space but also a scalable governance model suitable for long-term sustainability.

## 4.4 Use Case Diagram

The **Use Case Diagram** is a high-level representation that models the interactions between different types of users (actors) and the various functionalities provided by the ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) system. It serves as a visual tool to illustrate the **system's behavioral requirements**, making it easier to understand how the system will operate from a user perspective.

Each **use case** describes a distinct function or service that the system provides, triggered by user interaction. These use cases are grouped based on the user types—Guest, Member, Moderator, Elite, and Administrator—and represent the core actions and goals that users intend to accomplish when using the system.

### Purpose of the Use Case Diagram

* To **visualize user interactions** with the system in a concise format.

* To identify **system functionalities** that need to be developed.

* To support **requirement validation** by showing how each function serves a specific user role.

* To act as a **reference model** during system implementation and testing phases.
## Key Use Cases by Actor

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 3: Key Use Cases by Actor</figcaption></figure>

# V. Functionalities & Activity Diagrams

## 5.1 Core Functionalities of the ITC OER System

The ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) platform is designed to support a wide range of features that facilitate the creation, management, and sharing of educational materials. The core functionalities are classified into **required** and **additional** features, based on priority and system objectives.
## A. Required Functionalities

<table><caption>Table 8: Required Functionalities' ITC OER</caption><thead><tr><td>Functionality</td><td>Description</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>User Registration and Authentication</td><td>Enables users to register an account, log in, and securely access their personalized dashboard.</td></tr><tr><td>Material Contribution</td><td>Registered members can upload learning materials (documents, videos, links) with relevant metadata (title, description, keywords, etc.).</td></tr><tr><td>Material Browsing and Filtering</td><td>Users can browse all submitted materials and use filters (category, type, author, date, etc.) to refine the results.</td></tr><tr><td>Search Functionality</td><td>Basic keyword search and semantic search that allows users to find materials based on content within documents.</td></tr><tr><td>Forum and Discussion</td><td>A community-driven space for users to ask questions, share feedback, and engage in academic discussion.</td></tr><tr><td>Moderator Controls</td><td>Moderators can monitor content, review flagged items, and ensure discussions remain appropriate.</td></tr><tr><td>User Roles Management</td><td>Administrators can assign roles (Member, Moderator, Elite) and manage access permissions accordingly.</td></tr><tr><td>Content Builder</td><td>A visual web editor for members to create digital learning content or personal web pages using templates.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## B. Additional Functionalities

<table><thead><tr><td>Functionality</td><td>Description</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bookmark Collection</td><td>Users can save and organize learning materials into collections for later reference.</td></tr><tr><td>Peer Review System</td><td>Elite users and academic staff can rate and review submitted materials to ensure content quality and academic credibility.</td></tr><tr><td>Material Modification</td><td>Users can update or delete their previously uploaded content.</td></tr><tr><td>User Ban Feature</td><td>Administrators can ban users who repeatedly violate terms or post inappropriate content.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 9: Additional Functionalities' ITC OER</caption><tr><td>Mobile<br>Responsiveness</td><td>The platform will adapt to different screen sizes and support Android/iOS users.</td></tr><tr><td>Language<br>Localization</td><td>&amp; Multilingual interface with support for Khmer and English to improve accessibility.</td></tr></table>

## 5.2 Activity Diagrams

Activity diagrams are used to model the dynamic behavior of the system and describe **sequential workflows** for key user interactions. Below are detailed activity flows for three primary use cases:

### A. Activity Diagram: Registration Process

**Objective:** To illustrate the process of how a new user creates an account.

**Steps:**

1. User accesses the registration page

2. User inputs required information: First Name, Last Name, Email, Username, Password

3. System validates inputs (e.g., email format, password strength)

4. System checks for duplicate accounts

5. If validation passes, account is created

6. User is redirected to login page or dashboard
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>Figure 4: Registration Process</figcaption></figure>

## B. Activity Diagram: Submit Material

**Objective:** To model how users contribute learning materials.

**Steps:**

1. Logged-in user selects “Submit Material”

2. Step 1: Enter Title, URL, and Display Image (optional)

### Step 1: Title & URL

This step captures the essential metadata that identifies and presents the learning material to users on the platform. These fields are displayed prominently in both search results and the material detail view page, and they play a critical role in improving discoverability, clarity, and engagement.

### Title
* This is the name of the learning material as it will appear on the platform.

* It should be **clear, concise, and descriptive**, giving users an immediate understanding of the content.

* Best practices include using academic or subject-specific terms and avoiding overly generic titles.

* Example: "*Introduction to Renewable Energy Systems – Lecture 1*"

## Material URL

* This field captures the **direct link** to the learning resource if it is hosted externally (e.g., YouTube, Google Drive, institutional repository).

* It enables users to quickly access the actual content with a single click.

* If the material is uploaded directly to the OER platform, the system will auto-generate an internal URL instead.

* Supported formats: links to documents, web resources, videos, presentations, etc.

## Display Image URL (Optional)

* This field allows the contributor to provide a link to an **image or thumbnail** that visually represents the material.

* The image appears alongside the title and description on the detail view and preview listings.

* Visual representations can enhance content engagement, especially for video tutorials, illustrated guides, or multimedia lessons.

* If no image is provided, the system will use a **default placeholder image**.

## Additional Notes

* All fields in this step should undergo **validation** to ensure correct formatting (e.g., URL syntax).

* Contributors are encouraged to use meaningful titles and media to improve the visibility of their resources within search results and recommendation modules.

* A preview option may be offered to let users see how their entry will appear before final submission.

3. Step 2: Add Description, select Material Type, enter Keywords
## Step 2: Add Description, Select Material Type, Enter Keywords

In this step, contributors are required to provide detailed descriptive metadata that enhances the visibility, relevance, and accessibility of the learning material. This information is essential for improving searchability and categorization within the OER platform.

### Description

* The description field allows users to provide a **comprehensive summary** of the material's content, purpose, and intended learning outcomes.

* It should explain what the material covers, who it is for, and how it can be used in a teaching or learning context.

* A well-written description helps other users understand the material's relevance before opening or downloading it.

* Descriptions should be between **100-300 words** and may include technical terms, subject areas, or applicable educational levels.

* Example: "This tutorial covers the fundamentals of Python programming for data analysis, including variables, data types, functions, and libraries such as NumPy and Pandas. Designed for undergraduate computer science students."

### Material Type

* Users must classify their submission by selecting the appropriate **material type** from a predefined list.

* This ensures that materials are grouped accurately and that users can apply type-specific filters during browsing or searching.

* Examples of material types include:

* Lecture Notes

* Presentation Slides

* Video Tutorial

* Research Article

* Case Study
* Curriculum Module

* E-book

* Practice Exercises

* Multiple selections may be allowed if the material fits more than one category.

## Keywords

* Keywords are short, descriptive terms that summarize the core topics or themes of the material.

* They serve as metadata tags to support **semantic and advanced search functions**, helping users find relevant content quickly.

* Contributors should enter **3 to 10 keywords**, separated by commas, focusing on key concepts, subject areas, technologies, or educational levels.

* Example: "data analysis, Python, Pandas, programming, undergraduate, tutorial"

* The system may suggest related or auto-complete keywords based on previously submitted content.

## Additional Notes

* Contributors should avoid vague keywords or overly general descriptions (e.g., "lesson" or "education") and instead use specific, targeted terms.

* Tooltips or help icons can be included on the submission form to guide users in writing effective descriptions and selecting appropriate material types.

* The platform may also offer **language selection** and **auto-translation support** for multilingual content entries.

4. Step 3: Choose Category, Language and Provide Author Info (Name, Email, Organization)

These final steps in the material submission process focus on **content classification** and **author attribution**, which are both critical for organizing resources and ensuring academic transparency on the ITC OER platform.
## Category Selection

* Contributors must assign the material to a **relevant subject category** that reflects its content area or academic discipline.

* Categories are used to organize resources within the system, allowing users to **filter materials** by subject during browsing or search.

* Examples of common categories may include:

* Engineering

* Computer Science

* Mathematics

* Environmental Science

* Business and Economics

* Language and Communication

* Social Sciences

* The system may support multi-category tagging if the content spans interdisciplinary topics.

* Consistent use of categories improves discoverability and aligns content with the ITC curriculum framework.

## Language Selection

* Contributors are required to specify the **language** in which the material is written or delivered (e.g., Khmer, English, French).

* This helps ensure that users can filter materials based on their preferred or accessible language.

* If the material includes **multilingual content**, users can indicate the primary language and optionally select secondary languages.

* This feature supports inclusivity and aligns with ITC's goal of serving both local and international learners.
## Author Information

Accurate and complete author information is essential for **academic attribution**, credibility, and follow-up communication.

* **Full Name**: First and last name of the primary content creator.

* **Email Address**: A valid contact email that may be used for verification, communication, or collaboration (email privacy options can be configured).

* **Organization/Affiliation**: The institution or organization the contributor is associated with (e.g., ITC Department of Computer Science, Ministry of Education, etc.).

This data is displayed on the material's detail page, reinforcing transparency and allowing proper recognition of contributions. It also supports peer review processes and citation.

*Note: The platform may include an option to add co-authors, ORCID identifiers, or allow anonymous contributions where appropriate.*

By completing Steps 3 and 4, contributors help ensure that materials are properly organized, attributed, and accessible to the right audience—facilitating a more effective and trusted open educational environment.

## C. System stores material and metadata in database

Once the contributor completes all submission steps and confirms the entry, the system performs the following actions:

* **Stores the uploaded material** (e.g., PDF, video, link, or presentation file) securely on the server or integrated cloud storage.

* **Saves associated metadata**—including title, description, material type, category, language, author information, and keywords—into the database.

* This metadata is structured in relational tables that support:

* **Search and retrieval** (via basic or semantic search)

* **Filtering and categorization**

* **User-specific collections and bookmarks**

* **Analytics and reporting**
* The system assigns a **unique identifier** to each submission, which is used for tracking, referencing, and linking across the platform.

* A timestamp and status label (e.g., *Pending Review*, *Published*, *Archived*) are also recorded to manage content lifecycle.

## D. Material appears in Browse/Search with “Pending Review” status (optional)

After the material and its metadata are successfully stored in the database, the system automatically registers the new submission in the platform’s content index. However, to ensure quality and relevance, newly submitted materials may initially appear with a “Pending Review” status.

### Key Points:

* The material becomes **visible in the Browse and Search interfaces**, but with limited visibility or restricted access depending on user role and system settings.

* A **“Pending Review” badge or status label** is attached to the content to inform users and moderators that the submission is awaiting approval.

* During this stage:

* **Moderators or Elite users** may verify the material for accuracy, appropriateness, and completeness.

* The content may be **temporarily hidden** from public or guest users if configured for quality control.

* Once approved, the material status changes to **“Published”**, and it becomes fully accessible and searchable by all platform users.
<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>Figure 5: Document Submission Process</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>Figure 6: Content Builder Process</figcaption></figure>
## F. Accessing Content Builder – Activity Description

This activity describes the process a user follows to access the **Content Builder** feature in the ITC OER system. The Content Builder is a powerful tool that allows registered users to create, edit, and publish educational materials using pre-designed templates. Access to this feature is restricted to authenticated users, ensuring the integrity and accountability of contributed content.

The workflow proceeds as follows:

1. **Initiate Content Creation**

The process begins when a user selects the option to “**Create material with Content Builder**”. This action can be triggered from the homepage or the user’s dashboard.

2. **System Checks Authentication Status**

Once the content creation process is initiated, the system performs a **login status check** to determine whether the user is currently authenticated.

3. **Decision Point: Logged In or Not**

* If the user **is not logged in**, they are redirected to the **Login Page**. After successfully entering their credentials, they are automatically forwarded to the Content Builder interface.

* If the user **is already logged in**, the system proceeds directly to the next step without interruption.

4. **Accessing the Content Builder**

After authentication is confirmed, the user is granted access to the **Content Builder environment**. From here, they can choose templates, add or edit content (text, images, videos), and structure materials as tutorials, web pages, lesson plans, or full learning modules.

5. **End of Flow**
The process concludes when the user is successfully inside the Content Builder, ready to begin creating or editing educational content.

## Purpose of This Flow

This activity diagram ensures that:

* Only authenticated users can access content creation tools, which protects the platform from spam or anonymous contributions.

* The user experience is seamless, with automatic redirection back to the original task after logging in.

* The system remains secure while supporting a smooth and intuitive content creation workflow.

# VI. Database Design Overview

The ITC OER system is supported by a relational database architecture designed to ensure scalability, modularity, and normalization of user, content, and system metadata. This entity-relationship diagram (ERD) captures the major entities and their relationships, outlining how users, materials, reviews, categories, and other components interact with one another within the system.

The database is designed to support all core functions of the ITC OER platform, including user management, content contribution, search and discovery, peer review, and content organization. Below is a breakdown of the **main components and their purposes**:
# 1. User Management and Profiles

* **users**: This is the main table that stores information about all registered users—such as their names, login credentials, email, gender, phone number, and status.

* **user_types + has_user_types**: Defines different roles like Guest, Member, Moderator, Elite, and Admin. Each user can be assigned one or more roles.

* **user titles, disciplines, affiliations**: Store additional profile information like academic titles, fields of expertise (disciplines), and organizational affiliations.

* **profile comments**: Allows users to leave feedback or comments on another user's profile, useful for peer evaluation or community interaction.

# 2. Educational Content and Metadata

* **materials**: The core table for uploaded content. It stores information about each educational resource, such as title, submission date, material type, format, language, and file link.

* **material_authors**: Stores detailed information about the contributors of each material (e.g., name, organization, email).

* **materialreviews**: Allows peer reviewers to rate and comment on a material's quality, effectiveness, and ease of use.

* **user Ratings + user comments**: Enable regular users to give star ratings and write comments about materials.

# 3. Classification and Organization

* **material_types**: Defines what type of material it is (e.g., video, article, presentation).

* **material formats**: Indicates the file format (PDF, MP4, PPT, etc.).

* **languages**: Specifies the language of the material (Khmer, English, etc.).

* **materialCategories + materials_materialCategories**: Organizes materials into subject-specific categories (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering). The bridge table allows one material to belong to multiple categories.

* **material_audiences + audience_types**: Indicate the target audience, such as undergraduate students, high school learners, or professionals.
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>Figure 7. Overall Database of ITC's OER System</figcaption></figure>
## 4. Learning Exercises and Interactions

* **learning_exercises**: Allows instructors or contributors to attach assignments or activities related to a material. Includes fields like objectives, tasks, assessments, and uploaded files.

* **learning_exercise_types**: Classifies exercises (e.g., quiz, lab work, reflection).

* **exercise_audiences**: Links exercises to specific audience types.

## 5. Bookmarks and Collections

* **bookmarks**: Users can save useful materials for later, like a favorites list.

* **bookmarks_materials**: Links specific materials to bookmarks created by users.

## 6. System Administration and Permissions

* **authorizations + user_authORIZATIONS**: Define which system features are accessible to each user role (e.g., only admins can ban users, only elites can review content).

* **organization_types**, **education_types**, **countries**: These tables support dropdown options when entering profile or institution information. They ensure consistency across the database.

## 7. Additional Notes

* The design uses **foreign keys** and **bridge tables** to manage complex relationships—such as many users having many affiliations, or materials belonging to multiple categories.

* It supports **multilingual content**, **role-based access**, **peer review**, and **custom search filtering**, which are all essential for a modern OER system.
# VII. Implementation Procedure for ITC OER System

The implementation of the ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) platform is carried out through a structured, phased process designed to ensure technical reliability, user readiness, and long-term sustainability. Below is the summary of the key steps involved:

1. **Requirement Analysis and System Design**

The process begins with in-depth research on global OER systems, analysis of ITC's educational needs, and selection of suitable technologies. The development team finalizes the technical stack—PHP, Laravel, Foundation, Moodle, and Flarum—and defines the system's architecture, database design, and user roles.

2. **Development Phase**

Core system modules are built, including user registration and management, material upload and classification, the content builder, semantic search engine, and forum integration. Role-based access and peer review functionalities are also developed. Each module undergoes unit testing and system integration testing.

3. **Internal Testing and Pilot Launch**

The system is first deployed in a staging environment for internal stakeholders such as faculty and ITC administrators. Usability testing is conducted to gather feedback and refine the interface, functionalities, and user experience. Training materials and administrator guides are prepared at this stage.

4. **Full System Deployment**

The OER platform is publicly launched to the wider ITC academic community, including students, lecturers, and staff. All main features become available: account creation, content submission, advanced search, bookmarking, and forum participation. The system is monitored for performance, and any issues are promptly resolved.

5. **User Training and Support**

Training is provided for different user groups—administrators, elite users, moderators, and general members. Support resources such as video tutorials, written manuals, and an online helpdesk are made available to guide users in navigating and contributing to the platform.

6. **Post-Launch Monitoring and Continuous Improvement**

System usage is monitored using analytics tools to evaluate user engagement and
content quality. Feedback mechanisms are used to gather suggestions from users.

Based on the findings, updates and enhancements are regularly introduced to improve platform functionality and user satisfaction.

## 7. Future Enhancements

Planned extensions for future phases include integration with learning analytics tools, certificate generation, personalized learning dashboards, offline/mobile access, and AI-driven content tagging and recommendation systems.

# VIII. Limitations and Discussion

## 8.1. System Limitations

While the ITC OER platform presents a comprehensive solution for open educational resource management, several limitations were identified during the design, development, and testing phases:

### 8.1.1 Limited Localization

* The initial version of the system supports multilingual content, but the user interface is currently limited to English and partial Khmer. This may hinder full accessibility for non-English-speaking users.

* Localization of UI labels, help content, and system messages requires further refinement and community translation support.

### 8.1.2 Resource Constraints

* Due to budget and server limitations, advanced features such as real-time collaboration, offline access, and high-volume file storage are either limited or excluded in this release.

* The semantic search module is functional but may require additional computational resources to scale efficiently with large document collections.
### 8.1.3 Peer Review Dependency

* The quality assurance of uploaded materials depends heavily on the availability and engagement of elite reviewers and moderators.

* Without consistent review activity, low-quality or duplicated content may accumulate in the repository.

### 8.1.4 Limited Mobile Optimization

* While the platform is responsive, some modules (e.g., Content Builder) are not yet fully optimized for mobile interaction, particularly on low-end devices.

* A native mobile app has not yet been developed, which may limit accessibility for users in areas with inconsistent internet connectivity.

### 8.1.5 User Training Gaps

* Despite the training strategy, adoption and system use vary across departments. Some educators are hesitant to transition from traditional methods to digital contribution due to unfamiliarity or time constraints.

* Ongoing mentorship and user engagement programs are needed to close the digital literacy gap.

## 8.2. Discussion

The development of the ITC OER system represents an important step toward building a sustainable and inclusive digital learning environment for Cambodian higher education. The project successfully lays the foundation for knowledge sharing, community engagement, and institutional collaboration. However, several points deserve further discussion:

### 8.2.1 Cultural and Institutional Readiness

The adoption of OER is not purely a technical issue—it also involves changing mindsets, teaching practices, and academic policies. For the platform to achieve its full potential, institutional leaders must encourage open content sharing and reward academic contributions to the platform.
### 8.2.2 Importance of Community Governance

The system's long-term success depends on active participation from both technical teams and academic users. Moderators and elite reviewers will play a crucial role in curating high-quality materials, supporting peer learning, and maintaining the academic integrity of the repository.

### 8.2.3 Scalability and Future Enhancements

As the user base grows, the system architecture will need to scale accordingly. Cloud hosting, load balancing, and optimized database queries will be necessary to handle larger volumes of traffic and content. Additionally, the integration of analytics, personalization, and mobile applications will help enhance learning outcomes and user engagement.

### 8.2.4 Open Knowledge Ecosystem

The ITC OER system can act as a model for other institutions in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Collaboration with regional universities, sharing of open content across borders, and alignment with UNESCO's OER recommendations can amplify the impact of this platform far beyond ITC.

Although the current implementation has several limitations, these are largely addressable in future development cycles. The system has demonstrated strong potential for improving access to high-quality learning materials, fostering collaborative education, and building a digitally inclusive academic environment. Continuous feedback, institutional support, and technological upgrades will be key to overcoming existing challenges and expanding the platform's impact.

## IX. Conclusion

The development and implementation of the ITC Open Educational Resources (OER) system marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of higher education at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. Designed to promote open access, academic collaboration, and lifelong learning, the system serves as a centralized platform where educators and learners can share, discover, and engage with a wide variety of high-quality educational materials.

Throughout the project, a comprehensive approach was taken—from system analysis, tool comparison, and database design to implementation, testing, and deployment. Key features
such as role-based access, material submission, content builder, semantic search, peer review, and user interaction modules were successfully integrated to support a modern and functional digital learning environment.

Despite a few limitations related to localization, mobile optimization, and content moderation, the system provides a scalable foundation that can evolve with future educational needs. The implementation strategy, combined with a structured training plan and ongoing support, ensures that the platform can be adopted effectively across departments and user groups.

More importantly, the ITC OER platform lays the groundwork for a broader institutional culture shift toward open knowledge sharing. It encourages academic transparency, reduces barriers to educational resources, and opens up new possibilities for collaboration—both within ITC and across the Cambodian education system.

Moving forward, sustained institutional support, user engagement, and continuous improvement will be essential. With ongoing enhancements, including mobile applications, advanced analytics, and regional partnerships, the ITC OER system has the potential to become a leading example of how open educational platforms can strengthen equity, quality, and innovation in education.
REFERENCES

[1] Wiley, D., Bliss, T. J., & McEwen, M. (2013). Open educational resources: A review of the literature. Handbook of research on educational communications and technology, 781-789.

[2] UNESCO. (2012). 2012 Paris OER Declaration.

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