The MERLOT Project Video: An interview between Sun Microsystems and Gerry Hanley, Executive Director of MERLOT

In the summer of 2005, Sun Microsystems interviewed Gerry Hanley, Executive Director of MERLOT, to produce The MERLOT Project video (9.2 MB) which was highlighted on the Sun News Today web site. In the interview, Gerry provided Sun with a wealth of information about the history of MERLOT, its use in higher education, and the value of MERLOT resources to both instructors and students, as well as a perspective on some of the challenges facing MERLOT and its users.

The links below provide opportunities to view portions of the video with Gerry's answers to some of the more compelling issues that were raised during the interview.

When and why was MERLOT started, and how did it evolve?

What makes MERLOT different from other digital libraries?

Is MERLOT sustainable and scalable?

What are the benefits that MERLOT brings to its academic and corporate partners?

Is it possible to access international digital libraries of learning materials through MERLOT?

Is it true that MERLOT has an international partnership with Rwanda? Why?

Is MERLOT only for instructors, or can students also use it?

Can instructors personalize MERLOT materials and services for their teaching needs?

How do instructors actually use MERLOT in their teaching?

Can students gain value from MERLOT?

How much usage is there of the MERLOT resources?

What are the reasons for the growth of the MERLOT collection?

Who are the people that contribute materials to MERLOT?

How and why do people contribute material to MERLOT?

Is MERLOT easy to use, and in what ways?

You use the term “slipstreaming” frequently. What does that term mean in relation to MERLOT ?

What is your hope for the future of MERLOT in education?