The Advanced Distributed Learning Registry (ADL-R) is an implementation of the Content Object Repository Discovery and Registration/Resolution Architecture (CORDRA) sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness) (OASD(P&R)) supporting DoD's education and training communities.

The ADL-R is a searchable index of content metadata that can be resolved to content located in distributed repositories. Initially the ADL-R will provide basic search functions, and services will be added as policy issues are addressed. The ADL-R is not a content repository. Searching the ADL-R is unrestricted.

The primary purpose of the ADL-R is to provide a DoD-wide means and infrastructure to search, discover, and expose learning content. The learning content will be managed as content objects, each with a unique identifier. The ADL-R is designed to provide an agile knowledge base for all content contributors. In addition, this infrastructure is expected to be a useful and authoritative life-cycle management tool for knowledge management DoD-wide.

The ADL-R allows content search, discovery, and identification using Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) metadata, enabled by CORDRA. CORDRA is a "light weight" framework designed to support a federation of independently managed repositories with content that is not presently discoverable or searchable.

The ADL-R establishes a portal for content objects keyed to education and training combining the skills, tools, and assets of DoD Components into one online location. Benefits include:

• reduced time required to locate and view appropriate content
• reduced development effort for content creators
• reuse of learning objects in new settings
• reduced infrastructure costs for learning content developers
• a clearinghouse for SCORM-conformant content packages, and
• an opportunity to increase the quality of digital content over time.

The ADL-R provides sufficient information for users to resolve content location. However, searching does not imply content access or retrieval; results will resolve to a means of retrieval that may require local access privileges or authentication. Content access and security issues are the responsibility of the host repository.