Learning Objects: Designing for Reusability

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Learning Objects Designing for Reusability
Lisa Amitai STC Convention March 2005
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Outline

• What is a learning object?
• Why use them?
• Using learning objects
• Creating learning objects
• Interoperability
• Distributing learning objects
• Problems

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Section 1What is a Learning Object?
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
4
Like a LEGO Block
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
5
OOPS!
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
6
What is a Learning Object?
Image from Horton
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
7
Definitions
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
8
(No Transcript)
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Definitions
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
10
Definitions
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Examples
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Examples
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Examples
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Working Definition

• Relatively small instructional component
• Can be reused in different contexts
• Digital entity
• Can be accessed by multiple users
• Can be accessed in multiple ways
• over the Internet
• packaged on CD-ROM
• company database

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 2Why Use Learning Objects?
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Economic Advantage
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Customization
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Customization for Learning Styles
Visual learners
Aural learners
Textual learners
Video clip
Audio clip
Animation
Spreadsheet
Diagram
Text
Table
Simulation
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Advantages

• Courses can use components from a wide range of
  sources
• Objects can be built or modified using many
  different authoring tools
• The same objects can be employed across a variety
  of hardware and software platforms

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Advantages

• Easy updating, searching, and content management
• Increased value of content learning object
  economy

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 3How Do I Use Learning Objects?
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Finding Learning Objects
Image from Encyclopedia of Educational Technology
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Online Repositories

• Merlot
• Careo
• Smete
• Adlib
• Axis
• Apple Learning Interchange
• Educational Object Economy (EOE)
• Educational Software Components of Tomorrow
  (ESCOT)

• Filamentality
• Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) Project
• OpenCourseWare (Massachusetts Institute of
  Technology)
• Universitas 21 Learning Resource Catalogue (LRC)
• Wisconsin Online Resource Center Wisc-Online
  Learning Object Project

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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LCMS

• Less Course, More Spending
• Lets Close More Schools
• Lots of Course Made of S
• Learners Consistently Made to Suffer
• Learning Content Management System

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Assembling LOs with a LCMS
Repository
LCMS
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 4Designing for Reusability
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Single Learning Objective
?
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
29
Reusable
?

• Designed to be reused in a variety of different
  instructional contexts

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Brief
?

• Relatively small
• Ranging from two to fifteen minutes

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Modular
?

• Free-standing
• Self-contained each learning object can be
  completed independently
• Can be mixed with other learning objects

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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No Dependencies
?

• Not technically dependent on other resources
• Not dependent on external sources
• No external quiz with branching based on quiz
  scores

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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No Dependencies
?

• No references to previous modules
• No Back and Next buttons to other modules
• How a learner moves between LOs is controlled by
  the learning system and not by the LO

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Mini-Summaries
?
Mini-summaries with enough context to introduce a
concept
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Language
?

• Language and content appropriate for a broad
  audience
• Uniformity of editorial tone

?

• Avoid regional terminology

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
36
Summary
?

• DOs
• Single learning objective
• Can be used in different contexts
• Brief
• Modular
• Self-contained
• Can be mixed with other learning objects
• Language appropriate for a broad audience
• Uniform editorial tone

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
37
Summary
?

• DONTs
• No technical dependencies
• No dependency on external sources
• No external quiz
• No references to previous modules
• No Back and Next buttons
• No regional terminology

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
38
Metadata

• A description to enable designers to search for
  and find learning objects using search mechanisms

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
40
Metadata Examples

• Element
• Title
• Creator
• Subject
• Description
• Publisher
• Date
• Type

Format Language Audience Interactivity Type
Interactivity Level Typical learning Time
Sematic Density
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
41
How to Add Metadata?

• Either
• Author the metadata directly in XML
• Use a content authoring tool to generate the
  metadata automatically

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 5 Interoperability
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
43
Interoperability

• Able to communicate with different
• learning management systems
• platforms
• hardware
• operating systems
• browsers

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Why have Standards?
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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What is SCORM?

• SCORM Sharable Content Object Reference Model
• A collection of specifications and standards
  adapted from multiple sources to enable
  interoperability, accessibility, and reuse of
  learning objects

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
46
Parts of SCORM

• Content Aggregation Model - how to put learning
  objects together so they can be moved and reused
• Run Time Environment - how to launch content and
  track the learner's progress

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Who Created SCORM?
Developed by the ADL (Advanced Distributed
Learning), sponsored by the Office of the
Secretary of Defence and is a result of the
combined work of

• AICC (Aviation Industry CBT Committee)
• IMS (Instructional Management System) Global
  Learning Consortium
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic
  Engineers)
• ARIADNE

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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How to Achieve Compliance?

• Many tools automatically add the code required to
  make a file SCORM compliant
• Some tools may need a plugin

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 6Distributing Learning Objects
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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The Learning Object Economy
The vision of a proliferation of accessible,
easily available, customizable, and reusable
learning objects available for purchase
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Issues

• Who owns a learning object?
• What if a learning objects was jointly developed
  by multiple institutions?
• Who owns the rights to them?
• What about learning objects that were developed
  in one institution and assembled by another?
• What if they are copied (like music?)

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Should LOs be Free?

• MIT
• The University of Phoenix

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
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Section 7 Problems
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
54
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Decontextualization

• Modular learning objects are removed from any
  meaningful context
• Not linked to prior knowledge
• No knowledge of learners' characteristics and
  learning styles
• Cant use a relevant case study through multiple
  units

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
56
Decontextualization

• What about instructional design?
• Problem-based learning?
• Simple to complex ideas?
• Situated learning?
• Events of instruction?

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
57
Reusability is in inverse proportion to context
Image from Hodgins
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
58
Suggested Solutions

• Modifiable learning objects users add own
  context
• Tailored wrappers according to learner profile
  or pedagogic model
• Assigning metadata to LOs as being relevant to
  particular communities of practice
• Transitional learning objects
• Using LOs as resources to support learning
  instead of as Lego blocks

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
59
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To Find out More.

• Daniel, G., (2004) Learning Objects 2004, WWW
  tools for education
• Downes, S., (2004) The Learning Marketplace
  Meaning, Metadata and Content Syndication in the
  Learning Object Economy
• Downes, S., Stephen's Web
• Edtech Post
• Learning Networks
• Learning Technology January 2004
• Wiley, D. ed. (2001) Instructional Use of
  Learning Objects Online Version. 2001

What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems
61
amitailisa_at_hotmail.com
What is a LO?
Why use them?
How do I use them?
Designing a LO
Interoperability
Distributing LOs
Problems