Keeping the Learning in Learning Objects

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Keeping the Learning in Learning Objects

• Preliminary Results for NLII 2003 Fall Focus
  Session, Columbus, OH
• NMC Online Conference 10/03
• Vicki Suter, NLII Director

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The Audience

• I cant see you, and
• you cant see me,
• so let us imagine each other.
• Who are we?

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Who are we?

• Instructional technology staff member?
• Learning designer?
• Other information technology staff member?
• Repository manager?
• Educational researcher?

• Learning object designer?
• Faculty member?
• Faculty development specialist?
• Librarian?
• Administrator?
• Student?
• Software developer?

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NLII Community

• National Learning Infrastructure Initiative
  (EDUCAUSE)
• For more information, see
• http//www.educause.edu/nlii
• Our approach is to bring ALL the stakeholders to
  the table, because we believe it will take all of
  us working together to get the job done.

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Members of a community

• Each of us is a member of a community of
  individuals that is interested in the potential
  of learning objects to support learning.
• In the same way, the NLII is a member of a
  community of organizations with similar interests
  for example, NMC, MERLOT, IMS, CNI, TLT Group,
  AAHE.

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NLII 2003 Fall Focus Session

• 10/10/03, Columbus Ohio - a focus session on
  Keeping the Learning in Learning Objects see
• http//www.educause.edu/nlii/meetings/nlii034
• 60 participants, with the same characteristics as
  this audience, tackled 3 areas

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The questions

• If deeper learning is the focus
• What are the teaching and learning issues related
  to learning objects?
• What are the potential approaches for evaluating
  learning objects?
• What are the other issues, including those
  related to policy, technology and management and
  what are the implications for next steps for this
  community?

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How can we talk about these issues?

• With such a diverse group, we have many different
• theoretical backgrounds we think about things
  differently
• meanings for terms we dont share a common
  language
• methodologies for approaching problems we have
  different priorities

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The NLII Conceptual Frameworks

• Conceptual framework to overcome these
  differences for the purposes of our work toward
  shared goals, we create and agree to use
• Common vocabulary (glossary)
• Shared map of the domain or space a way to
  portray the important elements and their
  relationships to each other
• Observation tools for reflective activities that
  bring us to common understandings

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NLII Learning Objects Work Group

• Chaired by Susan Metros (OSU) and Patricia McGee
  (NLII Fellow)
• Built upon existing Deeper Learning Conceptual
  Framework
• Built learning object conceptual framework (for
  focus session use)
• Other work products as well

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Deeper Learning Conceptual Framework
Deeper Learning
Learning Activities
Teaching Practices
Learner-Centered Principles for Deeper Learning
Technology Uses
Design Implications
http//www.educause.edu/nlii/keythemes/lcp
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Deeper Learning
Engagement
Contextual
Active
Ownership
Social
ENCOURAGES
IS
IS
IS
REQUIRES
DEEPER LEARNING
1
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Learning Object Conceptual Framework

• Learning Object Glossary
• http//educ3.utsa.edu/pmcgee/nlii/glossary/
• Principles Observation Tool tool for reflecting
  on deeper learning principles manifested in
  selected learning objects
• http//people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/dagefoerde2/NL
  II_LO/examples_obstool.htm
• The map of the space - Learning Object Ontology
• http//people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/dagefoerde2/NL
  II_LO/ontology/ontology.htm

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What is an ontology?

• At its most basic level, an ontology can be
  thought of as a series of related concepts.
• Philosophy Ontology is the theory of objects and
  their ties. The unfolding of ontology provides
  criteria for distinguishing various types of
  objects (concrete and abstract, existent and
  non-existent, real and ideal, independent and
  dependent) and their ties (relations, dependences
  and predication).
• Computer Science An ontology is a description of
  the concepts and relationships that can exist for
  an agent or a community of agents.

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Where do you live on this map?

• Design/Develop/Share?
• Find/Use/Evaluate?
• Support?
• Store/Index/Catalog?
• Adopt/Govern?
• We asked the 60 focus session participants to
  show us where they live now, and where they
  thought they would be living in 3 years.
• Take a look at the map again.

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http//people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/dagefoerde2/NL
II_LO/ontology/ontology.htm
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Much of our work has been here
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The primary focus of the NLII session
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Where we looked first

• Learners identified as a current focus point
  for 9 participants.
• Evaluation identified as a current focus point
  for 9 participants.
• The NLII experience is that attention to the
  learners and to evaluation are two critical
  points of attention for effective, successful
  learning technology adoption

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The secondary focus
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http//venus.atlantic.edu/kolitsky/NLIIPolicies_v2
.html
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Learning Objects Conceptual Framework

• A (draft) Learning Object on Learning Objects
• http//people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/dagefoerde2/N
  LII_LO/examples.htm

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Some early meeting insights

• These issues being raised are the same issues as
  for every other learning technology adoption
  cycle Ive been involved in . . .
• Teaching and learning with technology is a
  social process, not a technical process yet we
  spend much of our energy on the technical
  issues.
• It would be valuable to establish some first
  principles and best practices we could re-use,
  instead of starting over with every new
  technology cycle.

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Short term work products (11/04)

• Suggested revisions and additions to the
  ontological model describing the end-to-end life
  cycle of learning objects (from conceptualizing a
  piece of knowledge and transforming it into a
  learning object framework to managing, storing,
  delivering, and archiving learning objects within
  a repository framework).
• Suggested revisions to the conceptual framework
  for understanding learning objects in the larger
  context of transforming teaching and learning
  with technology. (Feedback forms were at each
  table for noting suggested changes/questions, and
  a small group also tackled this during the
  session itself.)

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Interim work products (by 12/03)

• Meeting Proceedings
• see http//www.educause.edu/nlii/meetings/nlii034
  
• Detailed plan for next steps, based on work of
  focus session participants and the NLII Learning
  Objects work group, coordinated with the
  community of organizations (NMC among them)

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Work Products longer term (1/04)

• A draft set of criteria for evaluating
  institutional readiness to use learning objects
  effectively.
• A draft set of principles for the development and
  use and delivery of learning objects in teaching
  and learning environments.
• A methodology for evaluating learning objects in
  the context of deeper learning.

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Resources

• Learning Object on Learning Objects (draft)
• http//people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/dagefoerde2/NL
  II_LO/examples.htm
• Learning Objects Key Theme Page
• http//www.educause.edu/nlii/keythemes/learningObj
  ects.asp
• NLII 2003 Fall Focus Session
• http//www.educause.edu/nlii/meetings/nlii034
• Learning Objects Virtual Community of Practice
• http//www.educause.edu/vcop/learning_objects.asp

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Contact Information

• Vicki Suter
• vsuter_at_educause.edu
• To join or find out more about the Learning
  Objects Virtual Community of Practice
• LearningObjects_at_educause.edu