Integrating Learning Objects into Online Courses

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Integrating Learning Objects into Online Courses

• Ferdinand Krauss
• Instructional Designer

This presentation is based on the ideas contained
in the articles listed in the resources section.
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Presentation Overview

• How can RSS enhance the way I teach/ research
• Scenarios
• Explain Technology
• Examples
• Value

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Scenario 1

• Conducting research
• latest developments in your discipline
• Search internet for variety of timely examples to
  integrate into teaching
• Limited time allotted

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Scenario 2

• Instructor looking for engaging content to
  integrate into course
• Ensure that it meets educational standards/
  information is accurate
• Leverage power of multimedia to teach difficult
  concepts
• Limited resources/ expertise to develop materials

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Scenario 3

• Instructors and students document field
  research/project
• Establish a community of practice to engage
  colleagues
• Encounter an artifact/ finding that puzzles you
• Obtain interpretation from colleagues at other
  institutions

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Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

• Way to syndicate content that appears on the web
• Transforms the lonely voice of the Web page
  into an international dialogue of ongoing
  professional/ academic discourse.
• Emphasis on dynamic content, efficient delivery,
  targeted distribution
• Expand the scope and prominence of self-published
  Web content

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The Analogy
Specialty Channels
Providers
NHL Hockey Daily Planet Aid Afghanistan Soprano
s
PGA Golf Canadian Geographic State of Union
Address CSI Miami
Yesterday
Today
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RSS
RSS Channels
RSS Aggregators
Learning Mgmt. Systems LOM - RSS Blogging Inter
operability
Digital Libraries Open Source Research
Projects Podcasting
EDtech Post OL Daily Elearnspace CETIS
Sharpreader Amphetadesk
Yesterday
Today
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Resource Description Framework (RDF)

• A formal data model from the World Wide Web
  Consortium (W3C) for machine understandable
  metadata used to provide standard descriptions of
  web resources. It uses eXtensible Markup Language
  (XML). (AuditMyPC.com)

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• A flexible way to create standard information
  formats and share both the format and the data on
  the World Wide Web.

Source Whatis.com
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Example Scenario 1

• Conducting research
• latest developments in your discipline
• Search internet for variety of timely examples to
  integrate into teaching
• Limited time allotted

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Just do it!

• Step 1
• Download an RSS aggregator
• Variety of platforms
• Easy to use
• Many are free

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Find a reliable source of information

• Compile and Categorize sites with RSS
• http//www.feedster.com/
• http//www.syndic8.com/
• Look for syndicate this site (XML) or graphic
  at your information source

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RSS Aggregator ExampleSharpReader
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Value

• Bring multiple resources to you instead of
  surfing the web to try and find information
• Control when you access information
• Subscribe to discipline specific information
  which is relevant and current

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Example Scenario 2

• Instructor looking for engaging content to
  integrate into course
• Ensure that it meets educational standards/
  information is accurate
• Leverage power of multimedia to teach difficult
  concepts
• Limited resources/ expertise to develop materials

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RSS ? Learning Objects

• 3 Steps
• Source
• Script
• Style

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Sources for Learning Objects

• Campus Alberta Repository of Educational Objects
  (CAREO)
• Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX)
• Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and
  Online Teaching (MERLOT)

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Script

• Feed2JS
• http//itde.vccs.edu/rss2js/build.php
• - format and display an RSS feed with the
  information you want to use on your web site.
• all you need to enter is the URL for the RSS
  source, and select the desired options
• free software

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Style

• see how the output of RSS content generated by
  Feed2JS can be customized by applying different
  style sheets

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RSS ? LMS

• Copy and paste code into text editor of your LMS
  (WebCT/ Blackboard) announcements, course
  content, discussion

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Value

• Integrate engaging interactive content into your
  course
• No production resources required
• Assurance of educational quality, relevance

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Example Scenario 3

• Instructors and students document field
  research/project
• Establish a community of practice to engage
  colleagues
• Encounter an artifact/ finding that puzzles you
• Obtain interpretation from colleagues at other
  institutions

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Start a Weblog

• personal or professional web site of
  chronological entries
• updated frequently with new information about a
  particular subject
• information published by the site owner, gleaned
  from other web sites

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Blogging Software

• - No programming skills required
• -Automatically creates XML of website content so
  others can subscribe
• -Create or tap into existing communities
• - Little or no cost

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Communities of Practice
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Publish to the Web
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Value

• Feedback from colleagues on methodology of
  research/ instruction
• Exposure to international audience
• Valuable source of new ideas

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Where do we go next?Stephen Downes OLDaily
Guru

• Aggregators will evolve to become powerful
  personal learning tools
• Conduct federated searches based on desired
  content, individuals learning style/
  preferences, academic level
• Retrieve objects to desktop where individual can
  mix-match resources to create rich, engaging,
  personally meaningful learning experience

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References

• Mary Harrsch. The Technology Source, July/August
  2003. RSS The Next Killer App For Education.
• Levine, A., Lamb, B., Norman, D.
• Connecting Learning Objects with RSS
•  
• Downes, Stephen.
• An Introduction to RSS for Educational Designers