Learning Objects What are they Why do I care How can I get some

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Learning Objects What are they? Why do I care?
How can I get some?

• Dr. Maggie McVay Lynch

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Assumptions

• There are thousands of colleges
• They teach common course topics, say, statistical
  analysis of variance
• They decide to put these course topics online

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Premise

• The world does not need thousands of similar
  descriptions of analysis of variance available
  online
• It needs one, or maybe a dozen

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Courses? No, Not Courses

• Online learning listings offer only courses
• But course articulation is a complex business,
  and tends to be regional in nature
• Very few courses offer the same contents, thus,
  courses are not suitable candidates for sharing

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Sharing the Old Way

• We already share.
• Textbooks
• Wall maps
• Videos and movies
• Software
• Sharing the old way involves (a) fee or purchase,
  and (b) are parts of classes

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Contemporary Sharing

• Many institutions usually private or government
  agencies provide learning materials online.
  Examples
• SchoolNet
• Merlot
• MarcoPolo
• But these institutions require manual submission
  and manual search

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What We Need

• Better systems of categorization and searching
• Robust mechanisms for updating and submissions
• Resources tied to learning objectives
• Structure and definition of types of resources

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What is a Learning Object? - Really

• any digital resource that can be reused to
  support learning
• David A. Wiley, Connecting Learning Objects to
  Instructional Design Theory
• The main idea of learning objects is to break
  educational content down into small chunks that
  can be reused in various learning environments,
  in the spirit of object-oriented programming
• David A. Wiley

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What are they?

• Two important issues in learning objects
• Interoperability
• Reusability
• Single most difficult characterisitc is
  granularity no standard except learning
  objective

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What are they?
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Traditional Courses

• the instructional content which could be made
  up of text, graphics, animations and videos.
• assessments and quizzes
• a navigation scheme to move around the content.

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Learning Object Model

• The learning object (LO) model is based on the
  belief that we can create independent and
  self-contained chunks of educational content
  which may be used alone or dynamically assembled
  to provide just enough or just-in-time
  learning.
• On top of that, these instructional components
  can be combined to form longer educational
  interactions or reused in different learning
  contexts.

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Reusable Learning Objects
A learning object primarily consists of three
fundamental elements a) a learning objective
b) learning content, centered around the
learning objective
c) practice/assessment to
promote/ensure mastery
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Reusable Learning Objects
concept fact procedure principle process
Some learning organizations further divide
learning content into various types (eg.)
Why classify learning content? 
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Reusable Learning Objects
Learning object should also be able to
communicate with management system, databases
and web applications if needed.
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Using Learning Objects
Instructor
1) Search n locate the LOs
3) Upload packaged LOs to LMS
LMS
LCMS
2) Modify the LOs OR
2) Insert/Link LOs to LMS
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Models for Defining Learning Objects
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Sample RIO Templates
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Other Models

• Net gs Model
• Learning Objective
• Learning Activity
• Assessment

• Smart Forces Model
• Instruction
• Collaboration
• Practice
• Assessment

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What is PSU Doing?

• Identifying a foundational model
• Asking faculty to share resources
• Building a database of objects
• Helping faculty identify objects from other
  institutions
• Investing in a content management and search tool
• Providing resources for tagging

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What does this mean for our work?
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Discussion/Consensus

• Determine a set of common tags we wish to use
• At least a couple people get up to speed on basic
  XML
• Purchase and use of a content management system
  designed for learning objects

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A Common Language

• XML a structured means of representing
  hierarchies and properties
• Tagged language
• Used by IMS, SCORM and by many other agencies
  around the world

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Advantages of XML

• Structured allows definition of hierarchies
• Extensible new tags and definitions of tags may
  be created as needed
• Machine readable and writable
• XML is to structured information what HTML is to
  structured documents

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Example In the Beginning.

• lttome nameBiblegt
• ltbook nameGenesisgt
• ltchapter name1gt
• ltverse name1gt
• In the beginning God created the heaven and the
  earth.
• lt/versegt
• ltverse name2gt
• And the earth was without form, and void and
  darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
  Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
• lt/versegt
• lt/chaptergt
• lt/bookgt
• lt/tomegt

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Examples

• Specific content
• http//www.atl.ualberta.ca/lop/examples.htm (java
  applets)
• http//www.edutools.info/course/links/detail.jsp?c
  at3 (repositories)
• http//merlot.org/Home.po (repository)
• http//www.wisc-online.com/index.htm (their
  resources)
• Non-content specific
• http//www.gsu.edu/wwwets/instructionalsupport/le
  arningobjects/finding.html