Ocotillo Retreat 2002

Building the Vision

Café Discussions: Library of Re-usable Learning Objects
[ issue on the table ] || [ the summary ]

Pretend you are the "architect" selected to design a virtual library of "re-usable" learning objects available to all Maricopa faculty and course designers.

Use your Ocotillo Retreat blueprint paper to create a schematic design for this system.

Remember: the focus of this activity is to create models of things we can build to address this issue.

What are the key characteristics of objects?
What is the best way to build the library?
Where would it be housed?
How will the library be used?
What will make it successful?

What are Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs)?
from The Instructional Use of Learning Objects
Learning objects are elements of a new type of computer-based instruction grounded in the object-oriented paradigm of computer science. Object-orientation highly values the creation of components (called "objects") that can be reused (Dahl & Nygaard, 1966) in multiple contexts. This is the fundamental idea behind learning objects: instructional designers can build small (relative to the size of an entire course) instructional components that can be reused a number of times in different learning contexts. Additionally, learning objects are generally understood to be digital entities deliverable over the Internet, meaning that any number of people can access and use them simultaneously (as opposed to traditional instructional media, such as an overhead or video tape, which can only exist in one place at a time). Moreover, those who incorporate learning objects can collaborate on and benefit immediately from new versions. These are significant differences between learning objects and other instructional media that have existed previously.

from The Digital Education Leadership Conversation, Converge Magazine, Feb 2002
An object is a generic term for re-usable data or application chunks. Learning objects are chunks of data about curriculum, instruction, or assessment that can be re-used in different systems. Learning objects include curriculum, instruction, and assessment objects. Curriculum objects will mean statements of expectation of what students should know, value, and be able to do at target ages. Instructional objects will mean plans for student learning broken down into the hierarchy of course, unit, lesson, activity and assignment. Assessment objects are assignments broken down into specific items, each intended to trigger student work, which in turn is assessed by a scoring rubric, to produce a graded result. Only by documenting definitions and relationships of key terms in commonly understood language, can technical specification efforts such as the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) or the IMS Global Learning efforts be properly informed by program experts.

History and Defintion of Reusable Learning Objects by Peter Jacobsen
Learning Objects & Standards Resources from Learnativity.com
Wisconsin Online Learning Objects is a FIPSE funded project designed to speed up the development of quality online courses: "Faculty from throughout the WTC System create 'learning objects' (activities, text, animation, graphics...) for each competency within the General Education courses of Communication Skills, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Adult Basic Education. Individual instructors then have the option to pick and choose from a menu of the learning objects to customize their online courses, as well as their traditional courses for their students and their personal style."
Objects of Learning "This site will provide clarification on many of the issues surrounding learning objects within academia."
Objects of Interest "Clive Shepherd sets about here to provide a workable definition of learning objects and to explain how they just might make a difference to real-world training. You could call this an object lesson."
"Learning Object Pioneers" (ASTD Learning Circuits, March 2000) "The fundamental particle of next-generation e-learning--the learning object--is in various stages of design, construction, and use by pioneering organizations. "
"How to Design Recyclable Learning Objects" an In-Depth Tutorial" from eLearn Magzine. "It's hard not to fall in love with the notion of reusable learning objects. The idea of a world filled with little self-contained lessons that you can assemble into any course you can think of seems soÉwellÉcool. How could you not want something like that? Unfortunately, after five years of struggling with the challenge of finding that world, I have come to the conclusion that I am simply not smart enough to lead the way to the Promised Land of e-learning, where milk and honey flow from the earth and learning objects can be plucked like ripe fruit from fig trees."
Learning Objects: New Directions in Online Learning on online workshop that "uses five modules to enable you to discover how to introduce learning objects in your teaching. Each module has a 'Getting Started' and a 'Next Step' section."
Learning Objects at Wesleyan University
EDUCAUSE NLII Key Theme: Learning Objects
A Primer on Learning Objects by Warren Longmire
What are Learning Objects? from the University of Wissonsin Milwaukee includes a concise overview and a good collection of example objects and collections.
Learning Objects Tutorial a self-paced overview provided by Eduworks.
Examples of Learning Object Collections can be found at:

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