Reusable Learning Objects V i r t u a l C o l l e g e Kristi Lozano Director of Distance Education

What is a RLO or Reusable Learning Object? A student? A piece of instructional content? A microchip for your brain? defined

A learning object is “any digital resource that can be reused to support learning.” T his definition includes anything that can be delivered online, be it large or small.

E xamples of smaller reusable digital resources include digital images or photos, real-time data, video and audio snippets, small bits of text, animations, and smaller web-delivered applications, like a Java calculator.

E xamples of larger reusable digital resources include entire web pages that combine text, images and other media or applications to deliver complete experiences, such as a complete instructional event. S ome even consider an entire module or course as a learning object.

Granularity & Combination  How big should a learning object be?  How can it be combined with others?  Scope and Sequence

Reusable Learning Objects  Media Learning experience: Text, Animation, Sound, Video, Multimedia, etc.  Metadata Attributes of the RLO: Title, Author, Version, Format, Type, Language, number of objects, etc.  Methods Things the RLO can do: Learning Objectives, Suggestions for Use

How to Use RLOs The Instructional Use of Learning Objects Here is a couple of quotes from this excellent online book What is a learning object? “After affecting sweeping changes in the way people communicate and do business, the Internet is poised to bring about a paradigm shift in the way people learn.” “An instructional technology called “learning objects” currently leads other candidates for the position of technology of choice in the next generation of instructional design, development, and delivery, due to its potential for reusability, generativity, adaptability, and scalability...”

What is SCORM? S harable C ontent O bject R eference M odel ADL’s SCORM Course by Dr. Ed Jones A few important terms: SCO – Sharable Content Object SR – Sharable Resource LMS – Learning Management System LOM – Learning Object Metadata XMLXML – eXtensible Markup Language

Standards  AICC AICC  Aviation Industry CBT Committee  Interoperability: communication between the RLO and the LMS  IMS & IEEE IMS IEEE  IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc.  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.  SCORM SCORM  Shareable Content Object Reference Model  Metadata standards for Learning Objects  Includes subsets of AICC, IEEE, and IMS standards

M-DCC Participation  IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc. IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc.  Develop and promote open specificationsspecifications  Locate and use educational content  Track learner progress, report learner performance, and exchange student records among administrative systems  ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) Initiative ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) Initiative  Accelerate large-scale development of dynamic and cost-effective learning software  Stimulate market for products to meet education and training needs of military and nation's workforce in 21 st century  Develop common technical framework for computer and net-based learning to foster creation of reusable learning content as “instructional objects”

M-DCC Participation...  Merlot – Learning objects are located and documented in a searchable database Merlot  WISC-Online – Learning objects are created according to standards and are searchable WISC-Online  Lydia, Inc. – Setting up ERCs (Electronic Resource Centers) to serve as connected web of repositories for learning objects with intellectual property rights protected and rewarded Lydia, Inc.

5 Learning Object Types 1. Fundamental – open for many uses in a specific curricular area and may cross over (Exhibit, display) What type of music is this? 2. Combined-closed – 2 media types combined for a specific objective and may cross over (Pre-designed instruction or practice) 3. Combined-open – user may combine the given 2 media types with open text (Pre-designed instruction or practice)

5 Learning Object Types Generative-presentation – object generates set of media that may be positioned and used in specific curricular area and may cross over (Exhibit, display) 5. Generative-instructional – template object adapted to any curricular area for stand-alone instruction or support (Computer-instruction, instructional support)