1. Repurposeable HTML Learning Objects
Jim Flowers
Professor & Director of Online Education
Dept. of Industry & Technology, Ball State University

2. Supported by Ball State Univ.
Online Master of Arts in Technology Education
Online Master of Arts in Industrial Vocational / Technical Education

3. Outline: RIOs RLOs A personal evolution toward RLOs
Current and future projects

4. What are RLOs and RIOs? Reusable Learning Objects
Reusable Informational Objects
(Reusable Knowledge Objects)

5. Informational or Instructional?
Is the purpose to provide information?
Is the purpose to guide a learner through a learning process?

6. Informational Objects:
A graphic
A block of text
A media file
A table
This graphic ->
A “chunk”
An interactive applet:

7. RIO and Granularity Modular building blocks
Modular grains of information
Granularity or “chunk size”

8. Course Decomposition
Begin with rethinking learning outcomes and course redesign.
Break a course into small, reusable chunks, which can facilitate multiple ways of using those chunks.
Strip out course-specifics from RIOs.
Name, organize, and add metadata to RIOs.

9. Re-assembly of RIOs into RLOs
Guided by learning objectives (often, 1)
Design learning activities
Contextualize existing course-independent RIOs by adding course-specifics from other files as needed

10. You may ask,
“But when I lecture, I just give them the facts they need. So isn’t an RLO just a collection of information objects?”

11. e.g., Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction
1. Gain the attention of the learner/audience.
2. Inform the learner of the objectives.
3. Stimulate the learner's recall of prior learning.
4. Present stimulus material.
5. Provide guidance for the learner.

12. e.g., Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction
6. Elicit performance by the learner with the material.
7. Provide feedback to the learner on their performance.
8. Assess the performance of the learner.
9. Enhance learner's ability to retain their learning and to transfer it to other situations.

13. Learning Objects A sequence of learning events
Often around a single objective
Often comprised of many RIOs
Often with internal assessment/feedback for the learner
Not necessarily course specific

14. A Learning Object:

15. A Note on Distinguishing Between RIOs and RLOs

16. Hierarchy
Nesting one object inside another
RIO or RLO

17. Example of a personal evolution toward RLOs

18. Traditional Face-to-face
3-ring binder course

19. 2. Syllabus deconstruction and uploading
Fall, 1998 Construction Systems Class
ITEDU306/306.htm

20. 3. Putting lectures and handouts online
Fall, 1999 Teaching Technology Class
ITEDU395/395.htm
So-called modules:
ITEDU395/395mod.htm

21. 4. Experimenting putting lessons online
Fall, 1999 Teaching Technology lesson on design briefs.
ITEDU395/8desbri.htm
Interactive elements

22. 5. Dedicated learning modules in an online class
Fall, 2000 Online Class
510/Modules/01_orientation/orientation.htm
(But they contain course title, module number, hidden class assignments, and a link to the next lesson.)

23. 6. Making a lesson more generic
Online Lesson, particular to one course.
510/Modules/01_orientation/login.htm
The same lesson, written more generically:
rlo/login.htm

24. 7. A module or RLO surrounding lessons
Spring, 2001 face-to-face class
rlo/206.htm
(Look at Module 4, Product Usability. Notice how the collaborative Anthropometrics Activity is not included in the Anthropometrics lesson.)

25. 8. Further dissection
A lengthy module on 17 technology assessment techniques
rlo/206.htm Visit Module 9, Lesson 9C.
An alternate format that dissects the lesson on technology assessment techniques into smaller chunks and provides multiple paths through the information:
rlo/ta.htm

26. 9. Using RLOs as a general approach
to developing curricular materials in a face-to-face class (promoting multi-use and online access.)
A new class on technical communication & presentation skills and applying math & science to solve technical problems:
rlo/160.htm

27. Cisco’s Learning Objects
From:

28. Advantages of Web RLOs

29. RLOs can provide for better management
Minimal redundancy
Centralized updates
Constantly immediately updateable

30. Online RLOs can provide for increased accessibility
Multiple classes of an instructor
Multiple instructors’ classes
Learners with specific interests
(24-7 global access)

31. RLOs can provide for increased learning opportunities
Online access
Multiuse
By others than the initial target audience
By a student, repeatedly
Throughout the entire class or longer
May allow further levels of instruction in greater depth

32. RLOs can provide for multiple learning paths
Unified
Multiple
Customized by instructor
Customized by learner
Automated

33. Considerations in Creating Web RLOs
Initial development requirements
Testing
Database requirements
Metadata & Search features
Object granularity
Language, culture, reading level, type and amount of media, etc.

34. Some recommend RLOs that:
Are uniform
Are nearly media independent
Are written in XML

35. A common concern:
Will RLOs decrease degree of student/instructor interaction?

36. Current & Future Projects

37. Continue on the path More objects Standardized metadata
New contextualization
Object-based feedback to author
Studies of effectiveness

38. Ball State’s RIO Database
Planning stages
Metadata
Multimedia, text, etc.
Access to segments of objects (video)

39. Automated Lesson Selection
To create automated lesson selection based on (pretest)
Learner’s Knowledge and Abilities
Learner’s Objectives
Learner’s Preferred Learning Styles
Increased Customizability
Increased time for interaction with instructor

40. The Future
Build your learning with RLOs: Customized degree, specified credit

41. Summary A general approach to curricular design
Educationally sound chunking and reassembly
Granularity
Multiuse
Don’t just provide content, stylize learning.

42. A New? Approach to Instruction
Instead of
Only answering a common question by
Using a handout
Making an overhead transparency
Drawing that same problem on the board
Create online reusable informational objects and learning objects

43. Sources of Information
The Instructional Use of Learning Objects
Learning Object Design & Sequencing Theory
Knowledge Management Through Reusable Information/Learning Objects

44. Sources of Information
Cisco’s Reusable Learning Object Strategy
Cisco’s Reusable Information Object Strategy

45. For more information:
For more information about Ball State’s online courses or Jim’s use of RIOs and RLOs, contact:
Jim Flowers

46. Reusable Learning Objects in Web-Assisted & Web-Delivered Instruction
Jim Flowers
Associate Professor & Director of Online Education
Dept. of Industry & Technology, Ball State University