1. © VCILT 1 Learning Objects Repository @ VCILT http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/lor Abounaidane Adil Tournaud Julien Yannic Stephane

2. © VCILT 2 Learning Objects Repository 1.Learning Objects 1.Pedagogical point of view 2.Professional point of view 2.Learning Objects Repository 1.Metadata & Standards 2.What’s for? 3.Repository

3. © VCILT 3 Learning Objects Repository Why learning objects?(1) Pedagogical point of view Traditional methods: –Linear, fixed-path presentations –Difficulty in changing or adapting content… These methods are inadequate for learning in today’s business environment.

4. © VCILT 4 Learning Objects Repository Why learning objects? (2) Pedagogical point of view Learner’s perspective: –Demand for customisation to provide just-in-time and just-enough content –Need for performance support –Need for granular levels of training individualized to learner needs, interests, and learning style. Author’s perspective: –Ease of collaboration, sharing and reusing content assets over the web –Need for rapid creation of content –Ease assemble/update content

5. © VCILT 5 Learning Objects Repository © VCILT Professional point of view (1) Why develop content as learning objects? To gain an added-value –Costs –Development time –Learning effectiveness

6. © VCILT 6 Learning Objects Repository Professional point of view (2) Why develop content as learning objects? Flexibility Ease of updates, searches and content management Customisation Interoperability Facilitation of competency-based learning Increase value of content

7. © VCILT 7 Learning Objects Repository Anatomy of a Learning Object © Harvi Singh hsingh@centra.com http://www.centra.com/ Centred around learning objective Content/information supports the objective and promotes the achievement of the learning outcome Practice/feedback ensures mastery

8. © VCILT 8 Learning Objects Repository Standards Standards are necessary for: –interworking, –portability, –reusability. A standard helps ensure cooperation and reuse. But, “the nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.” Andrew Tanenbaum, in his Computer Networks book

9. © VCILT 9 Learning Objects Repository Metadata Metadata is data about data. –What? - title and description –When? - when it was created and the update cycle, if any. –Who? – authors and submitter –Where? – where to find the resource –How? – how to obtain more information about the resource and how to use it in a specific context

10. © VCILT 10 Learning Objects Repository Metadata standards

11. © VCILT 11 Learning Objects Repository Tertiary Education Commission Match the student’s programmes of study at the tertiary level to the socio-economic developmental needs –List of Indicative Priority Fields of Study (IPFS) Demand for high-level manpower by existing employers Providing information to the tertiary education institutions

12. © VCILT 12 Learning Objects Repository Tertiary Education Commission Agriculture and Agro- Industry Arts and Languages Engineering Environment Financial Services Information and Communication Technology Law Management Medicine and Dentistry Sciences and Applied Sciences Social Sciences and Humanities Textile and Clothing Tourism

13. © VCILT 13 Learning Objects Repository Situated Knowledge [context dependant] Non Situated Knowledge [context free] History / Culture / Heritage ICT related Open Courseware WHAT’s a LOR for ? Resituated Knowledge Endemic Plants /Coral Reefs / Biodiversity

14. © VCILT 14 Learning Objects Repository LOR Project-Needs Interviews with future users from all the faculties ( Agriculture, Engineering, Science, Law & Management, Social Studies & Humanities) –Use for articles and references on resources on the web. –Ease of loading data's. –Easy and simple to use especially for non specialist in IT. –Efficient search engine

15. © VCILT 15 Learning Objects Repository LOR Project-Context Analyse Analyses of resources on the web:

16. © VCILT 16 Learning Objects Repository User’s view LO Repository LO Interface local content DB WWW Virtual U Agriculture Course 12 I) Animal Genetics II) Animal Production Farm Operations Biology of Production Example 1 Example 2 III) Animal Reproduction Virtual U registered user open access/ search / combine / tools

17. © VCILT 17 Learning Objects Repository LO RepositoryLocal Content DB Virtual U Store for locally developped content or mirrors sites RLO Reusable Learning Objects Local or Web Ref Metadata (ontology) WWW Academic Modules = Combination of RLOs Academic Management Tools Communication Tools Security Filters + + + Architecture

18. © VCILT 18 Learning Objects Repository LOR Resources –Assignments, exercises –Part of a course or modules –Resources on the web –Searchers articles from UoM RLO Private AccessFree Access

19. © VCILT 19 Learning Objects Repository Learning Object Metadata Title Reference Description Keywords Type Free access or not Date of submission Language Information about –Author(s) –Submitter

20. © VCILT 20 Learning Objects Repository LOR Database Learning Object CommentPedagogy Author Submitter

21. © VCILT 21 Learning Objects Repository LOR Database

22. © VCILT 22 Learning Objects Repository Share information Easy access to information Information construction Information exchange

23. © VCILT 23 Learning Objects Repository Thank you for your attention. Any questions? Let’s go for a demonstration?demonstration