A learning object is a resource, usually digital and web-based, that can be used and re-used to support learning.
Learning objects offer a new conceptualization of the learning process: rather than the traditional "several hour chunk", they provide smaller, self-contained, re-usable units of learning.[1]
They will typically have a number of different components, which range from descriptive data to information about rights and educational level. At their core, however, will be instructional content, practice, and assessment. A key issue is the use of metadata.
Learning object design raises issues of portability, and of the object's relation to a broader learning management system.
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There are various definitions of the term. As David Wiley observes, "the proliferation of definitions for the term 'learning object' makes communication confusing and difficult".[2]
Most generally, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) defines a learning object as "any entity, digital or non-digital, that may be used for learning, education or training".[3] More specifically, and pointing out the extreme breadth of the IEEE's definition, Wiley describes a learning object as "any digital resource that can be reused to support learning".[4] (Emphasis added.)
Chiappe defined Learning Objects as: "A digital self-contained and reusable entity, with a clear educational purpose, with at least three internal and editable components: content, learning activities and elements of context. The learning objects must have an external structure of information to facilitate their identification, storage and retrieval: the metadata."[5]
The following definitions focus on the relation between learning object and digital media. RLO-CETL, a British inter-university Learning Objects Center, defines "reusable learning objects" as "web-based interactive chunks of e-learning designed to explain a stand-alone learning objective".[6] Daniel Rehak and Robin Mason define it as "a digitized entity which can be used, reused or referenced during technology supported learning".[7]
Adapting a definition from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center, Robert J. Beck suggests that learning objects have the following key characteristics:
The following is a list of some of the types of information that may be included in a learning object and its metadata:
One of the key issues in using learning objects is their identification by search engines. This is usually facilitated by assigning descriptive learning object metadata. Just as a book in a library has a record in the card catalog, learning objects must also be tagged with metadata.
A mutated learning object is, according to Michael Shaw, a learning object that has been "re-purposed and/or re-engineered, changed or simply re-used in some way different from its original intended design". Shaw also introduces the term "contextual learning object", to describe a learning object that has been "designed to have specific meaning and purpose to an intended learner".[8]
Before any institution invests a great deal of time and energy into building high-quality e-learning content (which can cost over $10,000 per classroom hour),[9] it needs to consider how this content can be easily loaded into a Learning Management System. It is possible for example, to package learning objects with SCORM specification and load it at Moodle Learning Management System.
If all of the properties of a course can be precisely defined in a common format, the content can be serialized into a standard format such as XML and loaded into other systems. When you consider that some e-learning courses need to include video, mathematical equations using MathML, chemistry equations using CML and other complex structures the issues become very complex, especially if the systems needs to understand and validate each structure and then place it correctly in a database.
Some examples of learning object projects include:
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Welcome to the Wikiversity Center for the Study of Learning Objects. This is a content development project where participants create, organize and develop learning resources about learning objects.
Learning Objects (like all objects) are little packets, in this case, of educational material designed to be easy to produce, package, distribute, find, sort, use, and so on. What they are exactly, and how useful they are seems a bit subjective to me.
Many on-line services purport to be the "ideal" or "complete" repositories for these learning objects, so we might examine for ourselves what they are all about.
See: Learning Projects and the Wikiversity:Learning model.
Learning materials and learning projects are located in the main Wikiversity namespace. Simply make a link to the name of the learning project (learning projects are independent pages in the main namespace) and start writing! We suggest the use of the learning project template (use "subst:Learning project boilerplate" on the new page, inside the double curved brackets {{}}).
Learning materials and learning projects can be used by multiple departments. Cooperate with other departments that use the same learning resource.
Topic:Databases - Learning objects and their repositories require a knowledge of databases. We may develop a shared resource with a title something like Learning object database management or similar. (discuss)
"Due to interoperability concerns, all meta-information has to be stored in an application independent format. On the other hand, allowing the final user to efficiently perform arbitrary metadata queries is one of the most important goals of the repository. For meeting both requirements (...) a subset of the standard metadata [should be] stored in a relational database. The proposed mechanism is in no way restrictive, because complete LOM instances are also going to be stored as specified by the chosen standard binding." [1]
I think we can begin to craft some Wiki-fied learning object that are ripe for pickin'...
Juicy Future Topics to apply to education systems and Learning object development:
Metadata is required in order to describe learning objects, enabling learners and instructors to search, evaluate and utilize them. Standards compliance leads to a uniform style, enhancing the sharing, reuse, and exchange of metadata-described LO.
IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) Standard emphasizes on the "minimal set of attributes needed to allow these Learning Objects to be managed, located, and evaluated" [2]
I have no Earthly idea why anyone in their right mind would sign up for this, but here's a place to do so:
Examples of Learning Objects:
   | eduSource - eduSource Canada: Canadian Network of Learning Object Repositories |
| | Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects - Interdisciplinary Journal of E-learning and Learning Objects |
| | The Le@rning Federation - The Le@rning Federation home page |
| | Learning Objects Resources - TerritorioScuola ODP - TerritorioScuola OpenDirectoryProject - Learning Objects - |
| | Wisc-Online - Wisc-Online - Online Learning Object Repository |
| | The SIESWE Learning Exchange (Scotland) - The Learning Exchange | Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services |
| | NDLR (Ireland) - National Digital Learning Repository |
| | eXe project - eXe eLearning XHTML Editor |
| | CLOE Stories - CLOE Stories > About Learning Objects > Finding Learning Objects |
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