This document defines learning objects and provides examples. It discusses that learning objects are digital resources like videos, images, and simulations that are small, self-contained chunks of content that can be reused. Good definitions are provided by David Wiley and Rachel Smith. Examples of different types of learning objects are given. The document also discusses metadata tagging, standards, repositories, authoring tools, instructional design considerations, copyright issues, and how the learning technologies center can help create learning objects.

1. EXPLORİNG
LEARNİNG OBJECTS
Hazırlayan : Hakan Kılınç

2. DEFİNİNG LEARNİNG OBJECTS
 A variety of definitions exist
 General Characteristics:
 digital resources –
 documents, images, simulations, videos, audios…
 in small chunks
 self-contained (but can be aggregated)
 reusable
 Durable (Interoperable, searchable)
 shared through metatagging & standards
 Metaphors: the atom versus LEGOs™ - David Wiley

3. TWO GOOD DEFİNİTİONS
 David Wiley
 The fundamental idea behind learning objects is
that 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.
 Rachel Smith – NMC
 A learning Object is any grouping of materials
that is structured in a meaningful way and is tied
to an educational objective. It is also digital in
nature.

4. EXAMPLES OF LEARNİNG
OBJECTS
 Multimedia content
 audio and/or video clips [audio] [video]
 animations [t-RNA] [Rondas Infantiles][timeline]
 Instructional content
 simulations [Phonetics]
 Images, charts and maps [Latin American Art]
 an entire course module
 Ethics and Values
 Canadian Provinces – UWW Flash Project
 Lecturas paso a paso
 Interactive content
 Tutorials – [Phonetics Vowel chart]
 Games – [Accounting] [PPT games] [Jeopardy]
 Role Plays – Interviews – [ sales/marketing class]
 quizzes/self assessments [art history][vocab]

5. LEARNİNG OBJECT
REPOSİTORİES & FEDERATED
SEARCH ENGİNES
 MERLOT Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching [e.g.]
 CAREO Campus Alberta Repository of Educational Objects
 ADL Co-Labs Advanced Distributed Learning
 AEShareNet
 Splash-POOL
 Wisc-Online Learning Object Project
 Apple Learning Exchange
 Maricopa Learning Exchange
 CLOE Cooperative Learning Object Exchange
 ARIADNE
 Other Resources
 Compilation of Repositories Learning Object Initiative
 The Instructional Use of Learning Objects

6. GETTİNG TECHNİCAL
 Meta-tagging
 Identify ownership and characterize the learning
object, rights management
 Allows for search and interoperability of the
learning objects in various environments
 Learning Object repositories (LOR) depend on
meta-data to organize learning objects
 Metadata Schema specifications
 IMS, Dublin Core, CanCore….etc

7. Copyright Mitchell, Lytle, & Farha (2005), extracted from Educause Midwest Regional Conference presentation, 2005.

8. STANDARDS = INTEROPERABİLİTY
 Various standard bodies
 IEEE LTSC (1996) Learning Technology Standards
Committee (currently LTSC, 2000b)
 AICC aviation Industry Computer Based Training
 ARIADNE Alliance of Remote Instructional
Authoring and Distribution Networks for Europe
 IMS Instructional Management Systems
 SCORM Sharable Content Object Reference
Model
 ADL Advanced Distributed Learning

9. AUTHORİNG TOOLS COME TO AİD
 You do not need to meta-tag your learning
objects
 Many authoring tools have built-in features
to make your LO standard compliant
 authoring tools such as Dreamweaver, Lectora,
Repositories such as Merlot, CAREO, WFR
 For all practical purposes, you may just
concentrate on the creation of the objects
that can be assembled into D2L or a website
for the project

10. PEDAGOGİCAL AND
INSTRUCTİONAL DESİGN ISSUES
 Like any other instructional technology, learning objects must
participate in a principled partnership with instructional design
theory if they are to succeed in facilitating learning
 It is very unlikely that the combination of LOs in the absence of
instructional theory will result in larger structures that are
instructionally useful
 A person without an understanding of instructional design has no
more hope of successfully combining LOs into instruction than a
person without an understanding of chemistry has of successfully
forming a crystal
(Wiley, 2002)
 A short Video – http://www.wisc-online.com/

11. PRACTİCAL LEARNİNG OBJECT
CONSİDERATİONS
 Design to Enable Learning
 Keep your educational goal in focus
 Choose meaningful content
 Consider assessment issues
 Envision how the learning object will be used
 Select appropriate activity structures
 Present content in meaningful ways
 What are your resources
 Content- rights issue
 Technical expertise/assistance
 Time

12. COPYRİGHT & INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTİES CONSİDERATİONS
 Using assets
 Copyright Clearance
 Fair Use – not unlimited license
 Your own rights
 Consider Creative Commons
 http://www.creativecommons.org
 Specify what can be done rather than what cannot
be done.

13. SOME TOOLS TO İNVESTİGATE
 Acrobat software
 Photoshop – [photo gallery]
 Dreamweaver
 Hot Potatoes
 [crossword] [word order] [fillinblanks] [reading]
 StudyMate [loads of examples]
 PowerPoint
 Flash [animations] [exercises]
 MovieMaker
 Desire2Learn

14. HOW THE LTC CAN HELP YOU
 You are the subject matter expert
 Design, collect, assemble content pieces
 LTC helps you with
 Instructional design- putting the pieces together
 Technical assistance
 Document processing, graphics
manipulation, website creation, video
digitization and editing, flash animation and
other programming needs, D2L, repository
registration
 Advice on authoring tools available