Learning object about learning objects - Stella's tag cloud from RISAL

A learning object is best described as a technology-based psychological tool. It mediates a learning activity through perception, consciousness and psyhcological processes. It provide an interactive and visual representation as a tool for a learning activity. (Churchill, 2005)

Six unique types of learning objects are propsoed as presentation, practice, simulation, conceptual models, information and contextual representation objects.
Churchill, 2006)


According to Wiley, learning objects are generally understood to be digital and deliveable over the Internet, meaning that any number of people can access and use them simultaneously.

Instructional designers can build small (relative to the size of an entire course) instructional components that can be reused in different learning contexts. (Rossett, 2002)

Learning objects (LOs) enable and facilitate the use of educational content online. Internationally accepted specifications and standards make them interoperable and reusable by different applications and in diverse learning environments. The metadata that describes them facilitates searching and renders them accessible. (McGreal, 2004)


Learning Objects are divided into two approaches in pedagogy. There are teacher-oriented resources (Learning design LOs) and student-oriented materials (Structured LOs and Functional LOs). (Alvino, 2007)

It is important for teachers to choosing, using and accessing the learning objects. The results and benefits of students from LOs are important.

Choose LOs for students
1. Is it easy to use / resuse and learn?
2. Is the interactive and graphical component making those abstract concepts more real?
3. Is it adaptive which allows users to have certain degree of control over their learning environments?

Use of LOs for students
1. Context and culture - the Grade / Age / Capaticity and Subjects / learning orientation
2. Design learning activities depend on the Scope / Size of LOs

Access LOs for students
1. Is there any benefits from the LOs by surveys of students?
2. Do they like those materials or interfaces?
3. Do they have enough facilities to save or access the LOs in or out of school?
4. How big LOs should be? (consideration of granularity)

Benefits to students
1. student-centered
2. enhancing the student learning environment
3. allow experiences in problem-solving and exploration
4. allow universal access to online instructional materials

Benefits to teachers
1. Use/Reuse the learning objects to save time and place from traditional teaching
2. Support student-centred learning environments
3. Enhance the face-to-face time spent among teachers and stduents


References:-
Alvino, S. (2007). "Describing learning features of reusable resources : a proposal." International Journal of Social Sciences 1(3).

Churchill, D. (2005). "Learning objects: an interactive representation and a mediating tool in a learning activity." Educational Media International 42(4): 333-349.

Churchill, D. (2007). "Towards a useful classification of learning objects." Education Tech Research dev 55: 479-497.

De Salas, K., Ellis, Leonie (2006). "The Development and Implementation of Learning Objects in a Higher Education Setting." Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects 2.

McGrea, R. (2004). "Learning objects : a practical definition." International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning


Rossett, A. (2002). The ASTD e-learning handbook. New York, N.Y. , McGraw-Hill.

Stella's tag cloud:-