Learning Objects: The Next Wave

Ellen D. WagnerDirector, Global Higher EducationMacromedia, Inc.

Technology Infrastructure: Anytime/Anywhere Browsers, Connectivity, Devices, Databases,

Legos™ and more – Flexible, Modular Digital Content

Standards and Specifications

Managing Knowledge, Learning, Information, Performance

LEARNING OBJECTS: THE FIRST WAVE

A BRIEF LEARNING OBJECT REVIEW

LOs emerged over the past 10 years as scattered, spontaneous explorations of content modularity and personalized learning

Accelerated by the ability to transport content cheaply and easily

Encouraged by business’s quest to create new value from learning

Sparked by new learning theory research

Enabled through standardized metadata

THE LEARNING OBJECT VALUE PROPOSITION

The right content at the right time delivered in the right way on the right devicesto the right people.

Wayne Hodgins

LEARNING OBJECTS: THE NEXT WAVE

Evaluating the Learning in Learning Objects

Making Content Count

More than Metadata

About Ecosystems

Bridging Value Gaps

TRANSFORMING THE LEARNER-CENTERED EXPERIENCE

Ownership

Engagement

Social

Contextual

Active

DEEPER LEARNING

REQUIRES

IS

IS

IS

www.west.asu.edu/nlii/learning.htm

ENCOURAGES

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE PROPOSITION

Simple Complex

Deeper Learning offers a theoretical, conceptual and operational framework …

maximizing the quality and results of a transformative learning program…

focused on the needs and interests of the learner.

LEARNING TASK

Qu

alit

y o

f Le

arn

ing

Exp

eri

en

ce

Low

High

DEEPER LEARNING

THE SITUATIONAL VALUE PROPOSITION

Simple Complex

The more complex a learning task, and the higher the expectation of subject mastery and performance quality, the greater the value of Deeper Learning.

LEARNING TASK

Qu

alit

y o

f Le

arn

ing

Exp

eri

en

ce

Low

High

DEEPER LEARNING

On the Journey toward DEEPER LEARNING…

Competency-Based Learning

(“Just enough”)

Personalized Learning (“Just for me”)

Decision Support (“Just

because”)

Performance Support (“Just in time”)

BRIDGING LEARNING GAPS

Simple ComplexLEARNING TASK

Qu

alit

y o

f Le

arn

ing

Exp

eri

en

ce

Low

HighDEEPER

LEARNING

DECISION SUPPORT

PERFORMANCE SUPPORT

COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING

MASTERY LEARNING

MAKING CONTENT COUNT:Drowning in a sea of content

A recent (2001) University of California study estimated that approximately 250 MB of digital content is produced per person per year on a global basis.

IDC (2002) estimates that digital content assets double every 14- 18 months.

The average corporate database holds 100 terabytes of digital content (the same space required to archive all pages posted to the WWW between 1996-2001.)

MAKING CONTENT COUNT:Content as commodity

Organizations are re-evaluating the strategic value of their content Organizations are re-evaluating the strategic value of their content for learning and performance improvement.for learning and performance improvement.

They want to leverage organizational intellectual property They want to leverage organizational intellectual property in support of improved learning and performing across in support of improved learning and performing across the entire enterprisethe entire enterprise..

IN THE LEARNING WORLD, ATTENTION IS TURNING TO CONTENT

Bob Boiko, (2002) Content Management Bible. New York: Wiley. xxxv. http://www.metatorial.com

Content is information that retains its human meaning and context

Content is information put to use

Content is information plus data

A LEARNING CONTENT REFERENCE MODEL

ContentAsset

Information Object

Learning Object

Learning Content Aggregations*

LearningEnvironment

C o n t e x t

R e u s a b i I I t y

L e a r n i n g C o n t e n t E c o s y s t e m

FactConceptPrincipleProcessProcedure

Objective Practice Assess

Components

Databases

Communications

Web S

erv

ices Communities

Revis

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agner,

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ChapterLessonUnitCourse

Collaboration

DOIs provide information about the OBJECT.

• It tell you about the content metadata

• PLUS it tells you where the object is located, who owns it, how to get it

MORE THAN METADATA:DIGITAL OBECT IDENTIDIERS

Metadata provide information about the CONTENT

• Objectively describe attributes of content in an object

• Subjectively describe the learning content’s relative perceived value

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIERS (DOIs)

Court

esy

Robin

Wils

on,

The S

tati

onery

Offi

ce

DOIs capture information about a specific, registered content fileDOIs make digital content transactional, salable, exchangeable

What is a DOI ?

Owner

Account

Date Create

Type : D,A, or P

URL

Location

Creator It’s simply a Digital Pointer An Identifier: Unique, Global, Persistent & ResolvableUnique, Global, Persistent & Resolvable DOIs make intangible information assets tangible

System Metadata

10.1786/HSY6KS82DJS710.1786/HSY6KS82DJS7

Court

esy

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Wils

on,

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ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS

An ecosystem is a complex of living organisms, their physical environment and all their inter-relationships in a particular unit of space

LEARNING OBJECT ECOSYSTEMS

TECHNOLOGYCONTENT

LEARNING

LEARNING ECOSYSTEM

PEDAGOGY(Teaching

Design)

PR

AC

TIC

E

Learning Content

Learning Theories

Instructional Theories

EPISTOMOLOGIES

ONTOLOGIES

TAXONOMIES

AS

SE

SS

EV

ALU

AT

ION

DISTRIBUTION

Mai

nten

ance

MA

NA

GE

ME

NT

The LearningExperience

METADATA

Learning Design

DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN

EN

GA

GE

EX

CH

AN

GE

Authoring toolsContent creation

ManagementPlatform

LCMS and/or REPOSITORY

LEARNING CONTENT LIFECYCLE

Existing Content

Learning Content Authoring Tools

Learning Content Authoring Tools

Chunk

Create

Repurpose

Assemble

LearningCatalog

LearningCatalog

LMS

Import

Find

Track

Deliver

© Eduworks Corporation, 2002

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM

Design of Content, Platform; Devices, Systems

Development of Content, Platform; Devices, Systems

Storage of Metadata, Content,

Digital Rights Management

Distribution Management

Content/Learning Management

Infrastructure Management

Metadata and DOIs

BRIDGING VALUE GAPS

Between and among business, government and academe

Between and among disciplines and ecosystems

Between and among learning object team members

STRATEGIES FOR BRIDGING THE GAP

Encourage more multi-disciplinary discussions

“It’s the epistemology, stupid”

Identify and foster our common interests, and work toward achieving mutual benefit

Wagner, 2002, Will learning survive our good intentions? In Transforming Culture: An Executive Briefing on the Power

of Learning http://www.darden.edu/batten/clc/Articles/Intentions.pdf

BRIDGING THE GAP, CONT’D

Seek out the intersections of interest, purpose and intent between and among stakeholders

Be willing to listen and learn

Remember that change is a process, not an event

Wagner, 2002, Will learning survive our good intentions? In Transforming Culture: An Executive Briefing on the Power of

Learning http://www.darden.edu/batten/clc/Articles/Intentions.pdf