School Libraries and Learning Objects: PORTABLE and REUSABLE

School Libraries and Learning Objects: PORTABLE and REUSABLE

Rob Darrow ([email protected])

LMT on Special Assignment, Clovis Unified

CSLA Conference.

November 2003Resources online at: www.cusd.com/calonline/rob

[email protected]. Clovis Unified School District. November 2003.

What do people create for the Web? WS – Ways to reuse stuff we put on the

Web? What is the “stuff” people put on the Web? What is the “stuff” library media teachers put

on the Web? Lego Activity

Each person fits their lego piece together on the front table


Definition of Learning Objects

“ any entity, digital or non-digital, which can be used, re-used or referenced during technology supported learning.” David Wiley, Utah State University (http://www.reusability.org/read/chapters/wiley.doc)


Learning Objects Reusable Portable Shareable Adaptable


Learning Objects are like… Puzzle Pieces And other examples???


Current Learning Objects (The stuff we currently put on the Web) Pictures Web sites WebQuests Text Etc.

All in the way we think is best… No standardization…


In Silos

Web sitesLibrary of Congress

Mrs. Smith’s First Grade Units

Video Clips


How We Currently Use Learning Objects

To create a lesson or unit... We search for learning objects and arrange

them into classes and courses We edit or revise their content We package the result and place on a Web

site in PowerPoint or put on a disk or print out for others


Learning Object Thinking The model: learning objects are bits of

instruction or instructional objects strung together to form a course


An example to think about How might this picture be used for instruction?


How would you catalog this? What subject? Category?

Source: California Digital Library - http://californiadigitallibrary.org/


Learning Emerges over Time

The use of learning objects consists not in stringing them together, like a narrative, but in arranging them, like (a painting, an orchestra, a sand castle, … )


Learning Object Repositories Create a learning object and place into a

database Tag these objects using a standard. Content of tags – title, grade, classification,

interactivity, subject, etc. – are used as parameters in a search.

Tags are the “meta data” of a digital object


Learning Object Metadata Metadata is the content of a learning

object, like the label on a can. Learning Object metadata doesn’t describe

an object, it describes a use of an object That is why we need multiple metadata

schemes, because we have multiple uses Metadata

Definition from the Library of Congress: http://lcweb.loc.gov/standards/metadata.html


Example: Classification Classification is a classic example. What is

the topic of a learning object? That depends on which classification

scheme you use…


Example: Classification How would you classify this picture? Possibilities:

Hands? Lines? A runner? Start position? P.E.? Health?


Who Uses Learning Objects? Learning object designer creates tags for

learning objects Instructional designer (teacher, LMT, Web

designer) brings learning objects together


Ideal Learning Object Use The creation of metadata must occur in the

use of a learning object by many people These comments form part of the

description of the object, aid in searching


Structure of the Learning Objects Old: objects are placed in a sequence with

limited branching – limited choices, need for uniformity, static, single focus – like in silos

New: objects are placed in an environment – multiple choices, room for diversity, dynamic, multiple points of focus


The Wider Context Linear Multi-threaded Content Delivery immersive, interactive Static, paced dynamic, unpaced Demonstration inference Learning objectives learner goals Motivation desire


Using Learning Objects (1) Old: Static, paced

Objects are organized in a predetermined order – the idea of succession

The delivery or invocation of objects is determined by time or sequence

This delivery is defined by an instructional designer or teacher


Using Learning Objects (2) New: dynamic, unpaced

Objects are not ordered; each persists independently of the others

The delivery ore invocation of objects is triggered by events

The use of learning objects is based on learner choices


A Learning Object Repository Supports teachers teaching Supports student learning


Learning Objects in Repositories: Continuous, not interrupted Task or project oriented, not subject

oriented Global, not local Dynamically organized, not statically

predetermined Learner driven, not instructor driven


Learning Object Repositories CAREO - Campus Alberta Repository of

Educational Objects http://www.careo.org

MERLOT – Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching http://www.merlot.org/Home.po

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (images, documents, etc.)

www.loc.gov CALIFORNIA DIGITAL LIBRARY (images, diaries

and letters, etc.) http://californiadigitallibrary.org/


Developing online content based on 5th, 8th and 11th grade American history content standards.

www.cusd.com/calonline/tah


Libraries and Learning Objects LIBRARIES

Books Learning Hub of

School Lessons based on

standards Information Literacy

infused Other Examples?

LO REPOSITORY Variety of media Central database for

dynamic content Consistent standards

in repositories Continual

improvement and development


How do we respond? Knowledge Promotion Continue to share Continue to promote sharing


Sources Used Stephen Downes Web site and PowerPoint

ideas (National Research Council of Canada) http://www.downes.ca/

David Wiley information about Learning Objects (Utah State University) http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CIE/AOP/LO_collections.html


Contact Information Rob Darrow

Library Media Teacher on Special Assignment, Online Learning Specialist

Clovis Unified School District, Clovis, California

[email protected] www.cusd.com/calonline/infolit

Resources online at: www.cusd.com/calonline/rob

Documents

School Libraries and Learning Objects: PORTABLE and REUSABLE