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Using and re-using learning objects
Julie Watson Academic Co-ordinator, eLanguages
Overview
• Our starting point • Designing learning materials for online delivery
and re-usability – Design features of Learning Objects (LOs) and
Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs)– Example
• Some applications of use and re-use• Research overview • Conclusions• Research interests for the future
Our starting point…
• eLanguages Project
• Funded to develop e-tutored, online modules in English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
• Currently… – Bank of 1500+ learning objects in EAP; generic
and discipline-specific study skills for NS
– Refined, re-templated, researched, increased and re-used
LO design features
• Designing for online delivery and re-usability
– make learning activity-led– scaffold learning (provide sufficient feedback and help)– create clear and prominent task instructions– ensure consistency of style and granularity*– create context-independent LOs*– use single template and development tool* – recreate tasks using bank of interactive task templates*– connect and maintain weblinks easily*– develop LOs as single packages, interoperable - for use
in different VLEs*
Brief summary of research to date
Data Capture Methods
Student questionnaires, Tutor questionnaires, Student observations, Student learning log entries, Semi-structured interviews with students, VLE user tracking
Data Captured
Student Questionnaires
Student Observations
Tutor Questionnaires
Learning Log Entries
Semi Structured Interviews
Summer 2004
(Blended) 194 58 21 120 N/ASummer 2005
(Blended) 260 14 40 N/A N/ASummer 2005
(e-tutored) 46 N/A N/A N/A 16
Research findings – summer 2004
• Student Response frequency of use (78% made use of learning materials ‘once a
day’ to ‘once a week’)ease of use (90% found materials ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’ to use)perceived usefulness (88% found them ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’)ease of access (19% chose to access them from two or more
‘locations’)• Tutor Response
materials support students’ independent (non-tutor directed) study (81%)
materials support students’ lesson-related (tutor-directed) study (57%)
materials have a role in lessons (38%)
NB Integrated use – 10-15% (estimate) of tutors made use of the learning materials in the classroom
Student and tutor feedback: summer 2004
• Student comments:I feel this is much more that just useful and helpful.I want to keep the online materials after the course –
please make it possible.I very much appreciate the quality of the course, the
structure of the material and the logic of the content.
• Tutor comments:The materials were useful in addressing specific
difficulties students had.They have been a real help.Would you support the use of online materials if they
were available in a future course? Yes, definitely.
Conclusions
• Some LOs can be re-used as they stand
• Others need a degree of re-purposing to ‘fit’ new contexts of use
• Individual LOs can be broken down and re-combined
• Certain elements of LOs (e.g. task templates, instruction formats) can be re-used
• RLOs allow considerable time and cost savings
Research interests
• What role do LOs have in students’ learning in various applications of use?
• To what extent does discussion board activity and e-tutoring add value in different applications of use?
• How far should we map discussion board activity onto LOs?