Reusability and Reusable Design

Ben Clark - IT 8000

Reusability and Reusable Design

What is reusability?

• The ability to use the same resource multiple times in multiple ways and in multiple contexts.

• It can involve adapting or adopting a resource.

• Benefits include saving time and money for developers and providing a greater variety of resources for learners.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Requirements for Reusability

Reusable Resource

Can it be identified?

May it be used?

Will it work?

Does it work for me?

Reusability and Reusable Design

Can a resource be identified?

• A resource can only be reused if people know it’s there.

• The search and discovery method is the most common way people identify the resources they need.

• The crucial element of making search and discovery successful is metadata. Developers should provide as much metadata as possible.

Reusability and Reusable Design

5 Types of Metadata• Basic descriptive metadata (bibliographic metadata): title, author, subject, keywords, description, etc.

• Contextual metadata: learning objectives, target audience, level of difficulty

• Rights metadata: copyright information, terms of use, permissions contact information

• Technical metadata: platform requirements, software requirements, format, and other structural information

• Usage Information: guides and other documentation

Reusability and Reusable Design

Metadata: ASCO University Item BankA 71-year-old patient has received treatment over the last 2 years for bone only metastatic infiltrating ductal cancer, which is ER and PR positive. HER2 is negative. Her disease has previously progressed on anastrozole, and subsequently fulvestrant. She now has new rib lesions, and her CA 27-29 has risen from 89 to 110 over the past 3 months. Mild pain is controlled by ibuprofen. The patient does not want chemotherapy, and after discussion tamoxifen is started. Two weeks later, she calls over the weekend with increased pain in her back and ribs. Upon evaluation in the clinic the following morning, her pain continues, and the CA 27-29 rises to 141.

Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action? A. Change to exemestane B. Start palliative chemotherapy C. Consult radiation oncology for administration of samarium D. Optimize pain control

Metadata: MOCBR / BR / MP / J

Product where item “lives” Disease area Subcategory Physician Task Code

Reusability and Reusable Design

Metadata: HBO on Demand

All Movies

Action

Drama

Romance

Horror/Suspense

Comedy

All Movies HD

Kids

Reusability and Reusable Design

Generating Metadata• Automated metadata generation – software that supports the development of a resource should be sophisticated enough to know and record basic descriptive and contextual metadata

• Standards – several organizations have developed metadata standards that allow digital libraries to record and keep track of contextual and technical metadata

Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Library of Congress Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting Metadata Research Center (MRC) UNC-Chapel Hill

Reusability and Reusable Design

May a resource be used?

• Digital resources are increasingly subject to intellectual property rights, including patents, trade and service marks, and copyright.

• Copyright is used to protect the interests of developers who may receive compensation from the sale of content. Copyright can also prevent intended uses.

• Resource developers should do their best to grant appropriate permissions in advance of releasing their content to users.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Granting Permissions

• The Creative Commons has developed licenses that convey a small set of standard terms and conditions. The licenses comes with legal forms, plain English forms, and forms for inclusion in a Web page or other resource.

• These licenses can be used to grant a user the right to copy, modify, and accredit a resource. They can also restrict the licensed use of a resource to noncommercial purposes.

• To increase the reusability of a resource, developers should disseminate their work under a license of this type.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Creative Commonshttp://creativecommons.org

Reusability and Reusable Design

Creative Commonshttp://creativecommons.org

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusability and Reusable Design

Managing Rights

• Potential users must be able to see the restrictions and licenses, and they must be supplied with the necessary information to request or purchase further rights.

• This type of information can be embedded in standard metadata.

• Potential users be able to identify the rights holder so they know where to ask for further permissions.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Will a resource work?

• Standards also exist to enhance the interoperability and cross-platform compatibility of resources.

• These standards can be formal industry standards or simple formatting standards that are widely available and accepted.

Formal Industry StandardsIEEESCORMIMS Global Learning Consortium

Formatting StandardsMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointPDFFlashTM

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design

• The goal of reusable design is to develop content that can be used in as many ways and in as many contexts as possible without forfeiting its value and usefulness .

• Five layers should be considered when developing a resource for reuse:

1) Content2) Context3) Pedagogy4) Structure5) Presentation

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design: Content

• Content is at the heart of any learning resource.

• Content can be presented in different ways, and it will determine the target audience. (How far reaching is the learning resource?)

• Resources should be designed within the constraints imposed by its content.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design: Context

• The context of a resource will determine how it will be used and understood by a learner.

• Do not assume that the learning context will be the same for all learners.

• To increase reusability of a resource: Remove cultural dependencies Ensure that external references are available online Follow Web accessibility guidelines Clarify any assumptions about terminology and notation Make the content available in multilingual versions

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design: Pedagogy

• Resources should be created that do not require explicit pedagogical approaches. In other words, do not design a resource for a single setting or instructional strategy.

• A learning resource is more valuable and more reusable if it is designed for as many pedagogical settings as possible.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design: Structure

• Resources should be structured into learning objects, or self-contained sections that address single learning objectives.

• The more a learning object is linked to another, the less reusable it becomes. (Koohang, 2007)

• Structuring the physical and conceptual units of a resource into independent sections will increase the likelihood of it being reused.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Reusable Design: Presentation

• Presentation is the overall look and feel of a learning resource.

• Presentation includes the fonts, color scheme, graphics, layout, sound or video clips, and any other elements that are used to deliver the resource.

• Presentation should always be completely detached from content. Someone should be able to reuse the same content just by changing “the skin.”

Reusability and Reusable Design

Conclusion

• Designing resources for reuse can be challenging, but if done correctly, the benefits far outweigh the time and effort needed to produce them.

• Following the requirements for reuse has not become habit for most instructional designers. Once the benefits become more apparent, designing for reuse should become standard practice.

Reusability and Reusable Design

Information presented here is courtesy of

http://www.reusablelearning.org