November 6, 2003 Copyright Robert J. Beck 2003. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared.

November 6, 2003

Copyright Robert J. Beck 2003.

This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

November 6, 2003

E-Learning Objects: Benefits and Repository

Issues

Dr. Robert J. BeckUniversity of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

November 6, 2003

“Learning objects … are destined to forever change the shape and form of learning, and in so doing, … will also usher in an unprecedented efficiency of learning content design, development, and delivery.”

-- H. Wayne Hodgins, “The Future of Learning Objects” (2000)

November 6, 2003

Overview: Three Questions

• What are E-learning Objects?• The Benefits• Repository Issues

November 6, 2003

Definition

• any digital resource • that can be reused • to support learning

-- Wiley, “Connecting Learning Objects to Instructional Design Theory” (2000)

November 6, 2003

Why?

“The main idea of ‘learning objects’ is to break educational content down into small chunks that can be reused in various learning environments, in the spirit of object-oriented programming”

-- David Wiley

November 6, 2003

An object-oriented approach may permit course developers to

• Avoid “wheel reinvention”• Be more ambitious • Expend less effort • Create custom courses

November 6, 2003

In Practice

• Currently, a spectrum might be said to exist, including

– Images: photos, art work, maps– Course tools: Java applets– Case studies– Course modules

November 6, 2003

Metadata Tags

• Are arguably not characteristic

• Even so, such tags significantly enhance E-Learning Object utility

November 6, 2003

Weighing Benefits vs. Costs

• Two E-learning “object lessons”

November 6, 2003

Lesson 1: “Granularity”

• Granularity – “The size of a given ‘chunk’ of curricular material” – i.e., learning object

November 6, 2003

“Granularity”

Small “chunk” Large “chunk”

Example

Flexibility of use

Instructor role in post-production

Meta-tag costs relative to size

November 6, 2003

“Granularity”

Small “chunk” Large “chunk”

Example Map or image of Kosovo

Instructor role in post-production

“Some assembly required”

Flexibility of use High

Meta-tag costs relative to size

High

November 6, 2003

“Granularity”

Small “chunk” Large “chunk”

Example Map or image of Kosovo

Case study of Kosovo

Instructor role in post-production

“Some assembly required”

Pre-assembled

Flexibility of use High Less

Meta-tag costs relative to size

High Low

November 6, 2003

Lesson 2: Metadata Tagging and Cost

November 6, 2003

Metadata Tagging and Cost

Tagged Not tagged

Degree of Sharability

Degree of Seachability

Faculty production

Production costs

Maintenance costs

November 6, 2003

Metadata Tagging and Cost

Tagged Not tagged

Degree of Sharability

High

Degree of Seachability

High

Faculty production

More difficult

Production costs High

Maintenance costs

More costly, if metadata is updated

November 6, 2003

Metadata Tagging and Cost

Tagged Not tagged

Degree of Sharability

High Uncertain

Degree of Seachability

High Likely to require a portal site host

Faculty production

More difficult Less difficult

Production costs High Modest

Maintenance costs

More costly, if metadata is updated

Less costly

November 6, 2003

E-Learning Object Repositories

• What• 2 Examples• Themes

November 6, 2003

E-Learning Object Repositories

• “Provide access to digital educational materials”

• A very wide variety of such repositories exist– Number of servers– Use of metadata– Interoperability– Nature of contributors

November 6, 2003

E-Learning Object Repositories• Are a subset of the broader category of

“institutional repositories”

EORE-Learning ObjectE-Learning ObjectRepositoriesRepositories

InstitutionalInstitutional RepositoriesTheses

ConferenceProceedings

AdministrativeRecords

FacultyResearch

November 6, 2003

GEODE Portal

• Global Education Online Depository and Exchange

• Grade Level: 13-16 • Global Studies focus• Exclusively digital• http://www.uw-igs.org/

November 6, 2003

GEODE

November 6, 2003

IDEAS Portal• Interactive Dialogue with Educators from Across

the State (Teacher-reviewed)• Grade Level: PK-16 • Exclusively digital• “Global Studies” subject search • Seeks to help Wisconsin educators meet

Wisconsin Model Academic Standards • Now Includes “VideoIDEAS” Resources• http://www.ideas.wisconsin.edu/

November 6, 2003

IDEAS Portal

November 6, 2003

Learning Repositories Summit

• Hosted by Academic Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Co-Lab on October 7-8, 2003– http://www.academiccolab.org/events/

oct78.html• Online database of repositories will likely be

available this month

November 6, 2003

Themes: Metadata and Repositories

• Quality metadata needed, but created by whom and how?

• Simple vs. complex metadata tagging

• “Crosswalks” between schemas are needed, but are challenging to develop

November 6, 2003

Themes: Focus of Repositories

• “Communities of practice” will ideally arise around repositories

• Teaching vs. learning

November 6, 2003

Themes: The Configuration of Repositories

• “Harvestable metadata” and distributed repositories

• Need for common intellectual property (IP) framework

• Users don’t want 2000 sources, but 10 good ones

November 6, 2003

Common Repository Themes• True for institutional and e-learning object

repositories– Institutional and disciplinary culture and politics

may well well prove more challenging than the technology

– Faculty engagement/acceptance is necessary but difficult to effect

– Must be sustainable