Benefits of Learning Objects

Here is a quick run on the benefits of Learning Objects. However, I am not working on their reusability. I still remain stuck to the question, if the learning objects can be reusable in the higher education set up.

CISCO writes about the learning object benefits and to me the list that they have created is comprehensive. Adopting a learning object strategy vary based on your development process, authoring and delivery tools, and integration with existing content management, knowledge management, and learning management systems. Even so, there are a number of potential benefits for authors, learners, and organizations.

For Authors

For authors, a learning object strategy accomplishes the following:

• Supports the design of many learning approaches, including receptive, directive, guided discovery, and exploratory

• Ensures, through the use of object-specific templates, that design and development of learning products are consistent across the organization

• Provides a consistent design structure early in the development process, maximizing resource allocation while minimizing development risks

• Provides guidelines for authors, improving their ability to write effective and efficient performance-based training, assessments, and resources

• Enables detailed searches that allow authors to find, reuse, and repurpose any object or media

• Allows authors to combine old and new objects to build new solutions to meet the needs of their learners

• Supports both reuse and repurposing from the smallest media element up to larger course structures and learning contexts

• Enables application of delivery formats and styles to the learning objects as they are “published” for delivery (also known as single-source development), saving time and resources when authors are developing and maintaining learning products

• Supports a broad range of delivery types, including instructor-led training (ILT), self-paced e-learning training, performance-support tools, virtual classrooms, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or blended delivery solutions

For Learners

For learners, a learning object strategy accomplishes the following:

• Provides a mechanism for learners to self-assess their skills and knowledge in order to receive a prescribed course of action for future learning

• Supports the acquisition of new skills and knowledge through education, experience, or exposure

• Supports multiple delivery types, media types, and presentation styles to fit a learner’s needs, preferences, and work environment

• Enables, through the use of detailed metadata about each object, custom learning paths to be tailored to the knowledge and skills that individual learners need for their job

• Enables learners to search on job-specific objects and efficiently access the right amount of knowledge as it is needed

• Delivers a consistent learning experience with each deliverable using learning objects, including job aids, classroom training materials, elearning, and blended delivery formats

• Supports multiple learning approaches, ranging from passive, receptive training to discovery and problem-solution based training


For Organizations

For organizations, a learning object strategy accomplishes the following:

• Reduces the costs, when the strategy is implemented correctly, in each phase of the development process by using a standardized structure and format

• Scales the development model by allowing the use of many development partners through the publication of a standard and related tools for learning object development (LOD)

• Increases the speed to successful performance and competency by employees by using a database of existing learning objects to build new solutions quickly

• Decreases development and maintenance time to support both exams and courses by using a common database of learning objects

• Allows the rapid creation of certification materials by leveraging granular, focused learning objectives that support both the certification exams and learning objects

• Personalizes learning approaches and delivery types, resulting in improved learner satisfaction and enhanced transfer of knowledge and skills

• Aligns content found in learning content management systems with knowledge management systems across the enterprise

Reusing the Learning Objects in e-Universities

One of the most common and often heard discussion in the e-Learning circles is about the 'reusability' of learning objects. What is very essential to understand in this debate/discussion is the real and achievable end that we'd like to reach. The talks, though start with a lot of enthusiasm, mostly reach a dead-end at a specific topic -- how to reuse?

CISCO has done a lot of work that they have shared with the community at large that gives a wonderful primer on the subject. However, their writings, research and recommendations are centered at learning objects that are developed either for corporate training purposes and/or commercial purposes. Contrary to this, my primary concern is the development of learning objects for use in Higher Education Institutions set ups like e-Universities (that deliver their education offerings over the Internet).




Addressing the following questions is an essential first step to gain clarity and direction.

1. How to reuse the existing learning objects or how to make the existing learning objects reusable?
   
2. Are there special Instructional Design considerations to be made to have (readily) reusable learning objects in an e-University? What are they?



3. Does the pedagogical approach impact the learning objects?



4. Can Connectivism (proposed learning theory for digital age) be the answer to distance learning/blended learning system in Higher Education Institutions?

One of the strong points for my argument is that the concept of learning objects and their reuse is of less utility while in the university level education. Taking an example of a program that is offered in a university would give us more insight. typically, a program that a learner selects comprises of several courses that are core and some electives. Further still, let us assume that the learner has enrolled for a program -- Bachelors in Quality Management. Within this program the learner would be required to take courses like:

• Quality Management Systems


• Fundamentals of TQM (Total Quality Management)


• Quality Assurance

When we breakdown each course from an Instructional Design view point, we'd arrive at a handful of learning objects for each. Reusability of each individual learning object is something that needs to be addressed now. How and where do we reuse the learning object remains a challenge. Except while we are revising the course ware on lapse of a certain time period or when the information contained in the learning object appears to be redundant. Beyond this, where is the reuse of the learning is something that needs critical thinking and answers need to be explored and methods need to be devised to make any sense of the whole talk that circumambulates the Reusable Learning Object debate.