Reuse of Learning Objects in Context: Reuse of Learning Objects in Context: Human and Technical AspectsHuman and Technical Aspects

Allard StrijkerAllard Strijker

Target groupTarget group

• This research is intended for those in This research is intended for those in education management and education management and consultancy, course design and consultancy, course design and development involved in the reuse of development involved in the reuse of digital educational material. digital educational material.

Learning Objects:Learning Objects:

• Learning objects are defined as digital Learning objects are defined as digital entities, available for use or reuse in different entities, available for use or reuse in different learning settings. learning settings.

• These objects themselves may or may not These objects themselves may or may not have been originally created as learning have been originally created as learning objects; it is their use for learning purposes objects; it is their use for learning purposes that makes them learning objects. that makes them learning objects.

• Definition used in the research: A learning Definition used in the research: A learning object is any digital entity that may be used object is any digital entity that may be used for learning, education, or training.for learning, education, or training.

Lifecycle for reuse of learning objectsLifecycle for reuse of learning objects

• Obtaining, Obtaining,

• Labeling, Labeling,

• Offering, Offering,

• Selecting, Selecting,

• Using, Using,

• Retaining.Retaining.

Obtaining

Labeling

Offering

Selecting

Using

Retaining

Adapting

Contexts:Contexts:

• The research describes issues related to the The research describes issues related to the reuse of learning objects and the reuse of learning objects and the implementation of learning technology implementation of learning technology standards for reuse of these learning objects standards for reuse of these learning objects in different contexts and the human and in different contexts and the human and technical aspects involved:technical aspects involved:

• University, University, • Military, Military, • Corporate Learning.Corporate Learning.

Human aspectsHuman aspects

• Human aspects relate to motivation for reuse, Human aspects relate to motivation for reuse, organizational incentives, and applied organizational incentives, and applied learning scenarios.learning scenarios.

• RQ1: Human perspective – What human RQ1: Human perspective – What human aspects are important to support the different aspects are important to support the different stages of the lifecycle of a learning object?stages of the lifecycle of a learning object?

• Human aspects: Human aspects: – Why takes reuse place, Why takes reuse place, – Who is involved.Who is involved.

Technical AspectsTechnical Aspects

• Technical aspects related to reuse of learning objects Technical aspects related to reuse of learning objects include the development of objects, repositories, include the development of objects, repositories, services of repositories, and technology to exchange services of repositories, and technology to exchange learning objects. learning objects.

• RQ2: Technical perspective - What tools and RQ2: Technical perspective - What tools and technologies are important to support thetechnologies are important to support the

• different stages of the lifecycle of a learning object?different stages of the lifecycle of a learning object?• Technical aspects: Technical aspects:

– What's reused, What's reused, – How is reuse supported, and How is reuse supported, and – Where are learning objects stored.Where are learning objects stored.

Overall Research QuestionOverall Research Question

• RQ3. Combining human and technical RQ3. Combining human and technical perspectives - What are key dimensions perspectives - What are key dimensions to guide the selection of tools, to guide the selection of tools, technologies, and human procedures to technologies, and human procedures to support the different stages of the support the different stages of the lifecycle of a learning object for users in lifecycle of a learning object for users in different usage contexts, particularly different usage contexts, particularly university, corporate learning, and university, corporate learning, and military training?military training?

Context OrientationsContext Orientations

• Personal orientedPersonal oriented– Personal orientation is related to human Personal orientation is related to human

interaction, personal needs, personal interaction, personal needs, personal incentives, and personal values. incentives, and personal values.

• Systems orientedSystems oriented– The Systems orientation focuses on The Systems orientation focuses on

technical specifications, rules, policy, and technical specifications, rules, policy, and procedures.procedures.

Dimensions for ReuseDimensions for Reuse

• The research identified dimensions The research identified dimensions related to use of learning technology related to use of learning technology standards for reuse such as:standards for reuse such as:– Cultures within the context, Cultures within the context, – Learning scenarios, Learning scenarios, – Incentives for reuse, Incentives for reuse, – Work processes, Work processes, – How learning objects are stored.How learning objects are stored.

Dimensions for ReuseDimensions for ReuseSystems Systems OrientedOriented

Personal Personal OrientedOriented

Cultures Cultures

within thewithin the

contextcontext

The industrial The industrial worldworld

The The Domestic Domestic worldworld

The Civic The Civic worldworld

The world of The world of OpinionOpinion

The Merchant The Merchant worldworld

The world of The world of

inspirationinspiration

Learning Learning scenariosscenarios

AcquisitionAcquisition ParticipationParticipation

Incentives for Incentives for reusereuse

Formal Formal workflowworkflow

Personal habitsPersonal habits

Work Work processesprocesses

OrganizationalOrganizational PersonalPersonal

How learning How learning objects are objects are storedstored

RepositoryRepository LocallyLocally

ResultsResults

• The results of the research show that The results of the research show that reuse in practice may not so much be reuse in practice may not so much be focused on a wide exchange of all focused on a wide exchange of all available material but rather on local available material but rather on local level sharing within departments and level sharing within departments and even primarily on the reuse of one’s even primarily on the reuse of one’s own course material. own course material.

ResultsResults

• The use of specifications for learning The use of specifications for learning technology may not have the expected technology may not have the expected impact on adaptive learning and impact on adaptive learning and building courses based on learning building courses based on learning objects from large repositories as objects from large repositories as expected by many.expected by many.

ResultsResults

• Instead, new developments for Instead, new developments for specifications may focus on support for specifications may focus on support for more-personal reuse strategies.more-personal reuse strategies.