Reusable Learning Objects Essentials

The Maricopa Community Colleges is working to enhance online learning through increasing awareness, use and creation of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs). The focus of this initiative includes faculty and staff at our 10 colleges. We are the co-chairs of the Reusable Learning Objects Action Group for the MCCCD Ocotillo initiative. We have a number of resources available at our Ocotillo Central website at: http://zircon.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ocotillo/.

This is a brief overview in the discovery of the world of reusable learning objects. We encourage you to access Ocotillo Central, the RLO blog and the discussion board which often features special guests.

Definition of RLOs

At Maricopa, we have defined RLOs as discrete pieces of content that are electronic, interactive and include a form of assessment that relates the material to an educational goal. There is a flexibility inherent to the use/reuse of RLOs in that although they may have been created for one content area they may be appropriate and effective in many academic disciplines.

There are a number of definitions that exist that include some or all of these pieces that we have defined, feel free to peruse the following sites that include other definitions.

Ponder the seven leading definitions of RLOs (you don't have to read the entire document, just check out the definition):

Wisconsin Online http://www.wisconline.org/about/Learning%20Objects%20Def%20Q%20Stand%20Uses.htm

New Media Consortium (page 1) http://www.nmc.org/guidelines/NMC%20LO%20Guidelines.pdf

Educause (page 3) http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERB0219.pdf

Converge Magazine http://www.centerdigitaled.com/converge/?pg=magstory&id=8707

Peder Jacobsen http://www.ltimagazine.com/ltimagazine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=5043

David Wiley, Utah State University (page 7 only) http://reusability.org/read/chapters/wiley.doc

University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee: Center for International Education http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CIE/AOP/LO_what.html

RLO Repositories

The power of RLOs is that they are stored, accessible, shared resources that can be used by anyone. The trick is knowing where they are and finding appropriate RLOs for your use. The are stored in areas called RLO Repositories and there are a number of reputable repsoitories out there.

Each repository has unique characteristics that allow for searching and sharing the resources. These characteristics include:

Granular

You will find that some repositories house collections that are primary granular in nature. Granular RLOs are small, specific, simple content that address a single educational topic. Through your experiences using repositories you will find that you will use specific repositories to search for this type of RLO.

Modular

You will find that some repositories house collections that are primary modular in nature. Modular RLOs are conglomerated series of multiple educational topics. Through your experiences using repositories you will find that you will use specific repositories to search for this type of RLO.

Combined

You will find that some repositories store all types of RLOs and through experience you will find what types of RLOs and what repositories work for you.

Peer Reviewed

A number of repositories have a process in place for submissions of RLOs that include a peer review process. This upholds the quality of RLOs in this collection and often provides you with information on how it has been used.

Collections with accounts

This feature allows you to create an account which then stores your own personal collection that is housed by their server. This allows you to store the RLOs that you feel you can use in a single place. It also allows you to view the collections of others that have selected an RLO that you are interested in. This often provides you with additional resources that you may not have located on your own.

Sharing with colleagues

During your search for RLOs, you may encounter some that may not apply to you but to your colleagues. We encourage you to share these with them by either creating a collection and sending it to them or emailing them with the URLs to the objects or encouraging them to visit the repository and create their own collection.

Repositories

Access these leading RLO repositories to locate content that would be worthwhile for a class that you instruct:

Apple Learning Interchange - Higher Ed Here you will discover a window into an educator's curriculum through the extensive use of video to see and hear all facets of their teaching practice.

CAREO[CAREO] - Campus Alberta Repository of Educational Objects, featuring contributions from institutions across Canada. You need a create an Account. Membership in CAREO is free and open to anyone.

EdNA Online - Search Page Search EdNA Online for your RLO. EdNA [Education Network Australia] Online is a service that aims to support and promote the benefits of the Internet for learning, education and training in Australia. It is organised around Australian curriculum, its tools are free to Australian educators, and it is funded by the bodies responsible for education provision in Australia - all Australian governments.

Learning Object Repositories This site is maintained by Patricia McGee (an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio).The sites and organizations listed either have generated learning objects and host their own repository (i.e. Wisc-Online) or have provided guidelines, templates, or frameworks for objects that are stored in their repository (i.e. Apple Learning Exchange).

Maricopa Learning eXchange The Maricopa Learning eXchange (MLX) is an electronic warehouse of ideas, examples, and resources (represented as "packages") that support student learning at the Maricopa Community Colleges.

MERLOT MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students of higher education. Links to online learning materials are collected here along with annotations such as peer reviews and assignments.

Navy - Human Performance Center Spider Learning Objects and Reusable Learning Objects by the Navy's Human Performance Center. There is a WEALTH of information and links at this site. You will have to accept a "certificate" for viewing this page.

OAIsterOAIster is a project of the University of Michigan Digital Library Production Service. Their goal is to create a collection of freely available, previously difficult-to-access, academically-oriented digital resources ( what are digital resources?) that are easily searchable by anyone.

SplashThe Portal for Online Objects in Learning (POOL) Project is a consortium of several educational, private and public, sector organizations to develop an infrastructure for learning object repositories.

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee Learning Objects Collections. This is a collection of 25 General Repositories; 20 Discipline-specific Repositories; and 2 Commercial/Hybrid Repositories.

Wisc-Online The Wisconsin Online Resource Center is a digital library of web-based learning resources called "learning objects." The digital library of objects is developed by faculty from the Wisconsin Technical Colleges (WTCS) and produced by multimedia technicians who create the learning objects for the online environment.

Examples

Granular

The link below is an example of a granular RLO from Wisconsin Online. This was developed for a module in psychology 101 on sensation and perception; therefore, it meets a specific educational goal. This could also be used by sociology, psychology of personalities, optics, neuroscience, etc.

Cubes or Bricks http://www.wisconline.org/objects/index.asp?objID=I2P1402

Modular

The link below is an example of a modular RLO found in the SPLASH repository. This was developed as a musical instrument virtual museum. It can be used to meet a number of educational goals in a multitude of academic areas including geography, music appreciation, anthropolgy, music, etc.

Virtual Instrument Museum http://learningobjects.wesleyan.edu/vim/