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Learning Objects
Definition, LO Portals, and use in the classroom
Summer 06

What is a Learning Object? How are learning objects applied to curriculum? Explore concepts and definitions for Learning Objects, browse learning objects repositories, and discuss applications for T&L. Preview opportunities to become involved with building learning objects repositories.

1. Define the term "Learning Object"

Resource: from the UW-Milwaukee
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CIE/AOP/LO_what.html

2. Learning Object Examples

Vision Learning - learning modules written by professional educators and scientists
http://www.visionlearning.com/library/index.php

Get Smarter, Understand Math and Science Concepts
http://www.getsmarter.org/mstv/flash_index.cfm

A Typical Animal Cell, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=AP11403

PBS - Misunderstood Minds
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/attention.html

What is the World Made of? from the Particle Adventure
http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/frameless/fundamental.html

What is MetaData? from the Academic Colab
http://projects.aadlcolab.org/scourse/latestgreatest/4_2_1/4_2_1_P1.htm

3. Learning Object Referatories and Repositories

Learning Object Referatory: Merlot
http://www.merlot.org/Home.po

Merlot Project - UW-Madison and UW-Oskhosh
http://labadm01.education.wisc.edu/spt/

Wisc-Online, Fox Valley Technical College
http://www.wisc-online.com/index.htm

Dane Districts Online - LO Repository
http://www.digitaldistricts.org/display.aspx?id=1097

Learning Object Collections: UW-Milwaukee
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CIE/AOP/LO_collections.html

Learning Object Collections: Univ of Texas
http://elearning.utsa.edu/guides/LO-repositories.htm

4. Current Use in Education

Intervention for students to see problem in a different light

Provide depth

Active learning

Development: teachers build instructional units

5. Resources

Learning Objects Tutorial "All about learning objects" from TechLearn
http://www.eduworks.com/LOTT/tutorial/

CLOE stories - About Learning Objects
http://learnware.uwaterloo.ca/projects/CCCO/cloe_about.html

Stephen Downe's Learning Objects
http://www.atl.ualberta.ca/downes/naweb/Learning_Objects.htm

The Instructional Use of Learning Objects, edited by David A. Wiley
http://reusability.org/read/

LO Resources at Academic ADL Co-Lab
http://www.academiccolab.org/initiatives/repositories.html

Faculty Development and Learning Object Technology:
Bridging the Gap, by Patricia Ploetz
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/ploetz3.htm

Learning Objects -- Distance Education Clearing House
http://www.uwex.edu/disted/lo.html

Scaling Online Delivery Through Learning Object Content Management
Maggie McVay-Lynch, Portland State University
http://booboo.webct.com/2004/papers/McVay-Lynch.pdf

Instructors:

Jo Ann Carr, Director
Center for Instructional Materials & Computing
carr@education.wisc.edu

Catherine Stephens, Instruction & Outreach Program Coordinator
Center for Instructional Materials & Computing
cstephens@education.wisc.edu