Using and re-using learning objects

Julie Watson Academic Co-ordinator, eLanguages

jw17@soton.ac.uk

Overview

• Our starting point • Designing learning materials for online delivery

and re-usability – Design features of Learning Objects (LOs) and

Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs)– Example

• Some applications of use and re-use• Research overview • Conclusions• Research interests for the future

Our starting point…

• eLanguages Project

• Funded to develop e-tutored, online modules in English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

• Currently… – Bank of 1500+ learning objects in EAP; generic

and discipline-specific study skills for NS

– Refined, re-templated, researched, increased and re-used

LO design features

• Designing for online delivery and re-usability

– make learning activity-led– scaffold learning (provide sufficient feedback and help)– create clear and prominent task instructions– ensure consistency of style and granularity*– create context-independent LOs*– use single template and development tool* – recreate tasks using bank of interactive task templates*– connect and maintain weblinks easily*– develop LOs as single packages, interoperable - for use

in different VLEs*

Brief summary of research to date

Data Capture Methods

Student questionnaires, Tutor questionnaires, Student observations, Student learning log entries, Semi-structured interviews with students, VLE user tracking

Data Captured

Student Questionnaires

Student Observations

Tutor Questionnaires

Learning Log Entries

Semi Structured Interviews

Summer 2004

(Blended) 194 58 21 120 N/ASummer 2005

(Blended) 260 14 40 N/A N/ASummer 2005

(e-tutored) 46 N/A N/A N/A 16

Research findings – summer 2004

• Student Response frequency of use (78% made use of learning materials ‘once a

day’ to ‘once a week’)ease of use (90% found materials ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’ to use)perceived usefulness (88% found them ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’)ease of access (19% chose to access them from two or more

‘locations’)• Tutor Response

materials support students’ independent (non-tutor directed) study (81%)

materials support students’ lesson-related (tutor-directed) study (57%)

materials have a role in lessons (38%)

NB Integrated use – 10-15% (estimate) of tutors made use of the learning materials in the classroom

Student and tutor feedback: summer 2004

• Student comments:I feel this is much more that just useful and helpful.I want to keep the online materials after the course –

please make it possible.I very much appreciate the quality of the course, the

structure of the material and the logic of the content.

• Tutor comments:The materials were useful in addressing specific

difficulties students had.They have been a real help.Would you support the use of online materials if they

were available in a future course? Yes, definitely.

Conclusions

• Some LOs can be re-used as they stand

• Others need a degree of re-purposing to ‘fit’ new contexts of use

• Individual LOs can be broken down and re-combined

• Certain elements of LOs (e.g. task templates, instruction formats) can be re-used

• RLOs allow considerable time and cost savings

Research interests

• What role do LOs have in students’ learning in various applications of use?

• To what extent does discussion board activity and e-tutoring add value in different applications of use?

• How far should we map discussion board activity onto LOs?