Towards a pedagogically sound basis for learning object portability
and re-use
Meeting at the crossroads : proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference
of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary
Education (ASCILITE), (2001)Abstract
The issues of portability and re-use are key challenges for learning
technology. A major effort has been directed towards the development
of standards that will enable interoperability and the re-use of
'learning objects'. The paper provides a critique of this work from
a pedagogical perspective. It argues that true portability and re-use
cannot be achieved based solely on a technically inspired drive towards
standardisation. A theoretical framework is required that will guide
the process of analysis and synthesis. This paper proposes the basis
for such a theoretical approach based on the concepts of layering
and learning contexts. A formal approach to capturing the essential
features of these learning contexts is outlined, based on the idea
of 'design action potential' networks. The choice pathways in these
networks represent a formal description that may be fed into the
standardisation process. The ensuing descriptive data, attached as
metadata to learning objects, would provide a pedagogically informed
basis for interoperability and re-use.