An Educational Taxonomy for Learning Objects

1. An Educational Taxonomy for Learning Objects Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata

2. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Work is based on results from German Lighthouse Project L3 – LifeLong Learning conducted by SAP and 20 partners from academia and industry. Background: • Transformation from industrial to an information society is characterized by dramatic technological developments. • Increasing need for continuing education. • Classical résumé – school – apprenticeship/ university – job – retirement is incrementally challenged  phases on the job take turns with phases of continuing education. • Still many barriers: expensive, time consuming, bound to time and place, not individualized, ...

3. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • e-Learning over the Internet offers ideal conditions to overcome these barriers: • Globally available 24/7. • Multi-/ Hypermedia. • Potentially accessible to everyone. • Offers new opportunities for communication and collaboration. • In this sense Internet is becoming the basis of knowledge globalization, a universal library accessible worldwide for continuing education. • Problems: • Consistency of courses already in existence. • Retrieval of relevant and significant information regarding the thematic and didactic context. • Also not individualized. • Usage rights. • Payment issues. • … Solution: Standardization and Metadata.

4. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Focus on technical issues and financial opportunities. • Wiley 2002: Surprisingly scarely a discussion about didactical or instructional design implications of learning objects. • Exceptions: IMS Learning Design, Educational Modeling Language (EML). • Description of learning processes or pedagogies on an abstract level. • Objective here: • Description of learning processes on a concrete, granular level based on a specific metadata set. • Usage for more individualized contents and adaptive navigation through the material. From im-c, 2001

5. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Hierarchy of Learning Objects Course Course PartialCourse PartialCourse Partial Course LearningUnit LearningUnit Learning Unit LearningUnit KnowledgeUnit KnowledgeUnit Text Audio Knowledge Unit Video

6. Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Knowledge unit = Smallest units of knowledge. (~2-4 min. ALT) Knowledge Unit

7. Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Learning unit = Container for thematically related knowledge units. (~20-40 min. ALT) Learning Unit Microstrategy

8. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Partial Corse = sequence of learning units. (~3-6 h ALT) Partial Course Macrostrategy

9. Introduction Standardization Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Corse = Sequence of partial courses and learning units (~30-60 h ALT) Course Macrostrategy

10. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Classification within 5 different dimensions: Media dimension Thematic dimension Competence dimension Relational dimension Knowledge-type dimension

11. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Thematic dimension: Classification according to a given topic (semantic dimension) using a controlled thesaurus.

12. Interactive Receptive Cooperative Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Media dimension: Classification according the degree of interactivity.

13. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Media dimension: Classification according to media presentation forms.

14. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Competence dimension: Classification according to an ability that correlates to the didactical object (similar to Bloom’s Taxonomy supplemented by the social dimension).

15. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Knowledge-type dimension: Meaning knowledge as an answer to questions.

16. Metadata Categories: Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Relational dimension: Determining the possible courses of acquiring knowledge. B Similar_to C Is_part_of A

17. Realized Strategies Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata • Macro-Strategies: • From the whole to the details: Follows the deductive didactical approach • From details to the whole: Follows the inductive didactical approach • Table of contents: Lists all available objects and ignores the relations between objects • Micro-Strategies: • Orientation only: Shows only knowledge-objects indicated as orientation-knowledge. Strategy results in an overview course. • Orientation first: Objects classified as orientation knowledge will be presented first. • Action-oriented: Objects classified as action knowledge will be presented first. • Explanation-oriented: Objects classified as explanations will be presented first. • Example-oriented: Objects classified as examples will be presented first. • Table of contents: Lists all available objects and ignores the relations between objects

18. Example 1: An Email written with Outlook Express Example-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Example_1 Example_2 Action Reference/Source Action Reference/Source Explanation Orientation Example_n Action Reference/Source

19. Explanation of the sending form of Outlook Express: sender´s address receiver´s address receivers of copies subject of the message message text area sender information Example-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Example_1 Example_2 Action Reference/Source Action Reference/Source Explanation Orientation Example_n Action Reference/Source

20. Example-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Example_1 Example_2 Action Reference/Source Action Reference/Source Task 1: You would like to make an appointment with a customer. Unfortunately he is currently not available by phone. Arrange the appointment by email! Explanation Orientation Example_n Action Reference/Source

21. Example-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Example_1 Example_2 Example 2: Inserting an attachment Action Reference/Source Action Reference/Source Explanation Orientation Example_n Action Reference/Source

22. Action-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Action_1 Action_2 Example Reference/Source Example Reference/Source Explanation Orientation Action_n Example Reference/Source

23. Action-oriented Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Explanation Orientation Explanation Orientation Action_1 Action_2 Task 1: You would like to make an appointment with a customer. Unfortunately he is currently not available by phone. Arrange the appointment by email! Task 2: Attach a draft document to the email to your customer! Example Reference/Source Example Reference/Source Explanation Orientation Action_n Task 3: Change the priority of your Email to “high”! Example Reference/Source

24. Introduction Standardisation Learning Objects Sequencing Metadata Thank you for your attention!