Learning Object Characteristics

There are many characteristics of learning objects, the common ones are: accessibility, interoperability, adaptability, reusability, durability, and granularity.

Accessibility of a learning object is an important characteristic because the instructional components are often accessed from one remote location and delivered to many other locations (Content Management Systems - CMS) in the distributed learning environment.

Interoperability use instructional components developed in one location, with one set of tools or platform, in another location, with a different set of tools or platform. While transferring the learning objects from one CMS to another, the integrity of the object must be well preserved. Therefore, using an interoperable model while constructing a learning object is an important factor to consider. Metadata and learning object standards enhance the interoperability of learning objects.

Adaptability ensures the learning object is tailored perfectly for the individual and situational needs.

Reusability is obviously the most important characteristic. A well designed learning object should allow users to incorporate it into multiple applications without much additional effort. Storing, searching, and retrieving learning resources have always been a challenge in the traditionalteaching and learning media. Learning object repositories provide solutions to the problems in distributing and reuse the knowledge sources. Learning objectdesigners should only make reusable instructional components which can be distributed in to the learning object repositories in order to share and reuse the object in the future.

Durability operate instructional components when base technology changes, without redesign or re-coding. Both educators and learners are well aware of the acceleration of technology changes and create a learning object that allow easy updates and re-publication would make extend the durability of the learning object.

Granularity refers to how rigorously we choose to break down and store our learning objects. The unit of a learning object can be a program, a course a module, a lesson, a segment, or a raw object. Generally a finer level of granularity will promote reusability, by allowing for use in multiple contexts. Of course, a greater number of smaller objects requires more cataloguing and therefore increases the costs associated with manageability.