The learning object triangle

Abstract

One critical factor in the effective deployment of learning objects (LOs) is the availability of relevant metadata categories. This work is motivated by the view that metadata identification is enhanced by a clear definition of a learning object. The aim of this paper is to offer a holistic approach to LOs and to introduce a definitional framework informed by the LO lifecycle. A LO is defined in terms of three main facets: mediation (potential for facilitating learning), transition (ability to be used in different learning environments) and specification (description of LO characteristics, as metadata). Unlike most evaluation instruments, the framework integrates explicitly information on learner experiences such as annotation, evaluation and attention metadata.