BREAKOUT SESSION - PANEL PROPOSAL

BREAKOUT SESSION - PANEL PROPOSAL

Unleashing Supply: Developing and Sharing Learning Objects

Robert Stephenson and Marija Franetovic
The Harvey Project and Wayne State University , Detroit, MI, USA

ABSTRACT:

Rich content (e.g. simulations, animations, 3-D models, interactive tutorials, videos, etc.) helps students to learn better, learn more, remember better and enjoy learning more. The use of Web-based rich content in lectures and online courses is growing rapidly and will probably reach a "tipping point" with the widespread adoption of standards such as IMS and SCORM. Will a corpus of sharable learning objects be available? High-quality, open learning objects are being developed by individuals (Tom Malloy's Stat Center), institutions (Utah's Knowledge Weaver's and HEAL), agencies (HHMI's BioInteractive), and open course collaborations (the Harvey Project). But these are only a drop in the bucket needed for the coming years. What is required to encourage and support more non-proprietary development of learning objects? This is the question we will discuss in this breakout session

Possible answers include:

  1. better distribution (to encourage widespread adoption)
  2. better feedback (reviews and classroom evaluations)
  3. better tools (e.g. to ease compliance with standards)
  4. an open course ASP to host projects and support collaboration
  5. prototype licenses for open materials
  6. more funding for developing open learning objects
  7. more respect for developers from their peers

If you are developing rich content, thinking about doing so, or interested in encouraging others to do so in a non-proprietary way, please come and contribute your thoughts on this important issue. Supported by NSF DUE-9951384.

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

This session will present to the audience some of the things that have been or are being done to support open course and non-proprietary development of learning objects.

It will solicit the audience's views on what additional steps would be helpful, and what the highest priorities are. Finally, it will lead to a discussion that will continue after the end of the meeting, in the form of email, a listserv, and/or a follow up meeting.

Robert Stephenson
1430 Jackson St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: 415 921-1245
Email: rstephe@sun.science.wayne.edu
Website: http://sun.science.wayne.edu/~rstephe/

CO-AUTHORS:
 Marija Franetovic
College of Nursing
Cohn Bldg.
Wayne State Univ.
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313 577-4779
 Email: ah2271@wayne.edu
Website: http://bernard.biosci.wayne.edu/marija/