1. Student Learning with
Reusable Learning Objects
Damon N. Gatenby
Instructional Technologist
Tracey A. Russo
Instructional Technology Manager
Jeannette E. Riley
Faculty Instructional Technology Coordinator
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
2. What are Reusable
Learning Objects?
• Learning objects
– Web-based
– Reusable
– Self-contained learning units
– Objective oriented
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3. Uses of RLOs in Higher
Education
• Teach content
– i.e. a lecture in audio format that can be reused each
semester
• Enable self-assessment mastery of content through
simulations and practice drills
• Enable repeated viewing or listening for
self-mastery of course content
• Provide technical training in an interactive format that
engages 21st century student learners
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4. Benefits of RLOs
• Provide anytime access to students for learning
experience
• Stress self-mastery of content
• Share content in departments to avoid duplicating work
• Provide information via audio and/or video to
personalize learning experience
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5. Library Tutorials to Build
Informational Literacy Skills
Project goal:
Increase student library research skills across the disciplines
Strategic Plan Goal 5.2.d3:
“…continue to support the university community in developing the
information literacy of students, faculty, and staff by pursuing
greater engagement, reflective institutional assessment, and
appropriate support services.”
Began with Liberal Arts major
Funded by Sloan-C grant
–
Library staff stipends
–
Student worker for RLO production
–
Investment of ID team skills and management of project
–
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6. The Building Process
• Planning Stage
• Librarian generated list of possible tutorials
• Liberal Arts faculty input of typical assignments
• Selection and prioritizing of tutorial development
• Development Stage
• Librarian generated content
• Production timeline
• Faculty, ID Team & librarian review
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7. Tutorials Completed
• Primary and Secondary Sources:
Recognizing the Difference*
• Reading Citations in an Online Database*
• Popular Magazines and Scholarly Journals*
• Using Truncations*
• Using Boolean Terms: AND, OR, NOT*
• Evaluating Internet Resources
• What is Plagiarism?
• Citing Sources: Why and When* (under development)
* Includes self-assessment module
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8. Tutorial & Assessment
Demonstration
• Using Boolean Terms
– Tutorial
• Primary & Secondary Sources
– Self-Assessment
• Reading Citations in an
Online Database
– Self-Assessment
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11. Evidence of Student
Learning
Student Survey Results:
Individual Learning Object Usefulness
70% Primary and Secondary Sources
Reading Citations in an Online Database
63%
Popular Magazines and Scholarly Journals
60%
56%
Using Boolean Terms
Using Truncations
49%
50%
46%
42%
40%
36% 36%
29% 29%
30%
26% 26%
23%
20%
10%
8% 8%
10%
5% 5%
3%
0% 0%
0%
Very Useful Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful
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12. Evidence of Student
Learning
Student Survey Results:
Average Learning Object Usefulness
70%
60%
51%
50%
40%
31%
30%
20%
16%
10%
3%
0%
Very Useful Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful
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13. Evidence of Student
Learning
Student Survey Results:
Did the tutorials help you complete your research
assignment more effectively?
No, 10%
Yes, 50%
Somewhat, 40%
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14. Evidence of Student
Learning
Qualitative Evidence:
Student projects increased use of scholarly sources and
more effective presentations based on current
information
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15. What We’ve Learned
• Faculty need guidance and support on how to best
integrate the tutorials
– Stress coordination with librarian affiliate
– Create faculty support notes
– Access to tutorials in multiple places
• LMS repository
• Library repository
• Digital repository
– In development
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16. What We’ve Learned
• Issues encountered
– Development can be time
consuming and expensive
– Process model created
• Future RLO development
– Engage faculty in learning
object development
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17. Learning Object Examples
on Campus
• Faculty Generated
– “What is History?”
• Gail Mohanty, Liberal Arts
– Narrated PowerPoint
– “Setting up a Sterile Field”
• Kristen Sethares, Nursing
– Video
– “What it means to be a Writer”
• Catherine Houser, Liberal Arts
– Audio Interview
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18. Learning Object Examples
on Campus
• Staff Generated
– “Using the Browser Check
in myCourses”
• Katelyn Huynh, ID Team
– Tutorial
– “Writing Resources”
• Jeannette Riley, ID Team
– myCourses Learning Module
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21. Significance of Project
“Although institutions of higher education are far from disassembling
their long-established discipline silos, they are showing a renewed
interest in multi-, inter-, and cross-disciplinary studies. Unlike
textbooks, learning objects—with their ability to be navigated
nonlinearly, to incorporate multimedia, and to be interactive and
customizable—exist in a virtual world that can be accessed within
and across disciplines, both vertically and horizontally.”
Susan Metros, “Learning Objects: A Rose by Any Other Name”
(Educause Review, 2005)
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22. Student Learning with
Reusable Learning Objects
• Questions?
• Resources can be found here:
– http://instructionaldev.wikispaces.com
• Contact Us
– idteam@umassd.edu
– 508 999-8501 or
– http://www.umassd.edu/cits/instructional/development
• Thank you!
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