designing and developing learning objects: tales from the trenches jeannette mcdonald margaret...
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Designing and Developing Learning Objects:
Tales from the Trenches
Jeannette McDonaldMargaret Volkmann
Calier Worrell
University of Wisconsin-Madison
– Arkansas State University– Colorado State University - Pueblo– George Washington University– Indiana University– Montana State University– University of Detroit– University of Kansas– University of North Dakota– University of Northern Colorado– University of Wisconsin
NEAT Project: Partner Schools
What is our definition of a Learning Object?
“Any digital resource that can be
reused to support learning.”
Wiley, 2002
Level One – Raw Elements
Level Two – Informational Objects
Endotoxemia Animation
Level Three – Interactive Mini Lectures
Level Four – Simulations/Case Studies
Goal: Create appropriate learning objects for common teaching and
learning challenges. • Deans decided on the two main topics:
– Health Disparities– Patient Safety
• Two Design Teams with faculty representatives – Delphi process for narrowing the subjects– Identified learning objectives to address
• Production Teams of content expert, instructional designer, and media specialist
• Peer review and revisions
Collaborative Strategies to Develop and Share Content
• Identification of common teaching challenges
• Development of learning objects
• Virtual Teaching Guide, Tips & Tricks
• NEAT Learning Objects Repository
Challenges for development and use of learning objects:
• Shelf-life• Cost of developing and updating objects• Need for technical/design support • Dissemination and accessibility
– Locating, evaluating, and using LOs• Reusability – address course needs across settings• Variable access to, and comfort with, technology• Engaging faculty
Challenges for the Designer
• Role of faculty content experts:– Limited time– Money provided not an incentive– Willing to provide content that is already
developed; not as willing to develop new content
Faculty Orientation Folder
• Learning Object Development Process Overview• Learning Object Planning Worksheet• Bloom’s Taxonomy at a Glance• Work-for-Hire Agreement• Virtual Teaching Guide - http://
www.neatproject.org/vg.htm
Design Challenges
• Powerpoints don’t easily morph into LOs• Lecture/outlines don’t either!• LO medium does not easily accommodate higher
level thinking skills• Difficult to provide real, interactive feedback• Learners can’t interact with each other or the
instructor
Designers need to become:
• Mini-experts on each topic
• Ghost writers
• Researchers
• Jugglers
• Cheerleaders
“The only reason the project gets done is because the TLC team does all the work.”
Content expert
Tips and Tricks - Development
• Start small – focus on meeting present needs• Streamline design, development, and delivery• Provide faculty support• Involve users in development and evaluation• Study exemplars of good learning objects
• Consider online resources to assist with design• Fight “scope creep”
How can we increase faculty participation
in development and use?
• Address communication barriers– Teachers talk in terms of courses, units,
lessons…– Designers speak of metadata, granularity,
interactivity…
The common ground is enhanced student learning.
Development Challenges
• Organization, organization, organization!• Communication, communication, communication!• Be flexible• Get agreement on the design and elements
before investing in graphics and interactivity
File Structure is important for organization and continuity.
Members of your team can work more efficiently
when everything is in a central location.
Just words…
If the navigation and different components are complicated then the designer will story-board the project out.
This process explains the navigation and how all the sections link together.
Now the fun starts…
Design at this phase is cheap.
… listen to yourcontent experts.
Consider youraudience ...
Evaluations
• Peer evaluations
• Faculty user evaluations
• Student user evaluations
NEAT Learning Objects Repository
http://webcls.utmb.edu/neat/
• Partnership with University of Texas Medical Branch
• See list of Learning Objects in the Repository
• Used for collecting student and faculty evaluations
Examples of NEAT Project Learning Objects
• Understanding American Indian Health Disparities• Swiss Cheese Model: How Systems Fail• The Impaired Nurse: Impact and Indicators• What is Race/Ethnicity?• “My Side of the Story”: Implications of Medical Errors