Projects Underway

Introduction

Widespread expansion of the Internet has played a major role in learning. However, learners participating in computer-based learning environments (CBLE) might not always successfully contribute to their own learning absent the implementation of effective digital learning objects. Providing pedagogical rich learning objects for students, is a vital and necessary component of online study and also proves to be a significant factor in improving learning outcomes. Also, a learning object in a CBLE enhances the overall quality of interaction between students and instructors by minimizing the requirement that instructors spend precious time on trivial learning matters already addressed within the CBLE. As research has shown, providing pedagogical rich reusable learning object (RLO) with feedback-- in addition to on-going instruction-- has proven to be a more effective and productive instructional strategy than instruction lacking such a feedback loop.
The advantages of RLO include their ability to provide significant interaction between the learner and the instructional program, with instructor input also playing a critical role in an automated environment.
This proposal will first consider a workshop deliver Model, then, a consideration of developing a RLO and tools for creating a RLO will then be provided.
Part 1: Case studies for RLO benchmarking
In order to demonstrate the benefit of RLO, two case studies will be created to show how RLO can be adapted to improve student learning across a variety of studies. One case study will show how one single business strategy tool can be adapted in different studies, providing flexibility for the instructor, while at the same time not duplicating the learning for the student. Another case study will look at how a technology model can be adapted to different student learning objectives. These case studies will then be used to develop workshops for peer to peer learning.

Part 2: Workshop Deliver Model
The proposed RLO Design workshop can be listed as SUNY Professional Development topics. An interactive online delivery mode will be used to train SUNY employees starting with employees from Empire State College. The RLO Design workshop includes3 parts: 1) learning object identification, 2) planning, and 3) production. The initial workshop will be offered one hour per week. People will need to attend 3 times to complete all 3 parts of the training. During this process, we will also train some trainers and encourage them to offer similar workshops to his/her peers. Within a year, this process will lead to implementation on other SUNY campuses. SUNY RLO digital seals will be attached to final RLO products and be posted in SUNY Common (as part of this proposal).
Part 3: RLO Design Considerations
The RLO workshop will explores student-centered digital concierge design and development, and will include the following approaches:

RLO Design Tools
A free RLO Maker tool will be used to develop RLO. GLO Maker is an authoring tool for learning objects, and for creating rich, interactive learning resources. It was developed in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Reusable Learning Objects.
This authoring tool focuses on learning the design process, and provides an easy-to-use interface. It is open source and free for educational use.
Development Consideration

Content Preparing
The instructional content (can be any subject or field) can be reused and adapted in light of instructional course requirements. The following is one the LOR examples from a MBA Marketing Management & Strategy course, which provides multimedia learning objects. The other one is from an introductory computer science course that includes feedback strategies which can be mocked in any LO:
Example 1: Marketing Management & Strategy LO Example 2: Interactive Correct Answer Feedback in LO
The Grid System
The following simple instructional system demonstrates the importance of instructional flow among the units along a logical pathway.
A simple grid layout organizes different pages for exercises with feedback as a universal design. Although the instructional contents, questions and answers would be different for each test item, the color scheme, navigation flow and grid layout should be identical for all practice test pages.
Typography
Sans serif fonts can be chosen in instructional pages for the purposes of legibility.
Color Schemes and Effects
Simple color schemes should be unified throughout LO. Similar sets of color schemes can be used for designing and developing one unit of learning objects.

Testing and Evaluation RLO
A means to improve reused learning objects is also an important component of the design/development process. Subject Matter Expert (SME) and RLO Expert Evaluation (RLOE) should also be sought to improve a RLO. Below is a proposed format that might be useful in providing constructive formative evaluation on the efficacy of the RLO.

Workshop files and a publication from JETDE is posted on the outcomes website describing an example of deep learning in an MBA curriculum through use of reusable learning objects.

Project Outcome Report