Effective Strategies for Developing Interactive Learning Objects

Effective Strategies for Developing Interactive Learning Objects Tracy Penny Light University of Waterloo tracy@LT3.uwaterloo.ca MERLOT International Conference August 7, 2003

Overview • We will be “experiencing” the learning object design process • We will reflect on different strategies for developing effective learning objects and using them in the classroom • We will explore how we can use MERLOT to support the use and development of learning objects.

1. What is a Learning Object? • Interactive Computer Program • Addresses one Instructional Challenge • 15 minutes to 3 hours • One sitting? • Optional doesn’t work • Extra work not necessarily good • Mustbe integral to the course design

2. How do we Learn? What are our own learning preferences? i.e. Solomon-Felder Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire Reflective-----X---------------------Active Sensing-----X---------------------Intuitive Visual--------------X------------Verbal Sequential---------------------X-----Global

3. Teamwork Who is working on this project? Consider: • Your skills • Strengths/Weaknesses • Who will do what? • How will you compensate for skills your group DOESN’T have?

4. Scoping the Project Scoping and Managing the Project • Scoping the Project Team Building Canada Food Guide Learning Object Healthy Hearts

4. Scoping the Project – The Current and Proposed Scenarios Course Design Model

4. Scoping the Project Scoping and Managing the Project • Gantt chart creation • Spatial Representation • Tasks -- Events with duration • Milestones -- Events without duration Tasks Time

5. Creating Learner Profiles How do your target learners like to learn? Consider: • Learner preferences • Learners’ background • Outside interests • Knowledge of topic?

6. Learning Object Analysis Start with MERLOT to locate learning object examples: Personal Trainer The Pizza Explorer

7. Initial Storyboards What might your project look like? Consider: • Structure of module(s) • Learning activities • Look and feel

8. (Re)Articulating Your Scope This exercise will help you to: • Describe the scope of your learning object clearly to others outside your project; • Ensure that your project is staying within the intended scope.

9. Paper Prototyping As you prototype the learning object you will consider: • Structure of Module(s) • Learning Activities • Look and Feel

9. Paper Prototyping Designing Learning Activities • Who are your target learners? • What learning level(s) do you want to address?

9. Paper Prototyping – Learning Activities Bloom’s Taxonomy Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge

10. User-Testing What do others “see” when they look at your project? Consider: • Structure of module(s) • Learning activities • Look and feel

11. Evaluation How can you evaluate the learning impact of your learning object once it is being used?

12. Presentation of Prototype Students present: • An overview of the learning object and how it works; • A description of their design rationale – why they made the design decisions that they did.

Using this Process • How can you envision using this process in your own institution? • How can MERLOT support the needs of authors and developers of learning objects?

Thank You! Tracy Penny Light tracy@LT3.uwaterloo.ca

Reference urls Solomon-Felder Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ILSdir/ilsweb.html Personal Trainer http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/personaltrainer.html The Pizza Explorer http://www.accessexcellence.org/pizza ARTS 303 Web Site http://lt3.uwaterloo.ca/ARTS303 MERLOT http://www.merlot.org

Effective Strategies for Developing Interactive Learning Objects