What is a Learning Object?

Introduction

For centuries, the main educational resources were written texts on tablets, manuscripts, or books. Now, educational resources are readily available in various types, whether physical or digital. 

Learning objects (LO) are defined as any entity, digital or non-digital, that may be used for learning, education or training.[1] It could be any object that help learner achieve one or more learning goals.

The main advantage of using learning objects to build learning pathways is modularity. Like Lego bricks, teachers can more easily build flexible learning pathways, adapted to the specific needs or goals of their students.

What makes an effective Learning Object?

Learning object are modular and reusable instructional units that can be combined with others learning objects to create larger instructional units such as courses or a trainings. Learning objects are described by their metadata in order to make them discoverable and thus reusable.[2]

Key characteristics of a learning object include:

• Educational purpose: Created with a clear educational intention, supporting specific learning outcomes or skill development.
• Modularity: Designed to be stand-alone, allowing it to be used independently or combined with other learning objects to form a larger instructional unit.
• Reusability: Can be repurposed across various educational contexts and learning environments.
• Accessibility: Available in formats that accommodate different learning needs and comply with accessibility standards.
• Quality content: Provides accurate, current, and well-structured information that is pedagogically sound and relevant.
• Pedagogical objective: Gives meaning to training by specifying the skills to be developed by the learner. It takes the form “Thanks to this learning object, the learner will be able to know/understand/do X”.

At Inokufu, we accept a broad variety of learning objects such as video, mooc, podcast, app, article, book, ebook, career profile, distance learning, training, safety sheet, serious game, tutorial, website, course, exercise, interactive activity, etc.

What is Not a Learning Object?

A learning object is not simply any online resource. Certain criteria disqualify resources from being effective learning objects, including:

• False Information: Contains inaccuracies or misinformation, making it unreliable for educational purposes.
• Offensive or Inappropriate Content: Includes material that is offensive, harmful, or not suitable for the educational audience.
• Scams or Fraud: Designed to deceive users, potentially causing harm or extracting financial gain under false pretenses.
• Hate Speech or Symbols: Promotes hate, prejudice, or violence against individuals or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc.
• Bullying or Harassment: Encourages or enables harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
• Violence or Dangerous Organizations: Contains violent content or promotes organizations that engage in harmful activities.
• Outdated, Unavailable or Inactive Content: Leads to dead links (e.g., 404 errors) or resources that are no longer maintained or accessible.

Resources that fail to meet these criteria should be avoided in educational settings to maintain the quality and integrity of learning.

At Inokufu, we have developed an AI-based system to filter out these bad resources and only select the most effective learning objects.

The Emergence of Learning Objects

In the early 2000s, the concept of learning objects emerged. Learning objects (LO) are defined as any entity, digital or non-digital, that may be used for learning, education, or training.[3] Essentially, it could be any object or activity that helps learners achieve one or more learning goals.

This broad definition is necessary because education is changing tremendously due to the combined effect of demographical and technological explosions over the last 70 years.[4] New types of LO have recently appeared, such as MOOCs or podcasts, and new ones will undoubtedly be created with the rise of Virtual Reality and Metaverse.

Addressing the Paradox in Education

Up to now, education was focused on scalability, i.e. how to provide satisfactory education at a large scale. Going forward, education is aiming at providing a more personalized learning experience to each learner especially thanks to AI powered solutions (e.g. adaptive learning).

The education system is thus facing a paradox: how to deliver large-scale standard education while personalizing each learner’s learning pathway. Learning objects are a key part of the solution to this paradox: by breaking down the learning pathway into smaller objects, we can interchange the learning objects in a learning pathway while ensuring that they all lead to the same learning goals.

Competency-Based Education vs. Traditional Education Systems

Competency-Based Education (CBE) offers a compelling approach to resolving the paradox faced by traditional education systems. Unlike traditional time-based models, CBE focuses on the mastery of specific skills and competencies regardless of the time it takes for different learners to achieve them. This approach inherently supports personalized learning pathways and allows for a more flexible, individualized form of education. 

In a CBE framework, learning objects can be tailored and aligned with the competencies that need to be mastered, enabling learners to progress at their own pace. By leveraging digital tools, such as AI-driven analytics and adaptive learning technologies, educators can create and deliver personalized content that meets the unique needs and pace of each student. Consequently, CBE not only maintains the scalability required to educate large populations but also provides the flexibility to meet individual learning needs, effectively bridging the gap between standardization and personalization in education.

Learning objects and generative AI

• Analyze a learner’s performance data and provide personalized suggestions for improving existing learning objects to better align with the learner’s pace and comprehension levels.
• Create alternative versions of learning materials, such as simplified explanations, advanced insights, or even culturally contextualized examples, thereby catering to a diverse range of learning styles and backgrounds.
• Assist educators in identifying gaps in the current curriculum and generating new, relevant content to fill those gaps, ensuring that the educational material remains up-to-date and comprehensive.

By integrating generative AI solutions with learning objects, the education system can achieve a higher degree of personalization and adaptability, ultimately offering a more effective and inclusive learning experience for all students.

Conclusion