Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Obj ects, 2007

A learning object is an interactive web-based tool that supports learning by enhancing, amplifying, and guiding the cognitive processes of a learner. To date, no formal research has been done on the use of learning objects in secondary school science classrooms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of learning objects developed for high school students in areas of biology, chemistry, or physics. The evaluation metric used to assess the benefits and quality of learning objects was theoretically sound, reliable, and partially validated. Two thirds of the students stated they benefited from using the learning object. Teachers confirmed that learning objects were beneficial to student learning and that they would use them again. Students benefited more if they were comfortable with computers, the content was perceived as being useful, instructions were clear, and the theme was fun or motivating. Students appreciated the motivating, hands-on, and visual qualities of the learning objects most. Computer comfort and learning object type, but not gender, were significantly related to learning object quality and benefit.

The study compared the effects of Learning Objects (LOs) within different applications; in classroom and in extracurricular activities. So in this study, firstly a Learning Object Repository (LOR) has been designed in parallel with 9th grade school mathematics curriculum. One of the two treatment groups was named as "classroom group" (n=24) used LOs with the guidance of the teacher during lessons in a computer lab, another group named as "project group" (n=26) used LOs at home with the aim of preparing projects and assignments. Students in both groups used LOs during 11 weeks. A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used. Test results are compared in different learning domains (sets, numbers, relations and functions). In addition the interviews with the teacher and the observations inside the class were taken into account for revealing the reasons about the change on academic achievements. The results of the study about students' academic achie...

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2008

Very few studies have systematically evaluated the effect of learning objects in secondary school classrooms. The vast majority of studies have focused on higher education. The current study examined the impact of learning objects from the perspective of 850 students and 27 teachers (50 classrooms) of science, mathematics, or social science. The results suggest that teachers typically spend 1 to 2 h finding and preparing for learning object based lesson plans that focus on the review of previous concepts. Both teachers and students are positive about the learning benefits, quality, and engagement value of learning objects, although teachers are more positive than students. Student performance increased significantly – almost 30% – when learning objects were used in conjunction with a variety of teaching strategies. It is reasonable to conclude that learning objects are a viable teaching tool in a secondary school environment.

Design and Evaluation

Reusable Learning Object technology offers K-12 teachers and students the opportunity to access resources that can be used and reused in classroom teaching and learning environments. A support tool for teachers, QuickScience™, was developed to help teachers and students improve performance in science standards; resources in QuickScience™ are built upon RLO technologies. Six types of RLOs, including five types of instructional resources aligned to Bloom’s taxonomy, are used by teachers to help students improve their performance in science. QuickScience™ offers teachers a model for improving performance, including steps of diagnose, plan, teach, and assess.

Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 2009

The current study offers a comprehensive, systematic analysis of learning objects used in secondary school science classrooms. Five reliable and valid measures were used to examine the effectiveness of learning objects for 503 students and 15 teachers in 27 science classrooms. The results suggest that teachers typically spend 1-2 hours finding learning objects and preparing lessons that often focus on the review of previous material. both teachers and students are positive about the learning benefits, quality, and engagement value of learning objects, although teachers are more positive than students. student performance increased significantly, almost 40%, when learning objects were used in conjunction with a variety of teaching strategies including brief introductions, letting students work on their own, and providing guiding handouts. it is reasonable to conclude that science-based learning objects are effective teaching tools in the secondary school environment. a review of the literature on the use of technology in secondary school science classrooms (Kay & Knaack, 2007d) indicates that computers can be used to improve attitudes and learning performance; however, there is limited research on the use of web-based tools. a learning object defined as an " interactive web-based tool designed to enhance, amplify and guide learning, " is a readily accessible, easy-to-learn, concept-focussed tool that is a promising alternative for teachers of science. in theory, good learning objects a require students to construct and manipulate information, provide rich feedback and interactive illustrations, help students understand abstract

2000

This chapter focuses on a case study that compares and evaluates different instructional design employing a set of learning objects. Based on a historical collection of steel and bronze models, KMODDL (Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library, http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/) contains four types of learning objects: textual tutorials, interactive QuickTime Virtual Reality movies, Java simulations, and stereolithographic (STL) files. The four learning object types have been used in the context of an undergraduate geometry class, an undergraduate robotics class, a middle school technology club field trip, and a middle school technology class. Following the CIAO! (Context, Interaction, Attitude, and Outcome) model of evaluating educational technologies , the research team have evaluated the four types of learning objects in the four learning scenarios. Multiple data collection methods were used, including observation, videotaping, screen-capturing, interview, focus groups, and surveys. The research shows that the educators' strategies for integrating digital objects into their curriculum depended on their subject area and the educational level of their students and, significantly, that these differing strategies resulted in different uses of the available materials by the students, as well as in different learning outcomes.

The proliferation of Web-based technologies during the last decade may have given the impression of wide-spread changes in educational pract ices. In fact the use of Web-based technologies in the teaching and learning process has obtained excellent results. On the other hand, there is also a constant use of educational content /Learning Objects (LO) in d ifferent formats and different types of platforms, enhanced by Web 2.0. The current study presents a comprehensive analysis of the use and effect of learning objects in a study about the development, availability and use of LO in Higher Education Institutions. It is reasonable to conclude that the Higher Education Institutions surveyed do not develop and do not reuse LO, wh ich use SCORM and IMS content package specification. Finally, it also presents advantages and disadvantages of the educational use of these LO.

Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2021

There is a growing interest in Open Educational Resources building up in the last decade. Among them Digital Learning Objects (DLOs) attract the interest of educational research and practice as there is evidence that they have a positive effect on learning. Especially in Science Education, DLOs are considered as important tools to support achieving high-level learning outcomes. Evaluation of DLOs is critical. A handful of tools are available, but they are too generic. There seems to be a lack of evaluation methods and tools specifically for Science Education DLOs. This work presents the SciLOET (Science Learning Objects Evaluation Tool), a DLOs' evaluation tool specialized in Science Education. The tool is meant mainly to be used by teachers who are in the process of evaluating, selecting, and using DLOs in their teaching. It could also prove useful for education researchers who design empirical studies and instructional interventions with DLOs. The SciLOET evaluates four dimensions of DLOs, namely content quality, teaching effectiveness, design, and documentation. Each one of these dimensions, consists of a series of questions.