ABSTRACT
Abstract: Learning objects consist of small chunks of digitized instructional content that can be delivered online. Each small chunk is a self-contained, objective-centered unit whose content helps the learners achieve a demonstrable learning objective. The application of the learning object concept in education and training was borrowed from object-oriented theory, which is used in computer and information science to design and develop high-quality software products more quickly, cheaply, and flexibly. Just as each software object is self-contained and fulfills a single programmed objective, each learning object is self-contained, focuses on a single job task, and fulfills a single learning objective. The idea that learning objects can provide learners with customized, just-in-time instructional content that meets their specific learning needs is compelling. However, despite projections that the corporate e-learning market (outside the school system) would surpass $11.5 billion by 2003, a learning objects economy has remained elusive. The learning object economy infrastructure-national politics and policies, digital learning objects repository, specifications and standards, and so forth-is still evolving. A critical mass of learning object producers, managers, and consumers has yet to materialize. Problems with teachers’ resistance to change, lack of clear compensation, and rights management systems still persist. The jury is still out! We review the existing literature on the learning objects economy, focusing on its promises and challenges, on what has been accomplished thus far, and on what remains to be done to make it a reality.
