One of the best explanations comes from Sandy Mills, CEO of Alivetek:

"A learning object, for all practical purposes, is an object or set of resources that can be used for facilitating intended learning outcomes, and can be extracted and reused in other learning environments. Often called "Reusable Learning Objects," (RLO's) or "Educational Objects," the term has been recently associated with electronic learning resources that can be shared in multiple learning environments. For example, a Flash animation that labels the parts of the human respiratory system, could be used in an online course for EMS professionals, in a Power Point for nursing students, or perhaps in a CD-ROM for Anatomy and Physiology students." (taken from Learning about Learning Objects with Learning Objects by Sandy Mills, CEO Alivetek)

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Reusable learning objects have the power if used effectively to improve your teaching and your students' understanding of topics covered in your course. The reusability of an object allows it to be used in many different situations. For example, an object that the anatomy of an eye can used in an Anatomy and Physiology course as well as an Ophthalmology course. There is no need to recreate the learning object. Using learning objects can do more and extend your reach by increasing your students' achievement.

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There are number of places to find Reusable Learning Objects. This web site is one place to find learning objects. At SPC, we have two kinds of learning objects. One is called Dynamic Objects. These can be used by anyone and are general in nature. One dynamic RLO are Flashcards. These are created by the instructor filling out some information through forms on the web. These are dynamic because you can create many different kinds of flashcards. The other kind of object created at SPC is called a Static RLO. This means the learning object is specific to a subject area. The object itself can not be changed easily but can still be used by many different courses. To find these objects, click on the Login link above. If you do not have an account, register yourself, then log on to the RLO management system.

A second way of finding learning objects is to visit other large repositories. If you click on the link above titled, Other Repository Highlights, you will find links to three of the largest learning object repositories. On the web page, you will also find a link to monthly highlights from these repositories. Each month the Educational Technology Department will scour the repositories and try to find some of best learning objects. You can also search the archives of the past months.

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Requesting a learning object is an easy process. Click on the link above titled "Request Object" and fill out the form. The information will be sent to your campus Educational Technologist. You will be contacted by the Technologists to discuss the learning you wish to be developed.

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There is a tremendous amount of information about Reusable Learning Object on the web. Below are a list of some links to learn about RLO's

• Objects of Desire: Promise and Practicality
• Learning Objects 101: A Primer for Neophytes
• The Objects of Learning
• Learning Objects Course
• Learning Objects

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