By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

2. Distinguish among the implications of the terms "reusable information objects," "repurposeable information objects" and "sharable content objects."

3. Locate additional information on SCORM.

4. Observe seamless inclusion of content as one Webpage is included in another without frames.

Information Objects

Information or knowledge objects are self contained, meaningful chunks or units of information, whether accurate or not. Each of the following types could be an information object:

• Block of Text
• Graphic
• Web page
• Table
• Graph
• Multimedia file
• Flash animation

Information objects are sometimes called "content objects." They are typically distinguished from "learning objects" in that they do not specify instruction, but merely provide information.

The Purpose of an Information Object

Some information objects are created for a single purpose in a single situation. Others are created to be used in many situations. Sometimes, an object becomes repurposed, being used in ways never intended by the creator.

Consider the following graphic, which is an information object, and see if you can determine what its purpose is?

Terminology

This has led to the coining of three terms:

• reusable information object
• repurposeable information object
• sharable content object

"Reusable information object" (RIO) is commonly used to mean information objects that can be used repeatedly, whether for the same purpose or for a different purpose.

"Repurposeable information object" (also, RIO) is not a term in common use. In fact, it seems redundant because nearly any information object can be put to another purpose. Still, it is the term chosen for use here because it emphasizes the repurposing of objects, and their design to facilitate repurposing, whether by that initial designer/instructor, or whether they are repurposed by others.

"Sharable content object" (SCO) is a term used for objects that can be shared among different users. Certain protocols can be employed to facilitate this sharing, such as SCORM.

Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) For the definitive word on this rather new model designed to facilitate sharing of objects across platforms and among users, see ADLNet's SCORM Overview; ADLNet states: "The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) defines a Web-based learning 'Content Aggregation Model' and 'Run-Time Environment' for learning objects. The SCORM is a collection of specifications adapted from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive suite of e-learning capabilities that enable interoperability, accessibility and reusability of Web-based learning content." There have been detractors, however. In "SCORM is not for everyone," Dan Rehak states: 'Arguably the most remarkable part of Rehak's briefing, however, was his clarification of the pedagogic issue. He emphasized repeatedly that SCORM is not the right approach for higher and primary education. According to Rehak, 'SCORM is essentially about a single-learner, self-paced and self-directed. It has a limited pedagogical model unsuited for some environments.' (Wilbert Kraan and Scott Wilson, October 2, 2002)

A reusable or repurposeable information or knowledge object can be thought of as a self-contained piece of data or information that may be used in a variety of contexts for different purposes. Teachers have been using RIOs for years when they pull out overhead transparencies from one class to use for a different purpose in another, such as using a graph to show how two variables are related, or using the same graph to illustrate how graphs are designed. RIOs are not new, but when we decide to put them online, they may have an opportunity for more diverse use.

Have you noticed?

You might not have noticed, but the above text on SCORM is really an individual Webpage located here, and included as dynamic content within this larger page. Don't be fooled by the grey box. It is possible for information objects to be included seamlessly in a Webpage. For example, unlike this paragraph, the following paragraph with its heading is a separate RIO published here.

Seamless Inclusion

It is possible to seamlessly include the content of one Web page in another. This does not refer to "frames," but to code that actually calls a "daughter page" and inserts its contents into a "parent page." When the code for the daughter page is updated, there is no need to update any of the numerous parent pages that may call data from that daughter page. Content included in this way is not limited to text, but can include graphics, hyperlinks, and other Web page features.