Interactive Learning Environments 2004, Vol. 12, Nos. 1–2, pp. 7–25 The Educational Object Economy: Alternatives in Authoring and Aggregation of Educational Software Edmond Gaible Educational Object Economy Foundation, San Francisco, CA, USA ABSTRACT The Educational Object Economy (EOE) emerged from research on end-user authoring tools for multimedia software and, by 1997, developed into a library of over 2000 freely available interactive simulations for learning. The organization’s original goals and its ongoing interest in alternative methods of software authoring led to continuing connections with component-based software development and collaborative development models. Subsequent focus on learning resource development in developing countries has led to contributions to projects in India, Turkey, Brazil, and other countries. Although the need for learning resources in these and other countries is great, component-based approaches have not yet been adopted. This article presents a brief overview and social history of the EOE, highlighting its chief objectives and accomplishments. The paper is divided into three sections, the first focusing on the EOE’s initial development and its influence – in terms of notable progeny – in the United States. However, since 1999 interest in the EOE’s exemplary community-generated repository of educational software has been most strong in countries that have few educational software resources and that are limited in their abilities to develop such resources. Accordingly, in its second section, the article outlines efforts in the collaborative or community-based development of educational resources in several developing countries. Because these efforts have begun more recently than the EOE itself, they provide perspective on the EOE’s support of the Java platform in the context of distributed software development. The third section of the paper draws out provisional implications for component-based approaches to the development of educational software. Address correspondence to: Edmond Gaible, Ph.D., Educational Object Economy Foundation, 610 16th Street, Ste 506, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. Tel.: þ1-510-444-3800. Fax: þ1-510-444- 3800. E-mail: egaible@natomagroup.com 10.1080/1049482042000300887$16.00 # Taylor & Francis Ltd.