Model for Rapid, Large-Scale Development of Learning Objects in Multiple Domains Gargi Banerjee and Sahana Murthy Interdisciplinary Program in Educational Technology I.I.T.Bombay, Powai Mumbai, India e-mail: gargi@it.iitb.ac.in , sahanamurthy@iitb.ac.in Abstract— Over the past few years, learning object (LO) repositories have become valuable educational resources in a variety of instructional settings. However, there is a lack of detailed documentation about the actual process to be adopted under different conditions to create such a repository. The commonly established process adopts a synchronous model in which there is continuous face-to-face communication between the various members of the team - the subject matter experts, the instructional designers, the code developers and the reviewers. The synchronous process has resulted in the production of good quality LOs but in restricted domains and in small numbers. This model is not suitable to scale the LO production process up along numbers and across multiple domains without compromising on quality. In this paper we propose an asynchronous model for rapid, large-scale development of LOs in multiple science and engineering domains at the tertiary level of education. We document the problems encountered in adopting a synchronous model of LO production, present a comparative analysis of different asynchronous models, and detail out the methodology for the successful asynchronous model that we adopted. Keywords-Learning objects, Asynchronous model, production I. INTRODUCTION The Indian educational system faces the challenge of imparting good quality higher education to increasing number of students, just like in other parts of the world. There are various dimensions to this problem such as the lack of resources, shortage of books and libraries in rural areas, lack of trained faculty in many colleges, absence of adequate infrastructure and so on. This is borne out by the fact that out of the 1617 AICTE recognized engineering colleges in India [1], many are either suffering from faculty crunch or need to upgrade their level of teaching [2]. However, increasing penetration of information and communication technology (ICT) and serious government support through the National Knowledge Network, internet and kiosks in villages [3] have the potential to transform the situation. An important initiative that uses ICT for education consists of creating open-source e-content. Efforts such as the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) and IIT Bombay’s Centre for Distance Engineering Education Programme(CDEEP) broadcast video lectures of faculty members of premier Indian institutes. Feedback from the participants of these programs confirms that these courses are useful to hundreds of working professionals, students and teachers [2]. Thus there is a genuine requirement of good quality e-content and e- resources for education in India. However, there are myriad set of problems associated with video lectures: they are long, consist mainly of “chalk & talk” material or presentation slides, and might need supplementary material. Hence there is a critical need for visual-based e-resources like Learning Objects (LOs) that can supplement regular instruction and video lectures, or act as self-study material. A vast array of definitions exists for Learning Objects in literature. For the OSCAR Learning Object repository, the operational definition of an LO is the one proposed by L’Allier since it has education as its focus. Thus LOs are defined as “the smallest independent structural experience that contains an objective, a learning activity and an assessment" [4]. Accordingly, OSCAR LOs have the following features: Objective- Learning objectives; Learning activity – Animation/Simulation, Glossary, References for further reading; Assessment – A set of 5 multiple choice questions that map on to the specified learning objective. The LOs focus on a specific topic within a course like ‘Rankine cycle regeneration’ in Thermodynamics and is a self-contained, independent unit of instruction. LOs have proven to be useful learning resources in recent times [5, 6]. High in learning value, LOs are easily accessible and are available on demand. The learning activity- assessment-feedback cycle in LOs enables learners to assess their own knowledge. They can be used in blended or classroom or distance education programs. LOs can be linked to specific courses, but they also have the potential to be reused. The above features of LOs clearly establish their demand in higher education in India [7]. 2011 International Conference on Technology for Education 978-0-7695-4534-9/11 $26.00 © 2011 IEEE DOI 10.1109/T4E.2011.33 163 2011 IEEE International Conference on Technology for Education 978-0-7695-4534-9/11 $26.00 © 2011 IEEE DOI 10.1109/T4E.2011.33 163