A reformulation of the issue of learning object granularity and its implications for the design of learning objects

Sometime around 1994 the term “learning object” was introduced into the instructional technology vernacular; the idea being that educational resources could be broken into modular components for later combination by instructors, learners, and eventually computers into larger structures that would support learning. Because they would be digital, learning objects could be simultaneously used and reused in different learning contexts, unlike traditional instructional media that can be in only one place at a time. What has followed since the introduction of the term “learning object” has been a flurry of technical activity, financial speculation, and international standards efforts. What has not followed is a flurry of principled instructional design work utilizing the new instructional technology. This paper posits that the manner in which the “learning object” has been framed is responsible for this lack of practical application, and proposes a reframing meant to facilitate the principled design and instructional use of learning objects.