Learning Objects: definitions and characteristics

The use of computer and communications technology has become an integral part of teaching, and many teachers are increasing their use of the Internet as a vehicle to transfer their knowledge. One of the consequences of this is the growth of interest in LOs for many different reasons:

• the concept of modularisation of learning paths is now normal paractice and is consolidated into the community of teachers and educators;
• the possibility of finding relevant and good LOs creates an opportunity for teacher to focus their work on quality rather than quantity;
• in assembling the ways LOs are used it is possible to build flexible and personalised learning paths.

The idea of transferring the logic of programming by objects to didactic processes brings an 'economic' motivation. It avoids a waste of resources redoing something which has already been done. If it is possible to produce or change single blocks, which can then be adapted to different teaching contexts, then costs are considerably reduced and the available resources can be used to improve the material.

At the centre of the debate is the reusability of these 'objects' in different contexts.