Creating a RLO (Reusable Learning Objects) strategy for the inter-agency Pharmacy Technician blended learning project Presenter: Dr. Carole Bagley, Ph.D. Pharm-Tech Project Manager

RLO - Query the audience How many of you are concerned with reusability? How many are actively creating rlo’s? At what level- course, lesson, asset? Are you planning for short/long term reusability?

RLO’s and Pharm-Tech project Reusable learning objects are now being seen as the fundamental components and building blocks of on-line learning. The Pharmacy Technician blended learning program is an inter-agency project that is a collaboration between the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the VA. This multi-year project will culminate in a 2 year pharm- tech program to be delivered using a blended learning approach with e- learning and didactic experiences. It will be used by each of the agencies who are collaborating with the design and development. During the Pharm-Tech design/development process, the assets, lessons, courses and clusters are being designed with reusability in mind. Reuse is a key expectation that is a focus for the design team. Will the objects be stored as Word documents,.xlm, or.swf files? Will the reusability occur at the asset, lesson or course level? Questions about reuse are being raised as the objects are created and metatagged. This presentation will describe the current RLO expectations of the design team, the types of objects that are expected to be reused, expected repositories to be used, metadata guidelines, design/development processes and search methods.

Pharm-Tech goals The Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) has formed the VITAL Collaborative Training Network in collaboration with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard to create and implement sharable healthcare e-learning. The goals of VITAL and specifically, the Pharm-Tech project are: Identify pharmacy tech education that cuts across government healthcare organizations and produces savings for multiple agencies Collaboratively create metadata and pharmacy technician training that can be shared by federal, public and private healthcare agencies by creating Registries and a Content Object Repository and Architecture utilizing the CORDRA model Promote highly interactive blended learning including simulation, case studies and performance support that are based on sound instructional design theory and best practices Support the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative by developing SCORM conformant training that is compatible with partner LMS’s.

ReUsability Strategy There is much work being done to organize strategies & systems that will support & encourage online learning that uses learning objects: SCO’s at the lesson level that are minute learning objects metadata keywords, attributes, and descriptive information to classify and describe learning objects so they can be discovered design characteristics of learning objects so that they can be customized and reused in settings beyond the context for which they were originally designed one or more storage repositor(ies) & search software to facilitate the discovery and reuse of objects systems that will discover available learning objects from repositories using keyword specifications & will create new resources by combining elements and registering the repository with Medbiquitous, ARIADNE, CORDRA, ADL, Merlot and other registries

Pharm-Tech RLO’s – SCO’s include the following features: Objective-based. SCO’s accomplish a single learning objective (at the eLo level) by combining content, media, and interactivity. Context-free. Content, media, and interactivity are combined to form a meaningful structure so that the learning object can stand alone from the rest of its associated hierarchy, making it portable, reusable, and relevant as an independent learning experience. Interactive. Although this is not always required, engaging learners, making them active participants in the learning experience, is key to having them meet the learning objective. Self-descriptive. Search data (or metadata) associated with each element and learning object to be used by the system, authors, and learners. Self-contained. Each learning object is capable of standing alone so as to be easily transferred for use in other training programs or technical manuals. Format-free. To be reused in multiple delivery media, learning objects should be created free of look-and-feel formatting. The formatting happens during the delivery of the learning objects to the learner.

RLO’s XML to hold course metadata XML loads each SCO contents:.SWF files, graphic and sound files

Metadata guidelines Key Metadata fields Defined fields using IEEE LOM and Medbiquitous Healthcare LOM standard The fields define the content and how used educationally and in a healthcare context Title, keyword, source, description, learning time, learning time, learning type, end user role, accrediting body …..etc. Key words may be obtained from: or from a VA taxonomy Process will be established for creating and entering metadata – SME availability later in project + entry by intern or contractor

Metadata Mandatory fields for Course level manifest & SCO’s Title Author Description Keywords Subject Date Created Date Modified Type

Repositories and Registries Where the content and metadata will be located VA- Medianet and LCMS METC JKO MSHLearn Army Shared DOD ……

Registries and Search tools A search tool (like a card catalog) to search repositories of content to use in new education/training Currently looking at Cordra (ADLnet): demo.cordra.lsal.cmu.edu Others: ARIADNE, MedEdPortal, HeaL, Merlot, Tile, SoURCE, …..

Search tool VA working on software tool to enter metatags and search content repositories Login Select – Metatag entry – Search for content Select – Course – SCO – Asset New or Find/Replace Save/Replace