USING OPEN SOURCE ONLINE MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES TO CREATE E-LEARNING ACTIVITIES BASED ON A 'LEARNING OBJECTS' APPROACH

Abstract

This report  gives an evaluative account of a project "Using open access online multimedia resources to create e-learning activities based on a 'learning objects'  approach" which was supported by the Fund for New Teaching Initiatives from October 2005 to March 2006.

The project aimed to develop  and evaluate online teaching and assessment activities, using  open source multimedia resources . The activities were designed for the  School of Education's newly restructured MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL , particularly for the  distance programme which will be delivered entirely online from September 2008. It also aimed to explore the process of producing online materials adopting a reusable learning objects approach. The intention was that both the learning objects themselves and the outcomes of the production process could be cascaded to other members of staff both in the department and wider University to disseminate knowledge and skills in developing e-learning resources.  

Despite limited time and resources , the project largely fulfilled its three key objectives, ie

1. To develop online learning and assessment activities exploiting open source multimedia resources

2. To evaluate the effectiveness of these activities

3. To facilitate the process of distance materials development by adopting a reusable approach whereby these and future materials would form the basis of a bank of teaching, learning and assessment resources which could be adapted and reused, reducing  the risk of "reinventing the wheel".