Learning objects and reusability in computer-based training design

¶ … efficiencies when designing for CBT or online, more attention is being paid to reusing content for other applications. For this assignment, define the concept of instructional (or learning) objects and explain how the application of reusability could affect the design of your learning module.

One of the great advantages to Computer-Based Training (CBT) in the workplace is that it can be conducted during the employee's 'own time,' with minimal interference with his or her regular work duties. For an employee wishing to add to his or her work skill sets, this means there is less likely to be an objection to engaging in the additional training from his or her employer. For an employer, this means employee training can be accomplished with minimal supervision, slotted into portions of the workday when there are lulls, and often no additional personnel needs to be hired to conduct the training. The ease of using CBT throughout the day, often over the course of short sessions, is enabled through the creation and effective use of learning 'objects' whereby the overall lesson is broken down into smaller and more easily assimilated sections.

This is the fundamental idea behind learning objects: "instructional designers can build small (relative to the size of an entire course) instructional components that can be reused a number of times in different learning contexts. Additionally, learning objects are generally understood to be digital entities deliverable over the Internet, meaning that any number of people can access and use them simultaneously (as opposed to traditional instructional media, such as an overhead or video tape, which can only exist in one place at a time)" (Wile, 2002, p. 3). Units can be arranged and rearranged, either automatically or by the learner's choice, to suit the needs of the user. Conceivably, no lesson plan needs to be the same for the same user, and every lesson can be tailored to the learning style and existing skill set of the student.