Learning Object Approach Is Making Inroads
By Tom Barron
The findings from a survey conducted by the Learning on Demand program of SRI Consulting
Business Intelligence, which researches e-learning trends, in conjunction with Learning Circuits,
found substantial interest in learning object methodologies from training professionals and others
in a wide range of industries. The survey, in the form of an online questionnaire, was targeted to
training and e-learning professionals; consultants and vendors of e-learning products and
services were asked to refrain from weighing in. Following are key results from the survey.
Demographics
The survey garnered a total of 143 responses, a majority of them from the United States and
Canada, though a sizable number came from Asia and Pacific Rim countries as well as the
United Kingdom and other European countries.
Nearly 75 percent of respondents to the survey are in the training profession, either as trainers,
training managers, or instructional designers. Another four percent describe themselves as IT
managers. Those that selected "other" for their profession include librarians, e-learning
managers, and researchers.
Information technology, financial services, and manufacturing companies account for 52 percent
of the organizations represented by respondents. Government, retail and distribution firms, and
utilities companies comprised another 12 percent.
The size of respondents' organizations were fairly evenly spread. About 27 percent are in
organizations of 99 employees or less, 33 percent are in organizations with 100-999 employees,
14 percent are in organizations with 1000-4999 employees, and 25 percent are in organizations
with 5,000 or more employees.
The vast majority of those who answered the survey say their organizations are using e-learning
in one form or another. Nearly half (48 percent) describe their use of e-learning as "tactical" to
support initiatives at the department or line-level. A fifth (21 percent) are using e-learning
enterprise-wide. And 18 percent said they're using some of the more sophisticated e-learning
technologies, such as an LCMS. Another 38 percent indicate that they're in the early phases of
exploring and evaluating e-learning technologies.
The types of e-learning technologies employed at respondents’ organizations run a wide gamut.
Content authoring tools are the most commonly used e-learning tool, followed by off-the-shelf elearning content and LMS systems. More than a quarter (29 percent) of respondents say their
organizations are using hosted e-learning services, and more than a third (34 percent) are using
synchronous or virtual classroom platforms or services.
Interest in LO capabilities
The survey sought to measure the degree of interest in the capabilities often associated with
learning object-based methodologies. Because the term learning object doesn’t have a uniform or
standard definition (see "(Learning) Objects of Desire: Promise and Practicality" for a recent
overview of varying interpretations of learning objects), we asked participants to indicate their
interest in capabilities typically offered by learning object-based systems. These include the ability
to update learning content more quickly , to draw from a pool of learning objects to tailor learning
content for multiple audiences, to simplify content authoring using template-based tools, and to
personalize learning content to the needs of individuals. In each case, a majority of respondents
considered these capabilities to be "highly beneficial."
This positive assessment of the capabilities promised by learning object approaches is reflected
in the fact that 23 percent of respondents say their organization has already implemented
learning object-based technologies. Another 18 percent say they have plans in place to adopt
learning object-based technologies, and nearly 30 percent say they're in the process of
evaluating these technologies.
Respondents were also asked whether they felt learning object methodologies would provide
benefits to their organization. Some 43 percent say they feel the approach would provide
substantial benefits, while another 37 percent indicate that it would yield some advantages over
their existing content authoring and management methods. Eight percent said learning object
approaches would not offer any significant advantages over their existing strategies.
Barriers to adoption
Respondents were asked to rate the significance of several potential barriers to learning object
technology adoption in their organization. Not surprisingly, budgetary considerations emerged as
the most significant obstacle to wider adoption. Immaturity of learning object technologies was
also cited by more than 40 percent as a major barrier. Surprisingly, lack of management support
was considered only a minor barrier or no barrier at all by a majority of respondents, with only 28
percent citing it as a major barrier.
Link with knowledge management
Underscoring a frequent topic of discussion in e-learning and knowledge management circles, a
significant number of organizations surveyed are pursuing learning object methodologies as part
of an effort to link learning and knowledge management initiatives. More than a third (38 percent)
of respondents say their organizations are in the midst of a KM initiative, and 23 percent say
they’re pursuing learning object methodologies as part of a broader KM initiative. Another 34
percent say they're intrigued by the potential for linking e-learning and knowledge management
but have not yet pursued it.
Bottom line
Respondents to the survey appear to be somewhat ahead of the mainstream in terms of the
breadth and extent of their e-learning knowledge and usage. However, while the survey likely
reflects the views of learning object enthusiasts to a greater extent than may exist in mainstream
organizations, it underscores how the capabilities associated with object-based content
architectures form a powerful incentive to pursue learning object-based systems. Equally if not
more surprising is the number of organizations that are building or using object-based learning
content. The high value placed on capabilities promised by learning objects bodes well for
continued growth of the content architecture, which must still evolve to meet many of those
objectives fully.
In LoD’s research on use of learning object architectures, we’ve identified a number of factors
common among early adopters of learning object-based platforms. Many are organizations
targeting customers and/or value-added resellers with learning object-based e-learning, where
the ability to mass-customize learning for different customers provides substantial benefits.
Software firms that provide training and e-learning services to customers are among the largest
number of these early adopters of learning objects. Typically, the training that these firms provide
customers is a revenue producer, which perhaps makes the challenge of winning funding for
learning object-based systems somewhat easier. In many cases, the decision to shift to learning
objects reflects the desire to broaden the revenue opportunities from learning content developed
to support their software products. In addition to being able to quickly tailor learning content for
each customer, many of these firms see greater sales opportunities from content that's
modularized. To use a food analogy, software firms are moving from cafeteria-style e-learning
offerings—where choices are few—to the equivalent of the sushi menu, with a large number of
individually priced, bite-sized offerings.
Organizations that take a broad view of their knowledge assets are moving toward object-based
learning content as part of a larger organizational shift to object-based content. This is where elearning and knowledge management intersect, where content that isn’t necessarily designed for
learning can become an important learning component in combination with learning objects. This
more expansive approach for providing learning that meets an individual’s needs is the focus of
many technology developers, and will likely define the next chapter in the evolution of learning
objects.
Published: May 2002