| The use and re-use of “learning objects” in the creation of learning experiences delivered using digital media has received much attention recently. Standards bodies supported by a broad range of commercial, academic, and government organizations have begun to develop structural specifications for each step in the development process. This includes a definition of how learning objects should be described for purposes of creating catalogue entries. This information is referred to as meta-data. Also specified is the digital form the meta-data should take for storage.; The discussion that follows will place the use of learning objects in the context of both the developing technologies that support it and the progression of research in learning and instructional design. The Meta-data Standard adopted by the IMS Global Learning Consortium is explained and analyzed for the purpose of developing a software system that adheres to the standard.; Metadata Editor v2.0 (ME2) is a tool for creation of an XML document containing learning object meta-data. It provides for the necessary user constraints to assure a compliant document, and also supports the user by providing a help system with the essential information about the standard. Once created, the document can be saved on the user's local system, or submitted to the database used in this project using the Internet.; The second part of the project, metadatabank.net, is an Internet repository that accepts documents created and submitted by ME2. The databank is based on a native XML database, H-Hive, and provides a user interface allows an educator to search the repository for relevant material. The complete standard document format may be searched for any words or phrases entered. The results are returned to the user with basic descriptive information about the learning object, including location. |
