What Are Learning Objects ?

This is a question that has been posed since 1999, yet today there is still no proper consensus as to what these ought to be. SCORM, The Sharable Content Object Reference Model is the industry standard now most often associated with the concept of Learning Objects, yet it is fundamentally flawed.

Why is that the case? SCORM which is largely an outgrowth or expansion of a previous paradigm for CBT development called AICC, assumes that content ought to be tightly coupled with the both the learning delivery environment as well as assessment expectations.

So what's the impact of that?

1 - More expensive content.
2 - Less flexible content.
3 - Turning content production and delivery into enterprise integration.
4 - More difficulty in combining information or unstructured learning content.
5 - A continuation regarding assumptions of how learners learn - assumptions which were never validated by AICC or CBTs, much less with SCORM and LMSs.

For the record, a Learning Object represents any digital resource that can be combined in a useful manner with other content elements to produce a viable learning experience. The learners determine and validate viability and viability does not require assessment - only relevance.