The “open source” perspective in planning eLearning

materials

Pierfranco Ravotto
ITSOS “Marie Curie”in Cernusco sul Naviglio
pierfranco.ravotto@tes.mi.it
http://www.tes.mi.it/pfr

Abstract

There are several models of online learning. Some, following the traditional distance learning
mode, focus on learning materials more than on relational contexts. Some others, on the
contrary, are more based on learner-teacher and learner-learner relationships. This model looks
more like face-to-face learning and it may represent its natural empowerment. Also in this case it
is necessary to provide learning materials purposely planned and developed.
Recent researches on the production of learning materials recommend to develop Learning
Objects that are accessible, adaptable, durable, re-usable, sharable and transferable.
Such LOs – according to the author - are instruments also suitable to be used in a relation-
based eLearning model and with constructivistic methodologies. Schools and teachers willing to
widen up their learning offers by providing their trainees with eLearning activities need to be
equipped with a rich collection of Learning Objects from which they could get the learning
materials needed.
It is just the lack of such a collection that currently prevents a significant spread of online
learning in schools. The OpenSource/Free software model suggests a possible solution: schools
and teachers could co-operate placing the Learning Objects developed at the others’ disposal so
that the collection will be likely to boost and develop: “people improve it, people adapt it, people
fix bugs”.
Our attempt to tread this path is represented by our collection of Free LOs called “OpenDida”
and accessible at the address www.tes.mi.it/opendidaweb.

The aim of the present contribution is to

propose schools and teachers to co-operate 1. A premises: learning is a social activity
producing Free Learning Objects in the view
of integrating face-to-face learning with Socrates addressed the passers-by in
eLearning. Athens squares in order to make their
Such an aim bases itself on two strongly knowledge emerge, in a maieutic way.
believed points that I’ll try to motivate: Aristotle discussed with his pupils strolling
• online  learning   is  not   a  field  of  interest   only  for  along the road, Peripatos, around the temple
those who have been involved in distance learning, of Apollo.
• Learning Objects are essential not only to deliver  Medieval masters, in their workshops,
learning contents in a sequential way, as it happens  taught their apprentices mainly through
examples and the assignment of tasks
in   courses   aiming   to   the   acquisition   of   a   well­
increasingly more and more complex.
defined   and   focussed   set   of  In any case, learning always occurs in a
knowledge/competencies. On the contrary they are  relational context, where the relations both
necessary also where the learning focus is on the  with the teacher and the group of peers are
development   of   critical   thought,   communication  central.
Such a concept is clear to any teacher
and problem solving skills.
whatever methodology he/she employs -
lessons, guided activities, problem solving –
and whatever learning content he/she is
delivering – may be maths, or philosophy,
law or a sport activity.
2. Online learning between distance
learning and face-to-face learning
In traditional distance learning the
didactic materials have been designed, as
much as possible, not only to deliver
learning contents, but also to perform those
functions that are usually carried out by the
teacher in a face-to-face learning
environment: to support motivation and
check trainees’ learning progress. Hence it
appears that learning materials play a
central role and require to be strictly
structured, complete and self-consistent.
Nevertheless, also traditional distance
learning has always tried to establish
contacts between the trainee and the
teacher by mail and/or telephone. Also
periodical meetings are organised in order to
provide a more significant relationship with
the tutor and the peer group.
The development of the Internet has
provided a new, bi-directional
communication tool that overcomes time
and space barriers. The ones who are
involved in distance learning have
immediately made the most of it: e-mailing,
chatting, videochatting are suitable to
guarantee relationships between the trainee
and the tutor and to allow the trainees
themselves to benefit the support and the
feedback provided by the group.
By distance learning of third
generation one generally means an
upgrading of traditional distance learning
where the Internet provides communication
opportunities hugely superior to the past.
But the Internet is not only a
technological priceless tool.
“… the net is a social place that we, the
human beings, have voluntary created
starting from our own passions in order to
show the others how the world appears to
each other's eyes …In the web there are
only passions, words and the presence of
the others in an inextricable jumble of
relations continuously changing.”
[Weinberger - 1].
The Internet is, for its own nature, a social
environment. Thus it is, for its own sake, a
potential learning environment like an agorà
in Socrates’ Athens, the tree-lined path
where the Peripatetics discuss, a medieval
workshop, like those buildings with
classrooms, libraries and laboratories where
face-to-face learning is usually carried out.
Thus, we can say that online learning, in
some ways, looks more like face-to-face
learning where the relationship between
learner and teacher and between learners
and learners is central rather than to
distance learning where the main role is
played by the learning materials.
Just for this reason online learning can
become a natural, almost spontaneous,
extension of face-to-face learning.
Online learning can be meant as an
enrichment of face-to-face learning as it
allows to extend human relations beyond
• school scheduled time,
• school premises, 
• the   limits   of   the   group   of   schoolmates,   as   more 
contributions from other teachers and learners are 
available on line,
• the   time   and   space   limits   that   narrow   down   the 
possibilities of providing tailored learning paths.
This is the reason why ITSOS “Marie
Curie”, the school where I teach, is
interested in the themes that are going to be
dealt with in this Seminar. As an upper
secondary school addressing 14-18 aged
students, we are studying and
experimenting the integration of online
learning and traditional face-to-face learning
(and work-based learning).
3. Four online learning models
The term online learning is often used
referring to experiences that are very
different from one another.
We have identified – in a pilot project
named SOLE developed under the European
Programme Leonardo da Vinci
(www.tes.mi.it/sole) - four different models.
Two of them refer to individual activities,
and another two deal with group activities.

3.1 Self-learning
The trainee is alone with the learning
materials. Tutorship can be foreseen, but it is
generally limited to guidance aspects
concerning the definition of the course and
the use of ICTs.
Learners are “alone” in their learning path as
there is no peer group they can establish
relations with and from whom they can
receive support. Actual learning occurs only
thanks to learning materials.
Learning materials obviously need to be
“complete” and “self-consistent” as they are
required to perform several functions:
• to   deliver   content   (possibly   in   an   interactive/  the definition of the learning path.
dialogue form),
• to provide and support motivation,
• to foresee and provide feedback .
The main advantage of such an
environment is a reduced requirement for
trainers/teachers/tutors. But at the same
time the lack of this support is a limiting
factor.
This kind of online learning is the same as
the traditional study of a book: for some
learners it could be sufficient and may be
suitable for simple topics. Under certain
circumstances there may be no alternatives.
3.2 Supported self-learning
The learner is provided with online
materials and individual tutorial support that
provides answers to questions, correction of
exercises, feedback, assignment of new
tasks, further explanations, …
The increased tutor presence in the
learning path, reduces the need to develop
complete and self-consistent learning
materials, as they are not required to
perform the functions that , in this scenario,
are performed by the tutor him/herself.
It is equivalent to a one-to-one
relationship, that is a learner-teacher
relationship.
There are two limitations:
• high costs, unless the relationship with the tutor is 
occasional   (leaving   the   achievement   of   results 
mainly to self­learning activities), 
• the  absence  of any communication  with  the  peer 
group, namely those with whom the learner shares 
his/her learning path. 
Supported self-learning can be particularly
suitable for online adult learning, where it is
important to provide tailored paths and the
tutor intervenes as a counsellor, above all, in
3.3 Virtual Class
The learner is not alone in this activity. He
belongs to a group, a virtual classroom that
is provided with online learning materials
and tutorial support.

The group shares the same learning
objectives, or each learner follows his/her
own learning path.
In any case the existence of a group of
peers performs important functions both of
objective and psychological kind: exchanges
of advice, suggestions, solutions, sharing of
problems and difficulties, reciprocal support
and encouragement.
As far as learning materials are
concerned, what has been said for the
previous model is also valid for this one: the
increased tutor presence in the learning
path, reduces the need to develop complete
and self-consistent learning materials.
In particular they do not need to provide
support and feedback that can be more
effectively provided by direct interactions
between people.
Furthermore, it is not required that all the
materials are to be arranged before the
beginning of the course:
• they may be progressively developed by the teacher 
according to target’s interests and feedback,
• they may be searched and found out online by the 
trainees   themselves   or   even   partly   developed   by 
them in the view of a virtual class that is moving 
towards the collaborative learning model.
Such a model corresponds to the
classroom in the traditional sense: each
member of the classroom profits not only
from the teacher’s attention but also from
the attention he/she gives to others, the
trainee learns not only from materials, but
also from his/her classmates, from their
mistakes as well.
The peer group is a social outlet, as well
as a support and encouragement.
3.4 Online Collaborative Learning
The context is the same as the one just
described, i.e. with a group of peers, but the
learning strategy considerably changes.
While in the previous models the content
to be learnt is substantially pre-defined, here
learning becomes the result of a collective
search where each learner becomes the
creator/provider of the content to be learnt.
The role of learning materials changes
since the learning content does not pre- exist
the activities but it is the result of them.
Initial “proposals of work” accompanied by
some basic materials, will be enriched during
the online learning path, with new materials
developed by individual teachers and/or
groups of learners themselves.
This model corresponds to the one of a
class involved in project work activities.
3.5 Human relations and materials in the four
models
The figure given below points out the loss
– from a model to another – of the weight of
the learning materials while, on the
contrary, the weight of the relations
among the people increases.
The role of the learning materials,
meant as materials fully developed, is
maximum in relation to self-learning
scenario, while it decreases to its minimum
when we deal with collaborative learning.
On the contrary the role played by the
relations among people increases while
shifting from one model to another.
The first scenario is typical of traditional
distance learning (even if it has been
enriched by the latest online communication
tools). The fourth – in the author’s opinion -
better matches the real nature and been successful in re-using what had been
potential of the Internet: it gives more initially developed for them: because of
value to the role played by the single learner technical incompatibilities and development
within a learning environment felt as a procedures.
learning community. Several studies have followed and the
latest research promotes:
• the   development   of   learning   materials   with   the 
4. Learning Objects in a learning context smallest   degree   of   granularity   suitable   to   be   put 
focused on materials together according to different learning paths  and 
targets.     Learning   objects,   or   “chunks”,   namely 
Most of researches and activities
block of knowledge, or Lego blocks,
concerning eLearning1 refer to a context
characterised by: • the adoption of standards that make them 
• large numbers of users,  o “accessible  from   multiple   remote   locations  
• specific   learning   objectives   (well­defined   but  through   the   use   of   meta­data   and   packaging  
limited competencies), standards, 
• a   delivery   methodology   based   on   an   iterative  o adaptable  by   tailoring   instruction   to   the  
model: presentation – application ­ feedback,  individual and organisational needs,
• highly structured learning materials, o affordable  by   increasing   learning   efficiency  
• main   trainee’s   commitment   in   self­learning  and productivity while reducing time and cost; 
activities.  o durable  across revisions of operating systems  
The development and delivery of learning materials  and software;
in   such   a   context   requires   a   large   number   of  o interoperable  across   multiple   tools   and  
professionals: platforms;
• experts on methodology, o reusable  through the design, management and  
• experts on contents, distribution   of   tools   and   learning   content  
• technicians, across multiple applications.”
• tutors.  [ADL initiative ­ 2]
The correspondent production costs are
extremely high, in fact the delivery of an
The standardisation that is establishing
hour of content may require 80-100 hours of
itself is called SCORM, Sharable Content
implementation.
Object Reference Model. Such a model is
But such costs can be met by saving on
proposed by ADL initiative, www.adlnet.org,
the costs concerning people’s mobility ( from
that was promoted in 1997 by the White
work placements to the seat of the course)
House Office of Science and Technology
and tutorship (only if the model foresees a
Policy (OSTP) and by the Office of the
limited number of contacts).
Secretary of Defence (OSD) with other
.
companies and universities.
Nevertheless, it has often happened that
the materials developed have not been
actually used by the large numbers of users
foreseen. 5. Learning Objects in a learning context
Big organisations like NASA and the U.S. focused on human relations
Department of Defence have realised,
already in the 90s, that after years of costly The context and the mission of schools
investments in eLearning they have never and teachers is very different from the one
of the big organisations that promoted ADL
1
The term eLearning refers to the use of electronics (computer) in initiative. It is a context characterised by:
learning. Thus it implies both online learning and off line courses and
tools, for example on CD-ROM. Thus, online learning is a subset of
• small numbers (one class, one course),
eLearning, even if nowadays the two terms tend to be used as • multifaceted learning objectives: the growth of the 
synonyms.
young people both from the point of view of their 
 own   personal   development   and   their   own  that is also asked to perform implementation
professional knowledge, and delivery functions.
He/she benefit from the following entry data:
• the shared opinion that a learning model focussing 
• trainee’s features and learning needs,
only on didactic materials is old­fashioned and in 
• learning objectives of the institution,
contrast with the latest pedagogical research. 
• available learning materials and tools, 
• technological aids, in particular a “platform” or a 
“  In the course of the 80s signs of dissatisfaction  
LMS.
become   stronger   and   stronger…   That   particular  
”solidarity”   between   the   knowledge   model  
(knowledge as acquisition­elaboration of data) and  
the   technological   model   (computer­instructor)   is  
about to collapse.
…
In addition to this, there was a growing
discontent of educators and education
psychologists as far as a strict analitycal-
sequencial approach and psycometric
approaches (objective tests on learning
progress) were concerned: let’s think, for
example, of Gardner’s criticism against the
current evaluation systems and his claim of
manifold intelligence.
All these elements have gathered in a sort
of cognitivism of the second generation, Starting from these data and from the
that is now referred to as “constructivism”. learning model chosen, he/she plans and
… develops:
The main concepts characterising the • the learning environment according to the kind of 
current constructivism are substantially the relational context he/she wants to promote,
three; knowledge is the result of an active
construction of the individual, it is concretely • the plan of activities, 
contextualised, it occurs through particular • the core and supplementary materials to be used.
forms of co-operation and social negotiation
(Jonassen). Main importance is given to the Our experience suggests that the weak
“construction of the meaning”, underlying point is very often represented by the
the active, polysemic and not-prearranged learning materials.
characteristic of such an activity.” [Calvani - Even if in virtual class and collaborative
3]. learning models they are not required to be
highly structured, they need, nevertheless,
Among the four online learning models to be purposely planned to be delivered
afore mentioned, “collaborative learning” is online.
the one that better matches this formulation. Most of the teachers have become
But the choice of the learning model is up acquainted with ICTs and many of them have
to the teacher that is allowed to use even already carried out eLearning activities with
more than ones, according to the different their students. But they can’t go over these
learning contexts. few and limited experiences because of the
Anyway, what concerns us more is the way lack of time to develop suitable learning
how the teacher, on the basis of his/her own materials.
professionalism, plans and runs an eLearning This is the reason why the availability of
activity integrating face-to-face learning materials is essential to encourage more and
(and possibly work-based learning). more teachers to carry out online learning
activities.
The figure below highlights the planning of But learning materials, to be available and
an eLearning activity planned by a teacher used in different contexts, need to have the
typical features of LOs, namely granularity,
adaptability, accessibility,
transportability/interoperability, re-usability
and durability.
Criticism against learning paths based on
materials conveying content by means of a
“presentation- application- feedback”
approach has brought a negative evaluation
of LOs as well.
But that is not the only possible way how
to employ LOs. Serena Alvino and Luigi Sarti
of Istituto per le Tecnologie Didattiche del
CNR in Genoa write: “Actually, LOs
developed according to the model based on
the transmission of data can be very often
unsuitable to provide adequate answers to
many learning needs.
In learning situations where the students
are required to develop critical thought,
communication and problem solving skills, in
complex and not fully specified areas, we
often prefer to use constructivist learning
environments.
The use of pre-structured materials, that
in the traditional LOs approach is considered
… main element of the learning process, in
the social-cultural constructivist
environment represents only one of the
several activities promoting the learning
process, that basis itself on cognitive
apprenticeship, social negotiation of
meanings, participation to the activities of a
community …”. [Alvino, Sarti - 4]
6. A Collection of Learning Objects
Accepted that teaching/learning does not
limit itself either to the delivery of
“quantum” of knowledge or even less to an
individual interaction with packages of
content, a teacher willing to start eLearning
activities still needs to be provided with
specific learning materials, a collection of
LOs, as much diversified as possible in
terms of:
• approach: not only “lesson­ application­feedback”  Proposals of work suitable to
activities, but also “project work activities”, “case  • encourage online discussions,
studies”,…  • develop case studies,
• media: texts, images, sounds, movies;
• type:   Alvino   and   Sarti   suggest  “capturing,   in   a   results have been revised, these can be developed as
Learning   Object,   not   only   the   learning   material   new online lessons or as a Web site,
suitable to be re­used by many users but also (and  
above all)  the meta­knowledge   developed by the  
authors   of   the   learning   activity”.   Such   a   LO   is 
named “ design time LO”. [Alvino, Sarti ­ 4]
Furthermore,   in   a   perspective   of   collaborative 
learning the development of LOs may be also  one 
of the results of the learning activity. The trainees 
themselves   may   develop   new   LOs   suitable   to   be 
used   –   once   adapted   and   improved   ­   in   other 
courses.
Here are some possible types of LOs:
Lessons
Texts - accompanied by images, drawings,
sounds and movies, – presenting facts, rules,
principles, laws. procedures… in a deductive
way.
Interactive lessons
(Animations/Simulations)
Guided activities promoting reflections
and encouraging students to search for
solutions in an independent way by means of
animations and simulations that allow them
to “act” (for example maths exercises
developed by means of a tool called Cabrì).
Tests and exercises with electronic
feedback
Self-check tests and other activities
equipped with electronic help and feedback,
scores and evaluation of results (using for
example a development tool called
HotPotatoes).
Individual work
Open exercises – for example written
exercises in a foreign language, or maths
problems - that are to be sent to a tutor, or
to a forum, if it is required that the products
are to be seen by the whole class in order to
make feedback visible and useful for the
group as a whole.
Project work
• start   a   research   on   the   Internet   ­   and   once   the 
 
 
• develop a project.
7. The OpenSource view of sharing Free
Learning Objects
In order to be able to integrate online
learning and face-to-face learning, teachers
should be provided with a wide collection of
LOs from where they could both get what
they need and could enrich it by adding new
LOs.
But developing such a wide collection
goes beyond the possibilities of single
schools and teachers.
And why on earth should each teacher,
each school have to start out again from the
very beginning developing materials that
others have already developed? Why not to
start from the existing materials improving
them?
The OpenSource and Free Software
movement have been establishing – in the
software field – a view that, considered
initially utopian, is now proving to be able to
face the one of proprietary software:
• transparency opposed to trade secret
• copyleft  –   everybody   is   free   to   use   and   modify  The messages contained in the conferences
software/products   provided   that   they   entitle   any  can be considered as LOs: short but
other the same right (Gnu General Public Licence)  complete explanations, exercises, proposals
– opposed to copyright,
• co­operation opposed to competition,  •
• emphasis on the idea of “community”.
If such a view has been successfully
established itself in a context like the
software market, it has all the potential to do
the same in the world of schools and
universities that already represents a
community where the idea of co-operation
has been rooted for long.
Here is, then, a practicable possibility:
schools and individual teachers can co-
operate placing the LOs, already developed,
at the others’ disposal so that the collection
will be likely to boost and develop in line
with the OpenSource movement motto:
“people improve it, people adapt it, people
fix bugs”.
As far as we are concerned – as a group of
ITSOS and SIR Net teachers – we have
started putting this idea in a concrete form.
We have called our project OpenDida just
to remind the features of the OpenSource
movement and we have developed a Web
site accessible at the following address:
www.tes.mi.it/opendidaweb/
.
At the moment the site and its content are
still in Italian and the available LOs have
been mainly developed as FirstClass
messages.
FirstClass is the software that the SIR Net,
comprising numerous Milanese schools, uses
as a communication system. It allows each
student and teacher to be provided with an
Internet address and a WEB space and to
develop a learning environment constituted
by forums/conferences and specific areas for
online learning. Obviously, the LOs have
been developed using such a support.
The OpenDida conference is mirrored on
all the nodes of the Net, but it is also
accessible via browser – e.g.
www.tes.mi.it/opendida2. It contains, dating
from August 2004, numerous conferences
concerning ICTs and other subject such as
maths, physics, organizing systems, …(see
the figure on the following page).
of work, hints for online discussions.
Any teacher can:
use the whole conference with his/her own students 
creating   an   alias   in   the   learning   environment 
specifically created for them,
• use  a   part  of   it  forwarding    only  the  sections   of 
interest   to   the   students   ­   in   case   after   having 
modified   and   integrated   them   with   other   LOs 
developed by the teacher him/herself.
• ask   the   students   themselves   to   integrate   the 
materials with new contents.
This last option is not an unlikely hypothesis at all! 
The conference dedicated to “Organising Systems” 
contain 45 LOs entirely developed by the students 
themselves during the course (18­19 aged students 
attending the fifth form)
The fact that the LOs, so far available, have been 
mainly developed as FC messages does not create 
2
The address www.tes.mi.it/opendida provides access to the Open
Dida discussion conference (and to the conferences containing the
learning materials); www.tes.mi.it/opendidaweb leads to the Web Page
illustrating the project (and to the conferences containing the learning
materials).
 any   problem   to   re­use   them   on   other   platforms.  first referring to SCORMs – in order to
They are anyway accessible via web.  provide guidelines for the production of new
Even if texts, pdf documents and materials and the adaptation of already
presentations do not properly belong to the existing materials.
eLearning field, it has been decided that
OpenDida will host also this kind of At the moment these are only the very
materials. first development of an idea, but we are
But, above all, we intend to go on aware that others have already started
analysing the problem of standardisation – treading similar paths.
Why not walking together to the goal?

[1]  D. Weinberger, “Arcipelago WEB”, Sperling & Kupfer Editori, Milano, 2002, pp 206,207*

[2]  ADL iniziative, <http://www.adlnet.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=abtadl>, 12 August 2004

[3]  A. Calvani, “Costruttivismo, progettazione didattica e tecnologie”, <http://www.scform.unifi.it/lte/doc/Costruttivimo%20e%20progettazione.doc>, 12 August 2004, pp 

2,3*

[4]  S. Alvino. L. Sarti, “Learning object e costruttivismo” Didamatica 2004, Atti a cura di A. Andronico, T. Frignani, G. Poletti, Ferrara 10­12 maggio 2004, Omniacom 

, 
editore, p 761*
   

* Translation provided by the author of this paper