Learning Objects Need Badly Instructional Digital Libraries Support

Department of Informatics, Petroleum-Gas University of PloiestiBd. Bucuresti 39, Ploiesti, Romaniae-mail: mvladoiu@yahoo.comReceived: July 2003Abstract. In this paper, we present a standard definitio n for learning objects, a controversy aroundit, and the resulted working definition, along with features to be held by learning objects, benefits ofthe object-oriented approach for learning, some pros and cons for using learning objects, and finallysome quality standard guidelines for these objects. In addition, we introduce shortly a taxonomy oflearning object types and the metadata standards that can be used for learning objects and the waythey inter-relate. An overview of the content and capabilities of the instructional digital librariesavailable on the web is presented too. We conclude by pointing out some possible solutions formeaningful use of the learning objects that can be found on the web, either by construction of reallyuseful community instructional digital libraries, or by using non-authoritative metadata to find theselearning resources. Involving the conscious user in the process of making sense of the huge quantityof learning resources to be available on the web is, in our view, the only straightforward way tohaving fast access to the most appropriate (instructional) resource that is needed for a particular(educational) aim.Key words: learning objects, instructional digital library, metadata standards, non-authoritativemetadata, scholar communities, community instructional digital libraries.