Object Orientation Issues in SCORM and CORDRA
SCORM defines metadata of learning objects, which is used as the elementary reusable components in distance learning. CORDRA provides a common architecture for the resolution, discovery, and sharing of learning objects. As a consequence, reusable learning objects can be discovered and reused by many content designers.
However, current CORDRA and definition of objects in SCORM (i.e., asset, SCO, etc) only allows an object to be copied and re-organized in a new content aggregation, which is used as a delivery package for end users. This type of reusability is primitive. Similar concepts were found in the early age of programming language theories (e.g., copy a Fortran subroutine). Reusability in CORDRA can be re-considered from the perspective of object-orientation.
One example is whenever a content creator reuses an SCO. System dependent information (e.g., version of MS Windows or LMS to deliver such SCO) can be overridden if the SCO can be automatically adopted. Another is when someone reuses a content aggregation (or the entire course package), sequence behaviors can be adjusted (i.e., rewriting of sequence rules) to accommodate a particular type of students. In addition, a learning object can be reused in several stages by different users via different topology. Thus, the evolution of reusing on a particular learning object in CORDRA can be tracked in a structure. We call the structure a Reusability Tree. In general, a reusability tree is distributed. It exists in several repositories, which construct a federated CORDRA.
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