Debunking the Buzz Words OR Can hermeneutic analysis be used to evaluate pedagogically based learning objects designed from constructivist epistemological ontologies defined in XML Metadata?
Abstract: Arguably the biggest ‘buzz word’ of the current year has been ‘learning or knowledge object’. To understand the learning object and why it should be such a highly desirable commodity, we need to unpack not only this concept but more importantly revisit some contributing concepts and constructs (more buzz words) that support the building of truly pedagogically informed reusable objects (Boyle & Cook 2001). The words and relationships explored in this paper are: 1. Learning or knowledge objects - the desirable construct in today’s E-learning environment. 2. Ontologies and ways of expressing them through topic maps as they allow us to define and describe the components of an entity. 3. Metadata and XML used to create categorise, label and communicate the value of these objects. 4. Hermeneutics and phenomenology as they refer to the interpretation of experience and events and evaluation of learning events
Presider: Maggie McVay-Lynch, Oregon Health and Science University