Esa Kujansuu

Tampere University of Applied Sciences

Finland

Collaboration on learning objects –Expectations and Reality

Codewitz Network

34 partners

2 EU funded projects:Codewitz-Minerva2003 - 2006Codewitz-Asialink2004 - 2007

198 Learning objects have been produced

Only interactiveprogram code visualizations

& exercises

Since 2001

Codewitz Learning Objects

Program code visualizationsExercisesBasic StrcuturesAdvanced StructuresIteration LogicObject Oriented ProgrammingAlgorithmsEmbedded Systems

Collaboration on visualizations

Making illustrations

Rewarding

Nice and productive

Challenging

Needs a lot of time

A lot of work

A single CodewitzLO required in

average 14 days of work…

Production of interactive visualization LOs is

Why not share the work → collaboration

Depos i t 1 LO – Ge t 10 LOs

Great idea!

Let’s do it!

I get 10 for 1, great!

Yes!Less work!

We’re in!

Ok, I know you have nice LOs ready. Please deposit (upload)!

Ok, but we need to finish those first…

Those are only for my course, not

suitable for public use…

Ok, next year I will make one for public

use…But your LOs are great. Please just upload!I don’t really want

to publish those

I need to ask about copyright….Just too much work,

not enough time…

I don’t have funding…

etc. etc. …

Codewitz idealistic approach:

Deposit 1LO – Get 10 LOs(Unrealistic approach)

Results up today since 2001

Not a single LO uploaded without funding!

Only network coordinator has

made non-funded deposits

All other LOs have been made with EU funding!

REALITY

“No funding → no LOs”

Case: Technology to use

Flash

Shockwave

Applet

Which one to use?

Common decision:Let’s use the best

technology available!

Result: Used technologies

FLASH

SHOCKWAVE

APPLET

No common agreement was possible…

Case: Layout & Interactivity

GOAL: Students should have a uniform user-interface

The only possible agreements were

RESULT: Great variation appears between LOs

Code on left Memory on right

Navigation in centre

Case: Techniques to be used

Original idea:Visualization is step-by-step illustration

The idea was mostly followed (excluding exercises)

Exceptions were mostly due to content or technique

But one partner decided to make instead a digital book with Flash

Despite numerous discussions with many other partners the decision remained

This one partner always explained their students do not need visualization or interactivity…

Case: Courses, modules or LOs

Should a project produce courses or modules or stand-alone LOs?

Full courses, of course!

Anything else is useless!

Naturally modules for a

teacher to build courses!

The only option is to make stand-alone

LOs!

The teacher should create the courses

with LOs!

All options have their dedicated supporters!

Remarks from projects

Collaboration is not always easy

Consensus may not be possible

Some ideas/designs may not work well with

other ideas

A partner may not agree with any other partner

To get partners to work synchronized is almost

impossible

There can be language problems

There can be cultural problems

Collaboration between different projects is very

difficult

Too high expectations may fail easily

Funding is mandatory!

If you begin a project

Prepare for resistance from

University

Faculty

Colleagues

Partners

Sponsor

Students

If you have a great project idea...

...it doesn’t mean students or staff would like it!

Conclusions

The importance of the partners/people

can not be overemphasized!

Carefully select the partners you begin to

work with!

People are important!

Not the famous universities!

When you have the right people all you need is funding…

When you have the funding all you need is to get the

people to work together for the same goal…

When people work together their work should be

integrated…

Only challenges…

It sounds like all you need is a miracle…

But with the right people involved it is possible and it will

be worth the trouble!

Don’t get it wrong

Share the work!

Find Partners!

Collaborate!

If you find a good partner who

NEVER LOOSE TOUCH WITH SUCH PARTNER!

…shares your ideas

…agrees withyou technically

…has time and resources

More information

www.codewitz.net

www.igualproject.org