Learning Resources – Material Types

Learning Resources Materials are materials that are used for teaching a course.

Below are definitions of the Material Types that can be selected during the upload process for both the “Primary Material Type” field and the “Secondary/Other Material Type” field.

  1. Animation: Successive drawings that create an illusion of movement when shown in sequence. The animations visually and dynamically presents concepts, models, processes, and/or phenomena in space or time. Users can control their pace and movement through the material typically, but they cannot determine and/or influence the initial conditions or their outcomes/results. Animations typically do not contain real people, places or things in movement..
  2. Assessment Tool: Forms, templates, and technologies for measuring performance.
  3. Assignment: Activities or lesson plans designed to enable students to learn skills and knowledge.
  4. Case Study: A narrative resource describing a complex interaction of real life factors  to help illustrate the impact and/or interactions of concepts and factors in depth.
  5. Collection: A meaningful organization of learning resources such as web sites, documents, apps, etc. that provides users an easier way to discover the materials..
  6. Development Tool: Software development applications platforms for authoring technology-based resources (e.g. web sites, learning objects, apps.).
  7. Drill and Practice: Requires users to respond repeatedly to questions or stimuli presented in a variety of sequences. Users practice on their own, at their own pace, to develop their ability to reliably perform and demonstrate the target knowledge and skills.
  8. ePortfolio: A collection of electronic materials assembled and managed by a user. These may include text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and links. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user’s abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement.
  9. Hybrid/Blended Course: The organization and presentation of course curriculum required to deliver a complete course that blends online and face-to-face teaching and learning activities.
  10. Illustration/Graphic: Visual concepts, models, and/or processes (that are not photographic images) that visually present concepts, models, and/or processes that enable students to learn skills or knowledge. These can be diagrams, illustrations, graphics or infographics in any file format including Photoshop, Illustrator and other similar file types.
  11. Learning Object Repository: A searchable database of at least 100 online resources that is available on the Internet and whose search result displays an ordered hit list of items with a minimum of title metadata. A webpage with a list of links is not a learning object repository.
  12. Online Course: The organization and presentation of course curriculum required to deliver a complete course fully online.
  13. Online Course Module: A component or section of a course curriculum that can be presented fully online and independent from the complete course.
  14. Open Journal – Article: A journal or article in a journal that is free of cost from the end user and has a Creative Commons, public domain, or other acceptable use license agreement.
  15. Open Textbook: An online textbook offered by its author(s) with Creative Commons, public domain, or other acceptable use license agreement allowing use of the ebook at no additional cost.
  16. Photographic Image – Instructional: Photos or images of real people, places or things that visually presents concepts, processes and/or phenomena that enable students to learn skills or knowledge. These can be photographs, images, or stock photography.
  17. Presentation: Teaching materials (text and multimedia) that are used to present curriculum and concepts to learners.
  18. Quiz/Test: Any assessment device intended to evaluate the knowledge and/or skills of learners.
  19. Reference Material: Material with no specific instructional objectives and similar to that found in the reference area of a library. Subject specific directories to other sites, texts, or general information are examples.
  20. Simulation: Approximates a real or imaginary experience where users’ actions affect the outcomes of tasks they have to complete. Users determine and input initial conditions that generate output that is different from and changed by the initial conditions.
  21. Social Networking Tool: Websites and apps that allows users to communicate with others connected in a network of self-identified user groups for the purpose of sharing information, calls for actions, and reactions.
  22. Syllabus: A document or website that outlines the requirements and expectations for completing a course of study. Course Outlines would also be included in this.
  23. Tutorial: Users navigate through a set of scaffolded learning activities designed to meet stated learning objectives, structured to impart specific concepts or skills, and organized sequentially to integrate conceptual presentation, demonstration, practice and testing.  Feedback on learner performance is an essential component of a tutorial.
  24. Video – Instructional: A recording of moving visual images that show real people, places and things that enable students to learn skills or knowledge.
  25. Workshop and Training Material: Materials best used in a workshop setting for the purpose of professional development.
  26. Other