Create 4.1.1 Define & Explain Learning Object Authoring Tools

If the LMS is the skeleton of a digital course, then Learning Objects are the meat.  Serving multiple purposes as both stand alone activities or as part of a curricular unit, learning objects are what virtual teachers create in order to make content engaging and relevant for their students.  Below are five tools that educators can use to build interactive learning objects.

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Free Tools

1. Quizlet is a tried-and-true website that allows users to create digital flashcards.  Flashcard sets can also be studied using different modes and games.  And the best part... all the different study modes can be embedded onto your website!

2. Blendspace is a great option for building learning objects quickly and easily.  I am particularly drawn to the platform's functionality as a place to curate web resources, to assess student learning, and to monitor student progress in real time.  As a free site, this is a great addition to a virtual teacher's tech toolbox.

3. TEDEd is a super easy tool for building super engaging learning objects!  Whether you want to use a lesson that has already been created or if you want to customize your own lesson, students will appreciate the interesting content and interactive platform.

Fee/Subscription Based Tools

4. Smore is a website that I've used a lot in my own classroom and I've even showcased it as part of this blog!  I love smore as a way to build learning objects because you can incorporate text, images, video, forms, and links to other websites.  The finished product is a well-organized and beautiful flyer that translates nicely across all devices and computers.  The downside- with one email address you can only make six flyers for free.  However, with an annual fee (that is extremely discounted for educators, I might add) you can create unlimited flyers with awesome customized features!

5. Online Quiz Creator is an online quiz/trivia generator that promises to make learning content fun, engaging, and meaningfully addictive.  With trivia apps and games so popular among our teenagers today, I really like how this online quiz platform allows teachers to create professional looking quizzes and how its interface is built like a trivia challenge. With the free "Tiny Owl" account, teachers can create unlimited quizzes (15 questions per quiz) but with an upgraded "Teacher Owl" account, the features seem to good to pass up- unlimited quizzes, tests, and assessments with analytics!