Browse Full Menu of Learning Objects You Can Build


This page lists all of the types of learning objects in the Learning Objects Lab that librarians can build. They are listed alphabetically BY NAME. Scroll down to find a relevant learning object, or use the Learning Objects Index on the lower left. Before building your own, be sure to consult the Guidelines at left.

You may also browse BY GOAL, BY TYPE, BY SOFTWARE, or BY EXPERT. Read more about LOL.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY TOOL

Greatly simplifies the process of creating, maintaining and updating annotated bibliographies. Rather than manually cutting and pasting information, authors can import HOLLIS records with a single mouse click. The application automatically checks for changes in cataloging records, and alerts authors when any are found. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:


Other Examples: African Video Collection, Germanic Film Database, Online Resources for Music Scholars


Type:
Database

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search and identify recommended information resources, among other things.

Estimated Production Time: Varies (depends on level of customization)

Recommended Software: Bibliography authors seeking to create an annotated bibliography using the new tool are encouraged to submit requests using the ITS Online Special Request Form. Note: This learning object makes use of the Virtual Collections Tool.

Publication Options: Can be integrated directly into course iSites and/or added to the HCL Web in a non-iSites format.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Bassey Irele, Chris Jaris  (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.) See also: HCL News: Author/User Comments

  HELPFUL TIPS:

CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE MOVIE

A short, interactive movie created for research instruction, outreach, or orientation. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example: The full movie and accompanying credits are also available.


Type:
Video, Classroom Response System

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students interact with the learning material, give feedback, value or get excited about featured content, identify or differentiate between information resources, strategize approaches to research (such as critical evaluation, etc.), among other things. Caveat: Use judiciously; this approach requires that students will be motivated to watch an interactive, nonlinear, moving presentation. It may also consume class time.

Estimated Production Time:  2-3 months

Recommended Software: iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut, combined with Flash and/or DVD technology. Note: Hardware also recommended (clickers); contact Daniel Jamous (jamous@fas.harvard.edu) at ATG to borrow for use in Lamont B-30, where TurningPoint is already installed.

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Michael Hemment, Paul Worster, Ramona Islam, Peter Reuell (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

EMBEDDED CHAT WIDGET

Add a chat widget to a course iSite or your LibGuide to enable students to chat with you in real time over the web. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

See also: Online Resources for Music Scholars Guide, Library Research Guide for South Asian, Sanskrit and Indian Studies


Type:
Widget

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students ask research questions or interact with a librarian, among other things.

Estimated Production Time:  1-2 hours

Recommended Software: Meebo, AIM

Publication Options: Can be integrated into HCL LibGuides, FAS course iSites, and most other web pages by simply adding a bit of HTML code.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Kerry Masteller, Liza Vick, Ramona Islam (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

EXHIBIT TOOL

Exhibit is an open source tool developed at MIT that allows users to easily create searchable online databases. The data for an Exhibit site can "live" in a Google docs spreadsheet.  Images need to be sized and linked manually. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS below.

Example: Manuscript Facsimilies

HELPFUL TIPS

MIT's Exhibit Tool Page

Documentation for Manuscript Facsimiles' Project (PDF)

HARVARD LIBX

A Firefox or Internet Explorer browser extension that provides instant access to the HOLLIS or HOLLIS Classic catalogs, Citation Linker, and Harvard e-resources and e-journals from your Firefox or Internet Explorer toolbar. LibX also automatically links ISSNs, PubMed IDs, and DOIs to Harvard's licensed e-journals. To use it, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:


Type:
Browser Toolbar Add-On

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students identify information resources (mainly books or journals, but sometimes articles) available at Harvard while searching or browsing the open Web, including Amazon, Yahoo!, Google, PubMed, and the NY Times Book Review online.

Estimated Production Time:  10-15 min. 

Recommended Software: No special software required. See installation instructions.

Publication Options: This tool resides on each researcher's individual PC. No publication required.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

LIBGUIDES WIDGET

LibGuides widgets enable you to embed your LibGuides content anywhere on the web, including course iSites. You can pick between two menu options for your widgets: "Featured Guides | About" and "Guides | New | Popular | About". The first option is better if you are creating a widget with specific content for a specific discipline, while the second option is more appropriate for general widgets you create to advertise your LibGuides system. Widget background color is fully customizable. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:



See more examples on LibGuides Demo Page.


Type:
Widget

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search and identify recommended information resources, among other things.

Estimated Production Time:  15-30 min.

Recommended Software: No special software required (use LibGuides). See instructions on how to create a widget in LibGuides.

Publication Options: For course iSites, make sure to obtain faculty permission before adding this widget. Clarify where the widget will appear and its size.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

LIBRARIAN PROFILE WIDGET

Create a librarian profile topic box in iSites and share it into a course iSite to let students know who their library research contact or liaison is and how to get in touch. Including your photograph adds a personal touch and is highly recommended. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.


Example:
iSites:


See Also: LibGuides Example 1, LibGuides Example 2, LibGuides Example 3

Type: Widget 

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students ask for research assistance, interact with a librarian, and value librarian expertise.

Estimated Production Time:  15 min.

Recommended Software: for image editing - Photoshop or Fireworks; for embedding - No special software required (use iSites or LibGuides)

Publication Options: This topic box can, with faculty permission, easily be added to course iSites. LibGuides, by default, have a librarian profile box. 

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

LIBRARY MULTI SEARCH TOOL

The Library Mutli Search Tool (also known as the Widget Generator) is a utility designed by OIS to generate snippets of HTML you can use to enhance a web site with library system functionality. The Widget Generator uses a simple wizard-like interface to help you select resources, modify form labels, test the form and generate the HTML. Then you just copy the markup and paste into a web page. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:



See also: Andover-Harvard Library Homepage


Type:
Widget, Database

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search a group of library e-resources most likely to contain information of relevance for their topics.

Estimated Production Time:  1-2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required. To create one, see the E-Research Form Generator.

Publication Options: Can easily be added to course iSites (with faculty permission) and HCL LibGuides by simply copying/pasting the HTML created by the form generator.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

LIVE QUESTION TOOL

Live Question Tool is a web-based service that lets audience members at a presentation post questions for the speaker. As questions are added, other participants can submit comments and cast votes for the questions they hope to see answered first. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below. Also Try: http://www.tricider.com/ and http://atg.fas.harvard.edu/technology-categories/classroom-participation-and-polling
Example:


Type: Classroom Response System


Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students anonymously ask questions during class (in hopes that they will receive answers that help them better understand the content), give feedback, and interact with the teacher and one another. Due to its novelty and interactivity, it also has special potential for helping students get excited about or value their learning, among other things. Caveat: Avoid usage when teaching material that requires focus and concentration or serious reflection.

Estimated Production Time:  10-15 min.

Recommended Software: No special software required. To create one, see the Live Question Tool Creation Area. See also: Piazza

Publication Options: N/A

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

MOVIE

A short movie created for research instruction, outreach, or orientation. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:


Type:
Video

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students value or get excited about featured content, identify or differentiate between information resources, strategize approaches to research (such as critical evaluation, etc.), among other things. Caveat: Use judiciously; this approach requires that students will be motivated to watch a linear, moving presentation.

Estimated Production Time:  3-4 weeks

Recommended Software: iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Michael Hemment, Paul Worster, Ramona Islam, Peter Reuell (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

PERSONAL RESPONSE CLICKERS & LEARNING CATALYTICS

A useful tool for anonymously polling students and presenting their feedback to your questions during class. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:


Type:
Classroom Response System

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students analyze and critically evaluate information or differentiate between types of information, give feedback, and interact with content and the ideas of their peers. Used properly, it may help students to get excited about the class.

Estimated Production Time:  3-4 hours

Recommended Software: Learning Catalytics (now aquired by Pearson) or TurningPoint (free download, for polling with handheld clickers, which you may borrow from Lamont B-30 or from ATG), or TurningPoint AnyWhere (free download, for polling via the Internet). See manuals. Lamont B-30 is already equipped with TurningPoint software on both Instructor PCs.

Publication Options: N/A

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Daniel Jamous, ATG and Ramona Islam, HCL.

  HELPFUL TIPS:

PREZI

A web-based presentation application and storytelling tool that uses a single canvas instead of traditional slides. Text, images, videos and other presentation objects are placed on the infinite canvas and grouped together in frames. The canvas allows users to create non-linear presentations, where they can zoom in and out of a visual map. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:



See also: Prezi: Technology for the Classroom


Type:
Slide Show

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students analyze or understand part-to-whole relationships. If used as an active-learning tool, Prezi can encourage interaction through its non-sequential display capabilities.

Estimated Production Time:  1-2 weeks

Recommended Software: No special software required (Use Prezi)

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

SCREENCAST TUTORIAL

A screencast video created for research instruction, outreach, or orientation. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:


Type:
Video, Screencast

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students follow a model demonstrating how to do something on a screen, identify or differrentiate between information resources, or strategize approaches to research, among other things. Caveat: Use judiciously; this approach requires that students will be motivated to watch a linear, moving presentation.

Estimated Production Time:  7-11+ hours

Recommended Software: for screen recording - Camtasia or Screenflow; for editing - same, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Michael Hemment, Paul Worster, Ramona Islam (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

SCREENCAST WITH VIDEO OR STILL CAMERA FOOTAGE

A screencast, incorporating movie camera footage, created for research instruction, outreach, or orientation. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

 


Type:
Video, Screencast

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students follow a model demonstrating how to do something on a screen, value featured content, identify or differrentiate between information resources, or strategize approaches to research. Caveat: Use judiciously; this approach requires that students will be motivated to watch a linear, moving presentation.

Estimated Production Time:  1 month+

Recommended Software: for screen recording - Camtasia or Screenflow; for editing - same, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Michael Hemment, Paul Worster, Peter Reuell, Ramona Islam (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

SHARED REFWORKS LIBRARY

RefShare provides RefWorks users with a quick and easy way to share their research information, further enhancing collaborative research. Users can share their RefWorks references with both members of their own institution and globally with any researcher having Internet access. To build your own shared database, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:



See also: Plug & Play Virtual Library.


Type:
Database


Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students devise/create their own bibliographies, give feedback on selected resources in their own or others' bibliographies (through comments), interact with one another's bibliographies, and organize/manage references.

Estimated Production Time:  Sharing takes 10 min. (Production time varies for building the RefWorks database behind RefShare.)

Recommended Software: No special software required (use RefWorks).

Publication Options: Can exist as a stand-along web page or integrated into HCL LibGuides or course iSites using an iFrame.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

SLIDE SHOW OF HARVARD COLLECTIONS

A slide show that rotates digital surrogate images from Harvard's collections, such as those in VIA or museums. These slide shows can be embedded in research guides. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

See also: Using Anthropological Literature (see it in the Learning Objects Showcase) and Music 1b: Introduction to Western Music from Beethoven to the Present


Type:
Slide Show

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students value featured collections and serendipitously identify featured images, documents, or objects of scholarly interest.

Estimated Production Time:  2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required; however, it may be helpful to edit images first in Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe Fireworks.

Publication Options: Can be integrated into HCL LibGuides, FAS course iSites, and most other web pages by simply uploading images and adding a bit of JavaScript code.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

SLIDE SHOW THAT ROTATES UPON RELOAD

A slide show that rotates images when the web page is refreshed. These slide shows can be embedded in research guides. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.

Example:

See also: Inter Libros (research spotlight)


Type:
Slide Show

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students value featured collections and serendipitously identify featured images, documents, or objects of scholarly interest.

Estimated Production Time:  2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required; however, it may be helpful to edit images first in Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe Fireworks.

Publication Options: Can be integrated into HCL LibGuides, FAS course iSites, and most other web pages by simply uploading images and adding a bit of JavaScript code.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

TodaysMeet

Pair up students and allow them to share their ideas with the full class (and document for future use) by typing those ideas into TodaysMeet.

VOICETHREAD

A collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows students to navigate pages and leave comments. VoiceThreads can even be embedded to show and receive comments on other websites and exported to MP3 players or DVDs to play as archival movies. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

 


Type:
Slide Show

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students analyze, critically evaluate, understand, give feedback about, and use/search featured information resources, such as primary documents, images, videos, presentations, etc. VoiceThread may also encourage students to value or get excited about subject matter because it offers an opportunity to interact with content and with other students through webcam video, microphone, telephone, text, or image and through file uploads of their own.

Estimated Production Time:  2 weeks

Recommended Software: No special software required (Use VoiceThread)

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

  HELPFUL TIPS:

note

Maybe add a "by software" tab? It depends . . .

 

Another note: In examples, should we strive to link to every possible relevant example from HCL/Harvard (in addition to examples from elsewhere)? Is this serving also as a sort of LOR, via the examples? If we did this, how could we maintain it?