Dear Horse God, about those Digital Learning Objects

Fry: Dear Horse God, I know I don't usually pray to you. Sometimes I doubt you even exist,  but if you're willing to grant me luck... please... stamp your hoof for once.  Futurama

I have been holding back, waiting, just waiting, for the Horse God to stamp her hoof for once about Digital Learning Objects.  Because it didn’t seem to matter how many times I searched the Kia ora and welcome to Te Pātaka Matihiko Our Digital Storehouse site, I just didn’t get it. 

I couldn’t understand why a seemingly retro notion of “knowledge as an object thinking” was being celebrated with such (e) froth and (e) frenzy by our pro constructivism Ministry of Education. 

I wanted to ask why such a pedagogically parlous ict initiative was being funded across state, territory, and federal governments of two countries.

“The Learning Federation (TLF) is an exciting and innovative project that employs emerging technologies to produce world-class online curriculum content to encourage student learning and support teachers in Australian and New Zealand schools. TLF is an initiative of the state, territory and federal governments of Australia and New Zealand.”

I wanted to find out if any one else was asking the same questions I was.

After reading up on the promises made about Digital Learning Objects in the research literature, I remained sceptical. 

After checking out the “New Zealand gateway to the collection of quality learning objects being produced under The Learning Federation (TLF) initiative”, I remained sceptical. 

After talking to New Zealand teachers who were trialing the digital objects, I remained sceptical. 

After experimenting with some of the Digital Learning Objects, I remained sceptical. 

I might have remained sceptical … smugly cynical is a comfortable life_hack – an amusing place to play. 

My mistake was to pursue the reality of these objects in the  Learning Federation Showcase – After all  I reasoned, it would be within the bounds of common (e)sense to suppose that a showcase is where one would plonk the best evidence digital learning objects.   

Scepticism was no longer enough – rampant incredulity made me mute, and was directly responsible for my retreat to the Horse God.

And the final trigger, the "digital learning object catalyst" for an approach to The Horse God  - the New Zealand created showcase digital learning object  - Te Porere - the flag of  Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki, c1860s   

I know the Te Pātaka Matihiko site offers elaboration for the bewildered – aka

For further information about this initiative, please email Joy Hooper, (joy.hooper@minedu.govt.nz),

but when you are bewildered enough to talk to The Horse God, an email to Joy seems manifestly inadequate. 

So did the Horse God stamp her hoof?  You betcha …