Stephen Downes

The author advocates the development of small learning modules - not learning objects, just shorter lessons. Longer courses are "great for grandma who just began developing her computer skills, but what I really need to know is how to create an Excel pivot table. I don't want to waste my time searching through the table of contents of e-learning modules to find the topic. I certainly do not want to pay for an entire Excel module when I only need a specific topic. What I want is a short module on pivot tables." This is right, obviously, and if what the author describes are not learning objects, then so much for learning objects.