How are Learning Objects Used in Learning Processes? Instructional Roles of Learning Objects in LOM

In order to reuse and exchange learning objects we need information about these learning objects. The LOM draft standard defines a set of more than 70 attributes, which specify learning object properties like author, title, subject, and many others, including the relationship of one learning object to other learning objects. However, even though the LOM draft includes a category educational, no information is included in the standard to specify, which instructional roles are played by a learning object within a course. In this paper, we show how to include this important didactic information using the concept of instructional roles and relations in a way, which is extensible and flexible enough to specify not only general didactic criteria, but rather specific criteria, as prescribed by different instructional theories.