A first step towards a theory of learning objects

With the advent of the Internet, it is not hyperbole to say we now live in a connected society where free access to information has become a necessary feature of life for many of those benefiting from the use of information technologies. New communication options have opened up our society, creating new opportunities for leisure activities, commerce and social development, to name only a few. This chapter is concerned with information technology as it is applied to the educational process. But our concern is not with information technology and education in general, but with a specific example of information technology that is being created to bolster the educational system (elementary schools and post-secondary), known as the learning object (LO).