1

The aim of this project was to explore and create innovative digital learning solutions to support the development of pre-service and in-service early childhood educators’ professional skills. Early childhood educator (ECE) is a title that can be used in Ontario solely by those who are registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). The CECE is the regulatory body for ECEs, having been formed to focus on standards of practice and quality in early childhood education professional practice, as well as to protect public interest (Welcome to the CECE, n.d.). One of the requirements for maintaining registration with the CECE is completing the Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Portfolio annually. This is a self-directed process in which RECEs develop a professional learning goal after reflecting on their practice, and then document their plan and engagement in their learning activities (CPL Portfolio Cycle, n.d., section 1).

Whether an ECE is newly registered or pre-service, there are many areas of continuous learning that could be engaged in. For example, educators might have goals related to communication with parents, program planning, or making their learning environment more inclusive and diverse. Research has shown that two areas where ECEs struggle are meaningfully integrating digital technology into their work with children and a lack of professional development opportunities (Aldhafeeri et al., 2016; Bird & Edwards, 2014; Vidal-Hall et al., 2020). Three DLOs are presented as a solution to these challenges, with the areas of focus chosen based on a combination of personal experiences and interest. I chose to focus on topics that are both timely and vital areas of learning in which ECEs need support. The areas of focus for the DLOs are noticing skills within the learning environment, understanding and applying the Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence (ABC) model for observing and responding to children’s behaviours, and being cognizant and responsive to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in ECE settings. These DLOs are hosted on eCampusOntario H5P Studio for reusability and accessibility, making them easy to share and utilize. The topics are highly relevant for anyone in the field, both new and experienced, and hosting the DLOs on eCampusOntario’s H5P Studio enables them to be used, reused, and shared easily for continuous learning. As well, the DLOs themselves are interactive with many reflective prompts, designed in a way that enables learners to use them multiple times and always be able to take away new learning. More on this will be explored in the About the Three DLOs section.

The first DLO is a collection of four hot-spot images organized in a column titled Get to Know Your Learning Environment: All Parts 1-4, centred around observing a daycare classroom using noticing skills with prompts for reflection and critical thinking. Second, is a branching scenario object introducing, exploring, and applying a model for observing and responding to children’s behaviours called ABC Reflection & Analysis: Exploring Antecedent, Behaviour, and Consequence in ECE. Finally, the third is another branching scenario which introduces and prompts interaction which is titled Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in ECE Environments. These topics are essential skills for ECEs and the objects are easily accessible, making them a highly relevant choice when educators set out to choose interactive learning materials to help them meet the goals in their CPL portfolios.

In the following sections, I examine previous definitions of learning objects and DLOs before providing an updated working definition. The need for innovative digital learning solutions is then explored in relation to integrating digital technologies into the field of ECE. This is followed by a brief literature review that covers impactful research about DLOs and constructing learning. Next, the design process and choices for each of the three DLOs is explored, detailing the type, purpose, and learning value of each object. Lastly, I probe into possibilities for future research and alternative graduate projects, suggesting DLOs and other innovative projects could begin to bridge the gap between theory and meaningfully incorporating digital technologies in practice.

1.1 Defining Digital Learning Objects

It is vital to first understand what exactly digital learning objects (DLOs) are before investigating their use and design, and how they can be used to support early childhood educators. Researchers have defined learning objects (LOs) in a variety of ways. For example, Johnson (2003) and Smith (2004) both define a LO as any group of resources that have been meaningfully structured for an educational objective. This could include any number of different formats (video, text, images), topics, and educational goals. The meaningfulness of the structure comes from the resources being related in topic or goal, and intentionally arranged in some form of logical order with a clear educational aim (Johnson, 2003). Under this definition, a small collection of journal articles structured to guide learners through understanding what the Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence (ABC) model for observing behaviour is (Bureau of Quality Improvement Services, 2015; Snell et al., 2014), could be counted as a learning object.

More recently with the introduction of digital as an identifier, definitions evolved to consist of some form of web-based or delivered LO that has been created to support specific learning through the development of focussed knowledge and/or skills (Falloon, 2015; Hart & Passmore, 2010; Kay, 2012). This newer definition emphasizes the need to identify particular learning goals when creating LOs, as well as the increasing demand for digitally sharable resources. An article from Falloon (2015) emphasizes that DLOs ought to be designed to be “bite-sized” (p. 41) and support the development of specific skills and knowledge. The manageable size is further supported by the definition put forth by Hart & Passmore (2010), in that the “teaching and learning of a focused educational objective” is supported by DLOs (p. 41). Kay (2012) specifies that DLOs are web-based learning objects that should be interactive and support learning “by enhancing, amplifying and/or guiding the cognitive processes of learners” (p. 352). Interestingly, Falloon (2015) is the only definition in my research that includes being intentional from the design stage when making DLOs.

For this project, I use a working definition that synthesizes the research mentioned above. Here, I define a DLO as a reusable and digitally sharable artifact which has been intentionally created to support the learning of particular concepts, ideas, and/or skills in a way that is not cognitively overwhelming for the intended audience. This means that just about any type of digital object or artifact could be a DLO, so long as it 1) has been intentionally created for learning purposes, 2) can be used more than once and shared in a digital format for the learner to engage with actively, and 3) is developmentally appropriate for the target audience without presenting too much or too little information related to the intended learning (i.e. “bite-sized”). It is important to note here that being actively engaged mainly focuses on cognitive engagement and participation, but depending on the purpose of the DLO it could include physical activity. For example, a DLO could be made for guided exercises such as yoga poses, or for young children to work on their hand-eye coordination and ability to notice small details by using a combination of hotspot images, drag-and-drop and/or matching activities.

The digital learning objects in this project meet all the criteria identified above. Two are branching scenarios, and one is a column consisting of hotspot images, hosted on eCampusOntario H5P Studio (eCampusOntario, n.d.). This allows them to be freely shared with learners and educators alike, as well as make them available as an Open Educational Resource (OER) through their catalogue. From the ideation and initial prototyping stages, these DLOs have been designed to support the learning and development of pre-service early childhood educators and in-service ECEs’ professional skills. For example, noticing and observation skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, the ABC model (Bureau of Quality Improvement Services, 2015; Snell et al., 2014), and concepts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The size of the objects, language used, and types of interactivities are designed to be manageable for the target learners, in particular the ability to leave, return, and reuse as many times as they might need. Design choices for my DLOs will be covered in more detail in the Intentional Design section. Additional terminology definitions such as types of interactives and a table noting which activities are contained within each DLO can be seen in Appendix A. Armed now with a common understanding of what exactly a DLO is, the question turns to, so what?

1.2 Importance to the Field

In the last few years, the field of early childhood education and the rest of the world experienced drastic changes in the face of COVID-19. In February 2020, employment for early childhood workers across Canada dropped by 21%, compared to only 3% of other workers (Uppal & Savage, 2021, para. 1). For students enrolled in post-secondary education, placements in this time ceased if they could not be switched to online delivery (Kay et al., 2020). This includes the Early Childhood Education Program (ECEP) students, as the field of ECE is generally not equipped for online or remote placements since they are an experiential learning opportunity. Indeed, early childhood education has long been a place where children and educators come together in the physical space to engage in learning experiences. Without a perceived need to use technology, digital spaces and tools have been left behind and, consequently, ECEs generally do not learn a lot about digital technologies during their college years.

ECEs have expressed that they find it challenging to integrate digital technologies into their work (Edwards & Bird, 2015) and effectively align it with their approaches to early learning (Aldhafeeri et al., 2016; Bird & Edwards, 2014; Vidal-Hall et al., 2020). Some research attributes this to a lack of training and professional development, and not knowing where to begin when setting out to use digital technologies within their practice (Aldhafeeri et al., 2016; Bird & Edwards, 2014; Marsh et al., 2016). Other findings from research involving ECEs indicates that the trouble with integrating digital technology meaningfully into early years programs is due to a disconnect and conflict between using tech personally, and using technologies as a part of the learning environment (Aldhafeeri et al., 2016; Vidal-Hall et al., 2020). This challenge presents a gap in knowledge for practitioners and within the curriculum for educators-in-training, calling for a change of mindset and reconceptualization. What, then, does this have to do with digital learning objects?

Integrating digital technologies (such as DLOs) meaningfully into ECEs’ own learning would provide an opportunity to learn not only about the topics covered in the DLOs, but about the affordances and possibilities of using digital technology through experiential learning. DLOs present endless possibilities for creating and providing professional development opportunities that incorporate technology, a topic that is very relevant to the challenges ECEs have expressed related to integrating technology into their work (Edwards & Bird, 2015). Using DLOs in college-level ECE programs (both in general and as a possible supplement for placements) and as professional development (PD) for the CPL could address the lack of professional development opportunities regarding using digital technologies through leading by example. In other words, giving good examples of how to utilize digital technologies interactively and using them effectively in their own learning would help ECEs to see the possibilities for learning with technology. This might also help to mitigate the possibility of lost placement experience, as was the case with COVID-19. As well, if ECE programs incorporated the development of DLOs, it would serve to provide the field with research-informed open resources, build digital technology confidence, and involve ECEs in constructing their learning on two fronts. The first is how to create and use DLOs and digital technology meaningfully, and the second is the topic covered within the DLO. Findings from Mcleod & Carabott (2017) indicate that when pre-service educators have to create digital learning objects, they gain a deeper understanding of technologies and pedagogy, as well as the content within the DLOs. Without learning supports about digital technologies in ECE, or ones that meaningfully use technology such as the DLOs in this project, we could see a continuation of outcomes such as outright refusing to adopt technology (Hatzigianni et al., 2018; Undheim, 2021) or ineffectively adopting tech such as DLOs based on a keep-up or get-left-behind mindset (Webster, 2017).

1.3 Driving Force: My Interest in DLOs

Before setting out on a project to address a gap, we begin with an idea – a passion or curiosity that sparks interest to push through the months of dedicated research and ingenuity. For myself, this spark-turned-flame originates with a desire to support the practical application of what the research says about DLOs and in moving theory into practice. Sometimes, the issue with turning theory into practice is that ECEs may not know what exactly to do with what they have read. Certainly, it is not for lack of education, as 71% of childcare workers have completed some form of education beyond high school – this compared to 64.5% of all other workers, according to statistics from a 2021 study performed in Canada (Uppal & Savage, 2021). However, it bears mentioning that while approximately 47% of childcare workers have a college or apprenticeship certificate or diploma, just under 24% have a diploma, certificate, or higher from a university (Uppal & Savage, 2021).

My past research and work experiences have spanned a variety of topics, most often centred around practical applications of what I have learned, as well as the affordances and intentional use of digital technologies for deep learning. For example, creating freely accessible micro-credentials, video vignettes to support pre-service teachers in developing EDI (equity, diversity, inclusion) skills, and a variety of non-disposable or renewable learning resources. Inspiration for this project also came from a series of research papers I completed in my leadership courses, where I investigated digital play and technology within the field of early childhood education, the need for ECE leadership with regards to digital technologies, and a possible intersection between the lack of technology in seminal ECE publications (see Appendix B) and the high job-loss rate of ECEs during COVID-19. As mentioned previously, employment for Canadian early childhood workers dropped 18% more than all other workers in this time (Uppal & Savage, 2021). As such, I wondered if perhaps becoming more confident with technology and digital tools in general, and DLOs specifically, could not only have mitigated some of the job loss but also more readily provide ECEs with meaningful professional development opportunities. With this project, my main goal was to create something different and unique, while at the same time giving back practical, non-disposable digital artifacts that would support ECEs to incorporate research-informed learning into practice.

A further driving force behind pursuing the creation of DLOs for pre-service and in-service ECEs is my own experience in attempting to find good quality learning opportunities for professional development. When I first became a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE), I was fresh out of college and continuing to pursue higher education. Consequently, spending money on professional development for the CPL portfolio, which is mandated by the CECE, was not an option. As employers do not have to provide PD opportunities, RECEs are often left to search for their own. Many free resources I found in my PD journey were not interactive. For example, watching but not participating in webinars, or the self-imposed process of locating and analyzing open-sourced materials such as videos and articles. I believe that learning and meaningful changes happen when the learners are actively engaged, so I found myself at a loss.

During my undergraduate degree, I dedicated myself to continuing my research into the field of early childhood education, and pursuing educational design and learning with digital technologies for adult learners. This led to a year-long project in which a peer and I created and continuously improved upon a DLO for children to learn about health and safety for COVID-19. The object’s success in part inspired me to pursue the creation and design of DLOs for pre-service and in-service early childhood educators. One thing I have come to hold as a fundamental belief in my own professional practice is that the ways in which we learn best as children can and do still work very well for us as adults. Therefore, I decided to create something practical that can actively support educators in improving their practice and fill a need for high-quality, interactive PD that can support meeting the goals of the CPL program. The above experiences and more culminate in the creation of the three digital learning objects I made and address in this paper. This is a unique endeavour in which the majority of the project focused on the creation of digital learning objects, with this paper to investigate research about the need for and design of DLOs, and a contextual narrative for the three I made. In the next section, I will present a brief literature review of some key research regarding digital learning objects, constructing learning, affordances of utilizing DLOs in education, and two design frameworks.