Review on learning objects

1. Learning Object: by Helena Prieto - http://toonlet.com/archive?m=s&i=35296
2. Learning Object: by Mónica Velosa - http://toonlet.com/archive?m=s&i=34887

Both authors choose toonlet to present a theory: cooperative freedom.
Helena’s toonlet presents some aspects on cooperative learning: it starts to emphasize that no one can do anything alone. This way, individual freedom and cooperation are combined with an explanation that refers the importance of dividing tasks, as most works of this class point out. This work also states that “sharing knowledge improves the quality of work and learning gains.”
Mónica choose a different way to emphasize some points on cooperative learning. After a dialogue with a friend, Sandra, the author starts to explain the Hexagon of cooperative freedom, synthesizing that it combines individual freedom with meaningful freedom. Then, prof. Morten talks about several theories of distance education – authors like Moore, Peters, Holmberg are reminded –, to end referring that freedom is as important as cooperation, for Distance Education student. Prof. Morten also says that Cooperative Freedom has six points: time, space, rhythm, media, access and curriculum.
With a very informal tool, the theory of Cooperative Freedom is presented by the authors, Mónica and Helena, pointing out some essential ideas.
I think that, since toonlet is a very synthetic way of communication, only some aspects of the theories are mentioned. Though both works refer the same theory, these toonlets present a different approach; the first one imagine a possible conversation between students to emphasize how collaboration is important to students. In addition, one can also state that this work points out that community members must be urged and stimulated to contribute to the community and benefit from it. The second work chooses another approach, mentioning authors that systematized fundamental ideas on distance education and then explaining six points of freedom.


When I choose these two learning objects, I did it because I found out that this tool is very interesting. The students that present theory of Cooperative Freedom do it explaining important aspects of this learning theory. I also chose these works because they emphasize different views, on cooperative freedom. Both learning object present cooperative learning in a very clear and concise way, meeting the purpose of this unit, activity 3, and I enjoyed reading both.
Congratulations to Mónica and Helena for your work