A Learning Object is "any digital resource that can be reused to support learning."
This definition includes anything that can be delivered across the network on demand, be it large or small. Examples of smaller reusable digital resources include digital images or photos, live data feeds... live or prerecorded video or audio snippets, small bits of text...." Wiley, DA (2000). Connecting learning objects to instructional design theory: A definition, a metaphor, and a taxonomy.
In DA Wiley (Ed.), The Instructional Use of Learning Objects: Online Version.
While the above definition tries to be correct, inclusive, and complete it still sometimes hard to get a grip on what people are talking about. If you can spare just a few minutes there is a link below to a short movie about learning objects that is being developed at Wesleyan. The object depicted in the movie are what we're talking about when we use the term "learning objects".
