Being a Content Expert is Fun Again with Pachyderm

Abstract

This chapter discusses the reasoning behind the lack of the expected authoring of digital learning objects. It argues that the creation and dissemination of learning objects by university faculty have not occurred as a result of technical hurdles and frightening acronyms, lack of organizational procedures, unclear legal and ownership issues, and the ineffectiveness of “selling” the idea to faculty as part of the promotion and tenure process. The technology, interfaces and storage devices have been in place for some time, waiting for the learning object authors to publish their work. The Pachyderm 2.0 software is discussed as a tool for faculty to utilize. The author hopes that discussing and enumerating the obstacles to learning object authoring and dissemination, combined with the proposal of using the Pachyderm software along with a model of working with organizational information technology (IT) staff, will assist all involved in circulating successful digital learning objects.