Flexibility: RKOs should focus on core content that can be adapted to multiple contexts
Reusability: Ideally each RKO can be stacked into a larger unit, rearranged, and added to without editing the core content of the RKO
Standard format: A consistent framework that ensures students’ expectations are met and learning goals are attained
Shelf Life: Content should be prioritized initially based on student need and also on the expected shelf life of the content within the RKO
Customization: Content can be delivered to varying desired levels of granularity
Maintenance: Appropriate metatags must facilitate search, filter, and update functions
Pre-assessment: This item will contain a set of questions that test the student on the learning objectives of the RKO. If the student can satisfactorily answer these items, it is likely that he or she already has sufficient knowledge of the topic and can immediately advance to another RKO.
Introduction: This section explains the content of the RKO in broad terms, presents the learning objectives for the object, and explains why knowledge of the topic is important to the user.
Reusable Knowledge object: These units contain the content of the topic to be conveyed and one or more practice items based on the content. The practice items will match the cognitive level of the information in the RKO, based on Bloom’s expanded taxonomy.
Synthesis: This item will thread together the individual RKOs and reinforce the importance of the item to the student’s education or (future) work environment.
Post-assessment: This section will be structured in a similar manner to the pre-assessment item, but will contain different test items, will provide more detailed feedback, and will provide an additional opportunity to successfully complete test items if the first attempt failed.