And to support interoperability, the U.S. military's Advanced Distributed Learning organization created the Sharable Content Object Reference Model.
[8] Daniel Rehak and Robin Mason define it as "a digitized entity which can be used, reused or referenced during technology supported learning".
This interpretation aligns with the idea that the inherent properties of the learning objects remain constant, but their application becomes beneficial and adaptable across diverse domains.
Shaw's speculative interpretation suggests an intrinsic stimulation of cognitive flexibility and creative reuse of learning resources for the learner.
When it is considered that some e-learning courses need to include video, mathematical equations using MathML, chemistry equations using CML and other complex structures, the issues become very complex, especially if the systems needs to understand and validate each structure and then place it correctly in a database.
In Three Objections to Learning Objects and E-learning Standards Archived 2021-04-15 at the Wayback Machine, Norm Friesen, Canada Research Chair in E-Learning Practices at Thompson Rivers University, points out that the word neutrality in itself implies a state or position that is antithetical ... to pedagogy and teaching.