摘要：Any structured educational initiative is based on a function of didactic mediation that teachers, tutors, community, materials etc. perform in filling the gap between learners and new knowledge. In this perspective, learning objects (LOs) can be considered just one component of the mix of agents that play this mediation role: LOs are resources the designer of a learning environment can rely on. Far from being the only source of learning, LOs can constitute part of a wider learning strategy, together and in synergy with other resources. Starting from these premises, our contribution explores a variety of aspects of the relationship between LOs and collaborative learning; more specifically, the following questions are addressed: what design strategies can be adopted to properly integrate LOs in Constructivistic-type learning processes? How can the formal characterization of LOs be extended to encompass such elements as the instructional function performed, the granularity of the material, etc.?.
