Now You See It, Now You Don't: Maintaining Digital Learning Objects for the Future

Failure to address the issues surrounding the preservation of digital information will result in the loss of digital learning objects in telelearning environments. Factors affecting the longevity of digital information need to be monitored to minimise frustrating and expensive inefficiencies that result from such loss. Strategies based on emerging international best practice (currently refreshing and transfer of data, migration of data, development of emulation software, and encapsulation) must be adopted in educational institutions to ensure that accessibility to and usability of digital learning objects is maintained.