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A component-oriented tool for hierarchical modeling of instructional designs is developed. The motivation is to show that hierarchical representation of instructional designs is easier, better and more effective for modeling. Additionally a modeling language is developed to provide an effective, flexible and easy to use integration model in which all teaching components are discovered, defined and connected. In order to fulfill the above purposes an abstract notation is developed that is sufficiently general and adapting top-down hierarchic approach to represent Units of Learning (UoL), Operational Knowledge Units (OKU), Learning Objects (LO), and Learning Components (LC) with respect to the common structures found in different instructional models. COSEML, a top-down hierarchic, and component oriented modeling language has been used as a reference and the core concept in developing the Educational Component Oriented Modeling Language (ECOML). The high-level architecture of ECOML provides the means for designing instructional structures. It describes how LOs, UoLs, OKUs and LCs are sequenced in a certain context or knowledge domain. The resulting model can be reused in different contexts and across different educational platforms.