An Overview of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards Bill Olivier Director, CETIS.
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Transcript of An Overview of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards Bill Olivier Director, CETIS.
An Overview of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards
Bill Olivier
Director, CETIS
Learning Technology Standards
• Benefits• Who is doing what globally & in the UK?• What is a specification? What is its lifecycle?• What stage are current specifications and standards at?• De facto & De Jure standards• Supporting actions
Why?
• The Internet is founded on open standards
• The Web is also based on the open standards that build on Internet standards
• Learning Technology is creating open standards
that build on Web and other Internet standards
• It is now very hard to see any Internet application for widespread use that is not built on open standards
• iLearning is too big for any one company to build alone - interoperability between systems from many sources
Why?
• The Internet is based on open standards
• The Web is based on Internet standards
• Learning Technology is creating open standards based on the Web
• Any widespread Internet application will be built on open standards
• iLearning is too big for any one company to build alone
- need interoperability between systems from many sources
Internet Standards
Web & other Standards
iLearning Standards
What for?
Front of House: CONTENT• Content Vendors want: their content to run on all
platforms• Platform vendors want: all content to run on their system• End users want: their content of choice
to run on their platform of choice
Back of House: SYSTEMS INTEGRATION• Managed Learning Environments will have many parts• Bespoke systems integration is expensive and inflexible
What for?
Open standards aim for:
• Portable learning activities and content– Big savings when moving content
• Reusable learning activities and content – Productions costs offset over many more uses
• Plug & play modular systems– Big savings in systems integration costs– Adaptable systems that are easy to change and evolve
• They also help build & maintain a bigger open market– essential in a young field like learning technology
Technology, Pedagogy & Organisations create an evolving system
Learning Technology
Learning Technology
Specifications
OrganisationPedagogy
VLE/Services
Learner Record - Transcript - PDR
Negotiationof
Learning
Learning Development- Curriculum- Courses- Modules
Course Catalogue Student Record System
Enrolments
Options
ISO Collaborative
Learning
Learning Design
SCORM, Simple Sequencing
QTI Results
Enterprise
HTML, XHTML, XMLPNG, SVG, SMILJPEG, MPEG Digital
Repositories
MetadataMetadata
Content Packaging
QTI
Enrolment
Enterprise
Outcomes LIPTranscriptLIP
Aspirations
Existing Knowledge
LIP
Search & RetrieveContent Packaging
Content Authoring
Test Authoring
Learning Activity Design
Content Packaging
Metadata Tagging
Content Management/ Digital Repository
Publish
Learning Design
SCORM, Simple Sequencing
Learning Set-up
Learning Activities
Results
System /Activity
Data Flow, Transaction
Specification Used
Search & Retrieve
UnmetDemand
Process/Potential System
Key
Co-ordination
Content/Sequencing
Collaboration
Assessment
Lifelong Learner: Personal Development
Planning
Who is doing what globally?
Creating Specifications• AICC (Aircraft Industry CBT Consortium)• IMS (No Longer: Instructional Management System!) • CEN/ISSS (Centre Europeen de Normalisation)
Creating Standards• IEEE LTSC (Learning Technology Standards Committee)• ISO SC36 (International Standards Organisation)
(Standards Committee 36)BSI (British Standards Institution) IST 43
Who is doing what in the UK?
Working with Learning technology Specifications
US• ADL for the US DoD – SCORM
– (Shareable Content Object Reference Model)
UK• JISC – CETIS for F/HE sectors• UfI• BECTa – NlN materials• SUfI• UKeU
ADL
Functions (provides a model for supporting other specifications):
• Gather requirements from its constituency
• Provide a Reference Model for US DoD web-based training
• Reference model integrates specifications & standards
• Provide an Open Source reference implementation
• Support implementers, mainly via Plugfests
• Feedback problems & suggest changes to spec bodies
• Gather new requirements from vendors and constituency
CETIS
Acts as a 2-way link between F/HE & standards bodies
Functions:
• Gather requirements from its constituency
• Develop application profiles with users and vendors– VLE-MIS, ISR/ILR, Dearing Learner Record (Transcript & PDR),
Metadata
• Support implementers via JISC Programmes & Plugfests
• Feedback problems & suggest changes to spec bodies
• Support specialist users via SIGs
• Support more general users via Fora
• Gather new requirements from vendors and constituency
CETIS SIGs
Special Interest Groups• Main Link with F/HE community• Disseminate information re existing and forthcoming specs• Gather requirements expert views and opinions• Learn from experience of implementing and using specs• Mutual support & problem solving• Develop and share good practice
5 SIGs and 3 Fora• Accessibility, Assessment ,Educational Content, Learner
Information and Profiles, Metadata• FE Focus Group, Pedagogy, MLE (Managed Learning Environment)
Two Questions
• What is the lifecycle of a specification?
• Which stage have particular specifications reached?
• The answers to these are critical to the issue of Government mandation or recommendation of specifications
Spec Lifecycle
Needs
LT SpecsMultiply-Sourced
Systems & Content used for Learning
Implement Systems
“Content” Creation& Exchange
R & D
Stages
New Needs
Tasks over a spec lifecycle
Needs
R & D LT SpecsImplement Systems
“Content” Creation& Exchange
Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning
Plugfests
New Needs
Identify Needs & Develop
Prototype Specs
Input NeedsExperience & Expertise
Define: Application Profiles
Achieve: Interoperability
Support Specialist Users
EstablishGood Practice
Support Effective
General Use
Stages
TestingInteroperable
Systems & Content
Tasks
Standardisation
Key Players over a spec lifecycle
Needs
R & D LT SpecsImplement Systems
PlugfestsInteroperable
Systems & Content
“Content” Creation& Exchange
Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning
Identify Needs & Develop
Prototype Specs
Input NeedsExperience & Expertise
Define: Application Profiles
Achieve: Interoperability
Support Specialist Users
EstablishGood Practice
Support Effective
General Use
StagesTesting
Tasks
Domain Experts & Leading Edge
Developers
Domain & Technical Experts
Academic,Open Source &
Commercial Developers
Specialist UsersEducation & Training Providers
Practitioners
New Needs
Spec Lifecycle
Needs
LT SpecsMultiply-Sourced
Systems & Content used for Learning
Implement Systems
“Content” Creation& Exchange
R & D
Stages
New Needs
DevelopApplication Profiles
Application Profiles
• A variant of a specification• Adapted to meet particular needs
– of a (large) organisation, sector, country, the EU, etc.
• Needs have to be identified & requirements specified
• Types– Proper subset – simplified as not all needed– More optional fields made mandatory – increases interoperability– Some mandatory fields made optional– Extended: some new fields added
• First two still compliant with original specification• Last two can produce content that is not compliant with
original specification
Application Profiles
Still needs the same processes as a Specification• Identification of needs & specification of requirements• Changes to be made then have to be agreed between:
– The user community (who, why, what, when, where)– The software developers / vendors (how)
• Documentation produced• Implementation in systems• Plugfests and other tasks to establish interoperability• Development of test suites• Testing Service• Adoption and development of best practice
R & D LT SpecsImplement Systems
“Content” Creation& Exchange
Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning
IMS MetadataIEEE LOMMetadata Application Profiles
QTIQTI Results
Content PackagingSCORM 1.3 (+SS) SCORM 1.2 SCORM 1.1Simple SequencingLearning DesignDigitial Repositories (Systems)
IMS Accessibility GuidelinesAccessibility Addtions to LIP
Accessibility Additions to MetadataDigital Rights Management
EnterpriseUK FE Application Profiles
Enterprise 2.0 (Exchange)Learner Information
UK HE Transcript Application ProfileUK PDR Application Profile
SIF (Schools Interoperability Framework)Spec released Spec in full use
Stage of Spec in Lifecycle (Approx)
What does an LT specification look like?
IMS specifications have usually had three parts:
1. Information Model
2. Binding – so far all have been XML bindings
3. Best Practice Guide (Implementation)
Increasingly will also see:
4. Behavioural Model
5. Service Interface / Transactions / Protocols+ bindings XML-based
De facto & de jure: must work, provide benefits & evolve
• De facto standards are those adopted by the market– May be proprietary – set by the market ‘gorilla’– Internet: usually set by an open body with many participants
• De jure are those set by a (large) purchasere.g. Government / Govt. Department / large corporation
• Conditions for setting a de jure standard:– MUST provide interoperability in practice– MUST enable the exchanges needed to carry out wor– MUST be able to evolve and respond to:
• Changing world
• Changing technology
• Better ways of doing things
Needs, Processes, Use cases, Specifications & Application Profiles
• Specifications must meet interoperability needs
• What trying to do?– What human-level purposes?– How is task divided between humans and technology?– What do users want the ICT systems to do? (Use Cases)
• What systems are involved?– What needs to be exchanged between them?– How are they to communicate this information?
• Globally applicable = LT Specifications & Standards• Locally applicable = Application Profiles
Supporting Actions
• Gathering interoperability requirements
• Translation into Specifications & Application Profiles
• Open Source Reference Implementations
• Developer support
• Working to achieve interoperability– Access to ‘gold’ examples, plugfests, agreed interpretations,
Spec revisions, implementation notes
• Development of Test Suites and Testing service
• eLearning strategist, manager and specialist users support
Creation, implementation and effective use of specifications
• social not just a technical or even a domain issue
• need agreements at each level
• linked set of communities of practice
• CoPs complement specification and standards bodies
(standards bodies a cross between CoPs & work teams)
More Information
CETIS web site:• Introductory and background material• Information on who does what• News and forthcoming events• Features• Links to sites others involved and to other sources• SIG pages: extensive information on particular
specifications
http://www.cetis.ac.uk