Approaches To E-Learning: Key Standards And Technologies

1. Approaches To E-Learning:Key Standards And Technologies Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath, BA2 7AY Email B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk URL http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ UKOLN is supported by:

2. Contents • Standards • The Context • The Need For Standards • Key Web Standards • E-Learning Standards • Other Relevant Standards • Key Application Areas • The Web • Collaborative Systems • Learning Systems

3. The Context • Standards have a partial (but important role) in development work. Standards: concerned with protocols and file formats Architectures: models for implementing systems Open standards vs. Proprietary HTML / XML vs. PDF CSS / XSL vs. HTML GIF vs PNG Which standards are applicable NT / UnixFile system / database application HTML tools / content management Applications: software products used to implement systems Resources: financial and staff costs needed to implement systems Apache / IIS FrontPage / Dreamweaver Oracle / SQLServer ColdFusion vs ASP Development vs. Migration costs Use of in-house expertise In-house vs. out-sourced Licensed vs. open source Note the talks will illustrate applications, but we are application-neutral

4. Standards Architecture Users Applications Resources The Bigger Context Users In learning / e-learning users cover bother learners and teachers. User issues are not just usability, functionality, etc. but also learning styles, student needs, pedagogy, etc.

5. Why Do We Need Standards? Standards • Any suggestions on why we need standards?

6. What Standards Provide Standards • Standards are needed: • To provide application-independence – remember when documents were trapped into particular word processing software • To provide platform-independence – allowing us to move between PCs’ Macs, Unix systems, etc. • To provide long term access to data – avoiding the digital dark ages. • To provide a coherent architectural model – which allows for evolution and integration. • To provide an open marketplace – allowing users to choice their preferred solution.

7. Key Web Standards • HTML: • Universal native language for the Web • Should be used for the structure of Web resources (and not their appearance) • Simple to use (but not necessarily for everyone) • You should create compliant HTML, and not just HTML that seems to work • CSS: • Used to define how HTML tags appear • An elegant solution, allowing the appearance to be managed and changed • Greater use should be made of CSS Web Standards

8. HTML’s Limitations • Although HTML is deployed world-wide it has its limitations: • It cannot easily be extended (e.g. to add scientific tags) • If can only describe basic document structures • It was designed as an output format • It cannot easily be reused for other purposes Web Standards

9. XML To The Rescue • XML: • Extensible Markup Language • A meta-language, used for designing other languages • Designed to be extensible • Used to create languages such as MathML, CML, SMIL, SVG, etc. • Has been a tremendous success in a short period • Should form the basis for your networked applications Web Standards “Flash? No thanks, I’ll stick with XML” - or do you not trust my salesmanship?

10. XHTML • XHTML: • HTML expressed as an XML application • XHTML are: • In lowercase: <p> and not <P> • Must be closed: most have <p>xxx</p> • Empty elements thus: <hr /> and not <hr> • Attributes quoted: <img src=“foo” .. /> • XHTML must be compliant • Better suited for repurposing – but more important to get it right • Current applications should probably aim to create XHTML Web Standards

11. Other Key Web Standards • SVG: • Scalable Vector Graphics • Vector graphics formats designed for Web • Can resize graphics without losing resolution • Particularly applicable in scientific applications • See <http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/> • SMIL: • Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language • Potential for use in many scientific applications (simulations, etc.) • See <http://www.w3.org/AudioVideo/> Web Standards SVG and SMIL are both XML applications

12. Other Key Web Standards • MathML: • Mathematical Markup Language • Rendered natively in Mozilla browser • See <http://www.w3.org/Math/> • CML: • Chemical Markup Language • Java and JavaScripted browser support available • See <http://www.xml-cml.org/> Web Standards MathML and CML are both XML applications

13. Pulling These Together • Because W3C standards are designed to be interoperable you can: • Integrate SVG, MathML, CML and XHTML fragments into a single document • Use SMIL to manipulate these fragments for use in simulations, animated displays, etc. • Process them by other applications (algebraic systems, molecular modelling applications, …) • … Web Standards

14. A CML Page Examples A MathML Page

15. E-Learning Standards • Why do you think we need e-learning standards? • What areas will be addressed by e-learning standards? E-Learning Standards

16. E-Learning Standards • E-learning standards: • The content of the learning is more important than the technologies used to deliver the learning • There is very rapid changes in technologies: printed resources, open learning materials, videos, CBL tools, BBC micros (in the UK), Gopher, Web, VRML, VLEs, … • We need to be able to easily move content to new or different applications and delivery systems • Teachers need to take 'chunks' or content and integrate them into their own learning environment • … E-Learning Standards

17. E-Learning Standards • Areas which e-learning standards may cover: • Resource discovery – finding e-learning resources • Assessment – defining assessment in an open way • User profiles – describing user characteristics • Management – management of e-learning environments (VLEs, MLEs, …) • … E-Learning Standards See <http://www.cetis.ac.uk/>

18. Other Relevant Standards • What other areas related to e-learning will have standards which we will need to consider when developing e-learning systems? Other Standards • My Thoughts • Communications tools • Interactive systems • Publishing tools • …

19. Communications Standards • Email: • SMTP and POP /IMAP • HTML support • What will your VLE support? • IM: • Currently driven by vendors (MSN, AOL Messenger, Yahoo Messenger) • Interoperability difficulties • XMPP • Jabber open source work • Video-conferencing: • Studio based / Web cams • Covered elsewhere? Other Standards

20. Key Application Areas • What are the key applications areas which you may wish to use when developing an e-learning environment? Key Application Areas

21. Communications • Email: • Direct, lists, list archives • Email output, alerts, … • Phone Technologies • SMS alerts, 3G, … • IM Technologies • MSN Chat, … • Shared Desktops • Groupware tools Key Application Areas

22. Publishing • Web resources: • Conventional Web pages and HTML tools • Use of CMSs • Blogging technologies • Structured resources • Calendar metaphor • Web-based authoring tool • Collaborative Publishing: • Wikis Key Application Areas

23. Interaction • Various types of interaction: • Quizzes • Testing • Simulation • … Key Application Areas

24. Managing • Applications for managing e-learning environments: • Managing resources • Managing students • Managing assessment • … Key Application Areas Rather than discuss these key application areas you will have the opportunity to try out various applications in the next session

25. It May Not Be Easy • However using standards is not always easy: • Many proprietary solutions can be very good • Many users will have expertise in use of proprietary solutions • Moving to open solutions may be expensive, especially in the short term. • Some open solutions may be immature, difficult to implement or fail to take off (OSI X.400 email, anyone?) Selection OfStandards

26. A Matrix For Selection • In order to provide objective criteria for selection of open solutions the following matrix is proposed: • Maturity of standard: acceptance, stability, availability of tools, etc. • Appropriateness of standard: fitness for purpose, timescales & budget, … • Ease of deployment: costs, training, expertise, … • Organisation culture: readiness to experiment, views on standards, OSS, etc. • There will not be a single universal solution. The solution you chose should be based on your needs & circumstances. (Beware of salesmen of all types!) Selection Of STandards See “Matrix For Selection Of Standards” at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefing/briefing-31/>

27. Conclusions • To conclude: • Use of open standards is important in development of richly functional and interoperable e-learning services • Proprietary solutions ("let's buy everything from Microsoft") can be tempting – but this can have dangers! • Use of open standards also has challenges: • Standards complex to understand • Standards wars • Standards may be immature • … • It is for you and your organisation to resolve these conflicts (but workshop lecturers are here to help)

28. Questions Questions