c e t i s

1. c e t i s Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards Why Learning Technology Standards? Why IMS? a Discussion Bill Olivier Technical Director, c e t i s

2. Following: Some slides actually used in the Session

3. Where IMS fits in - the others Early on: • AICC (Aircraft Industries CBT Committee) • Problem: Airplanes need maintenance • need many reliably-trained technicians, worldwide • need CBT to help with training • BUT • Airplanes last for 20 years • Computer platforms for 5 (at most) • How to avoid multiple, costly, re-implementations • AICC Specifications • Content sequencing & delivery oriented • Multiple choice testing • CDs, stand-alone PC & isolated learner model

4. Where IMS fits in - the others • Europe: ARIADNE Project • CE funded project • Large Consortium of University & Industrial Partners • Content & Metadata focused • By ‘98 had produced a Metadata specification • Initially hostile to IMS • Signed an MoU with IMS to collaborate on Metadata • Both IMS & ARIADNE built on Dublin Core • about 2/3rds of their extensions cross-mapped • worked to harmonise their specifications

5. Where IMS fits in - the others • ADLnet (Advanced Distributed Learning Network) • US Dept of Defense initiative • Agreed early (‘97) to work with IMS • But narrower focus than IMS (web content delivery) • Impatient with slow rate of progress in IMS 98-99 • Invited specific companies to define a closed spec • Built on AICC & IMS Content ideas • Produced SCORM v1.0 Jan 2000; v1.1 Jan 2001 • (Shareable Courseware Object Reference Model) • roughly: AICC for the Web • Web Content, Browser and isolated learner model

6. - and IMS • IMS - (Not Instructional Management Systems!) • Set up in late ‘97 by US universities’ EDUCAUSE • But involved Vendors, US Gov. and non-US bodies • JISC joined in May ‘98 on behalf of all UK HE - and now FE - institutions • Early on inherited work of other Groups on Metadata • Look at IMS in more detail later

7. Then the European MoU • PROMETEUS & CEN/ISSS WS-LT • Partially a European response to IMS • Set up at ministerial level in Council of Europe • PROMETEUS • Gather cross-sectoral views • Formulate requirements for specifications • Feed these to CEN/ISSS WS-LT • Trial Projects, Evaluate, Best Practice, Disseminate • CEN/ISSS WS-LT • European Centre for Standards/Information Society… • Working Group has recently put forward a report • Recommendations made to the CE

8. Formal Standards • IEEE 1484 LTSC(Learning Technology Standards Committee) • GENERAL • P1484.1 Architecture and Reference Model WG • P1484.3 Glossary WG • LEARNER-RELATED • P1484.2 Learner Model WG • P1484.13 Student Identifiers WG • P1484.19 Quality System for Technology-Based Life-Long Learning (Study Group) • P1484.20 Competency Definitions WG • CONTENT-RELATED • P1484.10 CBT Interchange Language WG • P1484.6 Course Sequencing WG • P1484.17 Content Packaging WG • DATA & METADATA • IEEE Standard Upper Ontology SG • P1484.12 Learning Objects Metadata WG • P1484.9 Localization WG • P1484.14 Semantics and Exchange Bindings WG • P1484.15 Data Interchange Protocols WG • MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & APPLICATIONS • P1484.11 Computer Managed Instruction WG • P1484.18 Platform and Media Profiles WG • P1484.7 Tool/Agent Communication WG

9. Formal Standards ISO SC 36 • In Novemeber ’99, ISO/IEC, launched new sub-committee • Title: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 36 -- Learning Technology • Scope: Standardization in the area of information technologies that support automation for learners, learning institutions, and learning resources • Excluded: The SC shall not create standards or technical reports that define educational standards, cultural conventions, learning objectives, or specific learning content • IEEE LTSC has a ‘formal liaison‘ with SC36 • recognised as a contributing, but non-voting, body. • CEN/ISSS LT will also form a formal liaison

10. Formal Standards ISO SC 36 Proposed 4 Preliminary Work Items (PWI) : • Architecture • Metadata • Glossary • Collaborative Learning Technologies

11. How Initiatives Relate-in theory ISO IEEE Formal Certified Standards Standards bodies refine existing best practice CEN/ISSS WS-LT ‘De Novo’ Specifications produced +ve & -ve experience gained IMS Consortia formed Specifications Implemented ADLnet AICC ARIADNE Early Inter-company collaboration Need for standards becoming accepted

12. SCORM L O Metadata How Initiatives Relate-in reality Japan ISO IEEE LTSC ADLnet DIN BSI CEN/ISSS WS-LT IMS AICC Dublin Core & early LO Metadata MoU PROMETEUS ARIADNE

13. Following: Slides prepared, but not used, in the Session

14. IMS Approach • Time driven delivery of Specifications • 4 Document Milestones: 1. Scope: what can be done in 6 months? 2. Base: how it is proposed to do it (2 months) 3. Public Draft: closest for trialling (2 months) Trialling of draft takes place, with feedback 4. Final Specification(2 months)

15. IMS Approach • Consistent format for Final Specifications • 3 parts: 1. Data Model Fields, formats, constraints 2. (Usually) XML Binding DTD (soon XML Schemas) 3. Best Practice Guide Notes for developers and sometimes end users

16. IMS Specs • Metadata, building on Dublin Core • Enterprise (LMS <---> MIS) • Profiles • Content • Finding (link to metadata) • Packaging (for shipping between systems) • Launch and Runtime API (with live learners) • Question & Test • Format for Exchanging Questions and Tests • Future: getting Results back from sessions

17. IMS Specs Complete & Current • Metadata Final: Aug 1999 • Enterprise Final: Oct 1999 • Content Packaging Final: May 2000 • Question & Test 1 Final: May 2000 • Profiles / Learner Information Scope: May 2000 • Content Management Scope: May 2000 • Learner Information Base: July 2000 • Competencies (mini) Scope: Aug 2000 • Learner Information Draft: Nov 2000 • Question & Test 2 (results) Scope: Nov 2000 • Competencies Base: Nov 2000 • GUIDs (mini) Scope: Nov 2000 • Content Packaging 1.1 Draft: Dec 2000

18. IMS SpecsCurrent &Expected • Learner Information Final: Feb 2001 • Content Packaging 1.1 Final: Feb 2001 • Question & Test 1.1 Draft: Feb 2001 • Content Management Base: Feb 2001 • Question & Test 2 Base: Feb 2001 • Competencies Base: Feb 2001 • GUIDs Base: Feb 2001 • new Accessibility Start: Feb 2001 • new Instructional Design Start: Feb 2001 • Question & Test 1.1 Final: May 2001 • Content Management Draft: May 2001 • Question & Test 2 Draft: May 2001 • Competencies Draft: May 2001 • GUIDs Draft: May 2001 • Accessibility Scope: May 2001 • Instructional Design Scope: May 2001

19. IMS SpecsFuture • Content Management Final: July/Aug 2001 • Question & Test 2 Final : July/Aug 2001 • Competencies Final : July/Aug 2001 • GUIDs Final : July/Aug 2001 • Accessibility Base: July/Aug 2001 • Instructional Design Base: July/Aug 2001 • Accessibility Draft: Sept/Oct 2001 • Instructional Design Draft: Sept/Oct 2001

20. Issues • Internet Supported Learning • Portable Courses, Portable Content • Portable Tests and Questions • Description & Search • Portable Lifelong Learning Records • Class Enrolment and Results • Collaborative Learning

21. Internet Supported Learning • Teaching involves a set of complex processes • What systems are needed to support these? • What Standards are needed to network them? • Who Supplies Standards? • What if you don’t have standards?

22. From Functions to System Level Components Cataloguing & Searching Using Content Peer Discussion & Support Standards needed to link & pass information between systems Formative Testing Content Authoring Summative Testing Test Authoring LMS/VLE Repository PDP Course Preparation & Validation Mentor Support Learning Profile Course Catalogue Class Enrolment Student Records

23. Portable Courses & Content • Why not just use Web Standards? • Is there more to using Content than delivery? • Is there a cultural difference between the approach to learning in the UK the US? • Are we converging? • Will the use of LT bring about uniformity? • Is/Should Learning be Content Driven?

24. Portable Courses & Content • Transporting Learning Objects • Aggregation & Disaggregation • Using Descriptions • Tracking Learners • Getting Results back form Session Tests

25. Portable Tests and Questions • Computer Assisted Assessment • What is its role? • Can it be improved? • Must high quality assessment be expensive? • Portable tests? • Portable results?

26. Description & Search • Describing Learning Content • What needs to be described? • To Find it? • To Use it? • How should it be described? • Is Metadata the only way? • How have we found learning resources?

27. Class Enrolment and Results • Will Class teaching continue online? • What is needed? • Linking Academic to Administrative systems • Where is the boundary? All ‘Administration’? • Negotiating Learning: • Learner • Mentor • Administrator

28. Lifelong Learning Records • Multiple Learning Institutions • What should pass between them? • Information: Learner’s or Institutions? • Control? • Will Employers demand it, if it is there? • What Levels of detail? Who For?

29. Collaborative Learning • Is Internet Learning still based on CDs? • Can we harness Internet communication? • What kinds of Collaborative Learning? • What information is needed? • Groups, Members, Identity, Role, Location, Access, • What functionality is needed? • Messaging (person2person & system2system), Presence, Shared/Distributed Authoring

30. Purpose of CETIS Set up by JISC as a 2 way link between: • UK HE & FE • Bodies developing LT standards IMS CEN/ISSS UK HE/FE CETIS IEEE

31. CETIS • Funded by JISC Integrated Environments for Learning (JCIEL) Committee • Set up in May 1998, extended in 2000 for 3 further years • Managed by University of Wales Bangor in collaboration with O.U. and Sheffield Hallam University

32. CETIS Special Interest Groups Group Co-ordinators: • Question & Test: Strathclyde U. • Metadata: Loughborough U. • Enterprise & Profiles: Consortium of universities headed by Centre for Recording Achievement • Content: soon • Accessibility: soon

33. Staff and Contacts At Bangor: • Bill Olivier, Oleg Liber, Lisa Rowlands cetis@bangor.ac.uk http://cetis.bangor.ac.uk/cetis/ • Paul Lefrere (OU) • Andy Heath (SHU)