An Overview of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards

1. An Overview of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards Bill Olivier Director, CETIS

2. 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

3. 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

4. Why? iLearning Standards • 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 Web & other Standards Internet Standards

5. 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

6. 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

7. Technology, Pedagogy & Organisations create an evolving system Organisation Pedagogy Learning Technology Specifications Learning Technology

8. Search & Retrieve LearningDesign Learning Activity Design Metadata Tagging SCORM, Simple Sequencing Content Packaging Content Management / Digital Repository Publish Content Packaging Search & Retrieve Learning Activities Learning Design Co-ordination Course Catalogue Student Record System • Learning Development • Curriculum • Courses • Modules Content/ Sequencing SCORM, Simple Sequencing Enrolments Learning Set-up Results ISO Collaborative Learning Collaboration Assessment QTI Results Enterprise Options Enrolment LIP Unmet Demand Outcomes LIP Transcript NegotiationofLearning Learner Record - Transcript - PDR Aspirations Existing Knowledge LIP Lifelong Learner: Personal Development Planning HTML, XHTML, XML PNG, SVG, SMIL JPEG, MPEG Digital Repositories Metadata Content Authoring Content Packaging Metadata Test Authoring QTI VLE/Services Enterprise Key System /Activity Process/ Potential System Data Flow, Transaction Specification Used

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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

15. Implement Systems LT Specs R & D Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning “Content” Creation & Exchange New Needs Spec Lifecycle Stages Needs

16. Standardisation Interoperable Systems & Content Testing Plugfests New Needs Tasks over a spec lifecycle Tasks Define: Application Profiles Achieve: Interoperability Support Specialist Users EstablishGood Practice Support Effective General Use Identify Needs & Develop Prototype Specs Input Needs Experience & Expertise Stages Needs Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning Implement Systems “Content” Creation & Exchange LT Specs R & D

17. New Needs Key Players over a spec lifecycle Practitioners Academic,Open Source & Commercial Developers Education & Training Providers Domain Experts & Leading Edge Developers Domain & Technical Experts Specialist Users Tasks Define: Application Profiles Achieve: Interoperability Support Specialist Users EstablishGood Practice Support Effective General Use Identify Needs & Develop Prototype Specs Input Needs Experience & Expertise Stages Interoperable Systems & Content Needs Testing Plugfests Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning Implement Systems “Content” Creation & Exchange LT Specs R & D

18. Develop Application Profiles Implement Systems LT Specs R & D Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning “Content” Creation & Exchange New Needs Spec Lifecycle Stages Needs

19. 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

20. 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

21. Multiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning Implement Systems “Content” Creation & Exchange LT Specs R & D

22. What does an LT specification look like? IMS specifications have usually had three parts: • Information Model • Binding – so far all have been XML bindings • Best Practice Guide (Implementation) Increasingly will also see: • Behavioural Model • Service Interface / Transactions / Protocols+ bindings XML-based

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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)

27. 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