A tour of Learning Technology Stanards

A TOUR OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS : A TOUR OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS Robby Robson, Chair, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee The slides in this work are each separately licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License


Outline : Outline Standards in general Learning technology standards Some technical details What’s next Open discussion


Slide3 : No results found


Standards Can … : Standards Can … Specify the form and function of technology Determine how information is exchanged Require procedures to be followed Define acceptable outcomes


Standards Can… : Standards Can… Specify the form and function of technology Determine how information is exchanged Require procedures to be followed Define acceptable outcomes Learning technology standards define technological infrastructure


Effective Standards Operate Invisibly : Effective Standards Operate Invisibly


Slide7 : This …. Screenshot from Dreamweaver™ 8 Design View


Slide8 : And not necessarily this …. Screenshot from Dreamweaver™ 8 Code View


We converse today about the details so that we may not converse about them tomorrow and the day after. : We converse today about the details so that we may not converse about them tomorrow and the day after.


Why Bother With Standards? : Why Bother With Standards? Standards define and catalyze new technology Standards enable new solutions Standards solve existing problems


Why Bother With Standards? : Why Bother With Standards? HELP THE CONSUMER Standards prevent lock-in Standards accelerate commoditization Standards increase reliability Standards enable competition


Why Bother With Standards? : Why Bother With Standards? BUILD MARKETS Standards can lower design, development and production costs Standards help modularize supply chains Standards build consumer confidence Standardization distributes effort


When Does Standardization Occur? : When Does Standardization Occur? INOVATION HELP THE CONSUMER BUILD MARKETS


Slide14 : “Education” is an influential community (But not the only one)


What is the state of Learning Technology Standards? : What is the state of Learning Technology Standards? INOVATION HELP THE CONSUMER BUILD MARKETS MOSTLY HERE SOME HERE STARTING HERE


Slide16 : We will now talk about standards organizations and standards


Slide17 : But must remember …


Slide18 : Nothing is a standard until it is acknowledged and adopted by the community it serves.


History of Relevant Standards Organizations : History of Relevant Standards Organizations DLF (1995) SIF ARIADNE AICC (1988) ADL IMS IEEE LTSC JTC1 SC36 EdNA (1994) ALIC OKI OASIS CEN/ISSS WS-LT W3C (1994) ebXML EICA CanCore Dublin Core (1995) SISO (1994) MERLOT HR-XML CONSOR- TIUM 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 But few new ones since 2001 AEN


Learning technology standardization efforts have been : Learning technology standardization efforts have been Driven by Young companies* A few key consumer groups Focused on Search & Discovery Learning Content Learning Delivery Systems (e.g. LMS) Specialized to Learning Relatively little adoption of other standards *including new divisions within large software vendors


Leading to a diverse portfolio of organizations and standards… : Leading to a diverse portfolio of organizations and standards …


The Players : The Players ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning initiative) AICC (Aviation Industry CBT Committee) CEN (CEN / ISSS Technical Committee on Learning Technology) HR-XML (The HR-XML Consortium) IMS (IMS Global Learning Consortium – a consortium representing Higher Education) LTSC (IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee – an accredited standards body) SC36 (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36 – Standards for Learning, Education and Training) WSIL (Web Services in Learning, a vendor effort)


Mature Standards with wide Adoption : Metadata Search & Discovery SCORM (and AICC equivalents) Content / LMS interoperability Made up from IMS & IEEE standards Question & Test Interoperability XML representation of Quizzes and test banks Mature Standards with wide Adoption


Standards & Specifications with Less Adoption* : Standards & Specifications with Less Adoption* IMS Enterprise Interface between an LMS and SIS OKI Service Interface Definitions Used in Higher Education Learning Technology Systems Architecture IEEE standard used by some U.S. Defense contractors Learner Information Package Education & Training Records IMS e-portfolio IMS Learning Design High level instructional design IEEE Digital Rights Expression Languages Recommended practice for education and training IMS Repository Really more of an architecture reference model IMS Sharable State Persistence Integration of LMS / SIM * Based on observation, not hard data


New Consumer-driven Efforts : New Consumer-driven Efforts Frameworks Not “standards” but frames for conversations about standards Quality Standards Address the development of digital learning content CORDRA Content Object Repository Discovery Resolution Architecture Just an architecture and recommended practice SCORM / SIM Interoperability Driven by military simulation community


New Provider-driven Efforts : New Provider-driven Efforts Competencies Defining and modeling learning objectives, skills, knowledge, ability, tasks Web Services in Learning Handling LMS / Content Server architecture Handling “catalog update” IMS Common Cartridge Exchange of courses for academic LMS


And Some Other Work : And Some Other Work Search / Query / Harvesting standards Several of these, many from other communities Efforts updating standards by updating view points Research Aggregation Model (ontology) Content packaging  UML version / some updates LOM / Dublin Core Abstract Model


Do I need to pay attention to all that? : Do I need to pay attention to all that? (Probably Not)


What does a Consumer need to know? : What does a Consumer need to know? What problems are being addressed ? What problems have been solved? How to ask the right questions Hint: “Do you conform to X?” is not the right question


Problems Being Addressed : Problems Being Addressed Separating content from delivery systems Making it easier (or possible) to find the right stuff PREVENTING LOCK-IN Getting learning systems to talk to other systems


Problems Being Solved : Problems Being Solved Separating content from delivery systems This is what IMS Content Packaging, SCORM, IMS Question & Test, and AICC standards do. So far this works well but not perfectly. Applies only to Web-based content and assessments Content still needs to be tweaked for specific systems Making it easier to find the right stuff This is what metadata does The biggest problem is the lack of (good) metadata PREVENTING LOCK-IN (MORE AND MORE) Getting learning systems to talk to other systems – not really, not yet.


How to get an honest and useful answer : How to get an honest and useful answer Don’t ask about standards, ask about solutions: After I have developed 100 one-hour courses in your system, what will be the cost to migrate them to a different system? What have you done to make this easy for me? Don’t ask about conformance – ask for details What is the minimum set of tags associated with a title in your catalog? Provide a screenshot of your search screen that shows which tags are searchable. Show / explain how authors generate tags in your tools.


What does a Content Developer need to know? : What does a Content Developer need to know? How content interoperability standards such as SCORM (and its components) work and what they do Which standards are used by authoring tools and supported by delivery systems


What does a Technology Developer need to know? : What does a Technology Developer need to know? Where standards are along the adoption and implementation curve Details and best practices for standards relevant to the technology being developed and that are Being used in the market - or- Provide solutions to specific problems (e.g. integrating with a SIS) - or- Confer a competitive advantage


Example 1 : Example 1 Publishing content as a business … Accepted standards: Metadata, DOI, SCORM / AICC, OAI-PMH, SRU/SRW, SQI Emerging standards: CORDRA Possible relevant standards: Query standards, Digital Rights Expression Language, Quality standards Standards that address the functionality of content, e.g. Sharable State Persistence if the content interacts with simulations or games or Learning Design Specifications to watch IMS Common Cartridge (academic), Web Services in Learning


Example 2 : Example 2 Building a serious simulation / game … Accepted standards: Metadata, High Level Architecture, OpenGL (and Simple DirectMedia Layer) Emerging standards: Not sure Possible relevant learning technology standards: SCORM, Sharable State Persistence, e-portfolio Specifications to watch SIM/SCORM Study Group


Details on SCORM : Details on SCORM WHAT IT DOES HOW IT WORKS THESE SLIDES HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED FROM A SCORM TUTORIAL GIVEN IN APRIL, 2006.


Slide38 : Some slides in this presentation were produced by and used with permission of the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative (www.adlnet.org). Others were reused / repurposed from previous workshops and presentations


WHAT IS SCORM? : WHAT IS SCORM? A REFERENCE MODEL: A set of profiles of standards and specifications that tells you how to do something useful A SOLUTION: Solves the problem of separating Web-based training content from delivery systems A STANDARD: Adopted by most commercial LMS products Required by government directives (U.S., Korea …) SCORM 2004, 3rd Edition, is on track to being standardized as an ISO technical report SCORM means SCORM 2004 in this presentation


SCORM 1.2 / AICC ADOPTION COMPILED IN 2004 : SCORM 1.2 / AICC ADOPTION COMPILED IN 2004


ADL Timeline : ADL Timeline Nov. 97, White House Co-sponsors ADL Kick-off Meeting Jan. 98, Executive Memo citing ADL as a model for federal agencies Jan. 99, Executive Order 13111 tasking DoD to lead collaborative standards development Apr. 99, Opened the ADL Co-Lab in Alexandria, VA 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Dec. 04, SCORM 2004 2nd Edition Feb. 05, Plugfest 9 Jun 01, Executive Order 13218 21st Century Workforce Initiative


A SCORM IS BREWING : A SCORM IS BREWING 1999 2001 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005


SCORM ASSUMES … : SCORM ASSUMES … A particular content lifecycle (next slide) Web-based content A single learner A small set of pedagogically relevant data: Time spent with content Scores on tests Status of objectives


SCORM CONTENT LIFECYCLE : SCORM CONTENT LIFECYCLE Existing Content Chunk Create Repurpose Assemble & Sequence Learning Catalog LMS Import Find Track Deliver Repository


A SET OF BOOKS : A SET OF BOOKS


THE SCORM BOOKS : THE SCORM BOOKS


SCORM Content Aggregation Model : Content Package All the physical files needed for this package Metadata SCOs Manifest (XML document) Including the structure with sequencing behaviors/rules Content Package CD-ROM ADL SCORM 1.2 8 Package Interchange Format SCORM Content Aggregation Model


SCORM Runtime Environment : SCORM Runtime Environment Learning Management System (LMS) LMS Server Web Browser SCO Asset ECMAScript API Instance Server Side Client Side Launch API: Data Model: Data retrieved from and stored in the LMS from the SCO Data Model: Actual data sent back and forth between a SCO and LMS Communication with backend server is not specified in SCORM. Asset Asset Asset Communications Link between a SCO and LMS


Sequencing & Navigation : Activities are aggregated and organized into a tree. A default traversal path can be modified by a learning designer. Traversal is triggered by a sequencing request. Request is triggered either by the learner through navigation events or by the delivery system. Sequencing rules are evaluated at runtime and can be conditional. Activities are delivered one at a time. Actual content resides in leaves of the tree Sequencing & Navigation


Remediation Using Objectives : Remediation Using Objectives Rule: Set Satisfaction Status for Obj_1 Rule: Skip Lesson 1 if Obj_1 is Satisfied Rule: Skip Lesson 2 if Obj_2 is Satisfied Rule: Set Satisfaction Status for Obj_2 Rule: Exit if Obj_1 AND Obj_2 are Satisfied. Else, Continue.


Remediation Using Objectives : Remediation Using Objectives Learner Passes Test Item 2 Learner experiences Lessons 1 and 2 then takes Assessment Learner Fails Test Item 1


Remediation Using Objectives : Remediation Using Objectives Learner Failed Test Item 1 Learner Passed Test Item 2 Assessment sets Satisfaction Status for Obj_1 and Obj_2


Remediation Using Objectives : Remediation Using Objectives Learner Failed Test Item 1 Learner Passed Test Item 2 Rule: Exit if Obj_1 AND Obj_2 are Satisfied. Else, Continue Rule: Skip Lesson 1 if Obj_1 is Satisfied Rule: Skip Lesson 2 if Obj_2 is Satisfied


Example: Web-based Content Created in a SCORM Authoring Tool : Example: Web-based Content Created in a SCORM Authoring Tool


Content exported to a SCORM package : Type of content package to export Export destination Content exported to a SCORM package


Exported Content as a SCORM Package : Exported Content as a SCORM Package


Sign on to LMS and Import Content : Sign on to LMS and Import Content


Launch Content : Student Name Comes from LMS : Launch Content : Student Name Comes from LMS


Status, Score, Accesses, Time – Sent to LMS : Status, Score, Accesses, Time – Sent to LMS


XML SCORM Studio : XML SCORM Studio Joint ADL Co-Lab 2006 Prototype Prototype available on Source Forge on Halloween, 2006 LIVE DEMO


Slide61 : WEB 2.0: IT’S NOT YOUR TEACHER’S WEB ANY MORE BUT, LIKE ALL STANDARDS, SCORM IS OLD SCHOOL


SO … WHAT’S NEXT? : SO … WHAT’S NEXT?


TRENDS & ISSUES : TRENDS & ISSUES Underlying Topology Client / Server replaced by a distributed model with multiple content servers Underlying Philosophy Provider broadcast replaced by user collage Mass production replaced by mass customization Learning Technology “Learning Management Systems” replaced by personalized learning environments Passive learning replaced by interactive control


In general … : In general … Learning is becoming more embedded Learning technology is becoming less distinguishable from other technology Learning technology standards are borrowing more from other domains The problem is no longer managing learning: The problem is letting learning take place and managing everything around it.


Buzzwords Watch List : Buzzwords Watch List Personal learning environments (CETIS project) Web services Web Services – based on a specific set of standards that solve enterprise scalability Web services – based on a different collection of standards that solve Web 2.0 scalability “Competencies” – the neglected building block of learning Repository standards, because we still need to get to “seek, and ye shall find.”


QUESTIONS? : QUESTIONS? robby@computer.org