Supporting education and research E-learning tools, standards and systems Sarah Porter Head of Development, JISC

Supporting education and research Overview Aim: set the e-learning framework, tools and standards in context. Explain why the JISC is funding this activity. –What is JISC? What are its priorities? –What does JISC develop and how? –What is the e-learning programme? –What is the e-learning framework and why does it matter?

Supporting education and research Joint Information Systems Committee Public funding body for post-16 and higher education Funded by Funding Councils in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Supports post-16 (formerly FE) and HE Annual budget of approx £66 million

Supporting education and research Core JISC Budget

Supporting education and research HEFCE Spending Review Budget

Supporting education and research Implementing the JISC Strategy JISC is positioned to lead the field internationally in integrated technologies across research, learning and teaching, management, digital libraries; Also needs to consider needs of specific communities and innovate to support them; Works in partnership with key agencies and groups to share resources and experience.

Supporting education and research

JISC’S Role JISC will build on its existing activities of providing a world-class infrastructure and promoting innovation through development programmes.

Supporting education and research JISC Development Group Manages JISC development activities –Development programmes –Studies –Piloting of technologies –Working with post-16 and HE communities to identify requirements from technology –Test out current technologies –Explore processes for implementation – cultural issues etc. –Over 200 current projects –Manages development services e.g. Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards (CETIS)

Supporting education and research Areas of work E-learning E-research Integrated systems to support all communities Middleware Innovative technologies. –Plans have to be dynamic to respond to changes in external environments; –Adapt to what we learn from activities.

Supporting education and research Outputs may include: Prototype user applications Pilot technical or community services Exemplars of good practice in deployment and use of technology Guidelines, case studies or toolsets Projects and studies where a report is the main deliverable Projects developing new forms of content (e.g. discovery tools or learning materials) Technical standards and frameworks Project management resources and other ‘by- products’ of programme management techniques

Supporting education and research Outcomes may include: Capacity development in the community Targeted outputs from projects or studies that set definitions or contribute to strategic thinking and decision making in the community Representation of community needs to commercial vendors New services.

Supporting education and research prioritize requirements scope activity Capture outcomes and outputs develop and pilot Embedding or service development monitor, evaluate and review

Supporting education and research JISC e-learning programme How might e-learning approaches might be used to facilitate learning and teaching? How might these approaches might be effectively implemented ? Programme provides a link between learning and teaching practice and technology development.

Supporting education and research E-learning programme E-learning and pedagogy E-learning framework E-learning and innovation Distributed e-learning Video clip

Supporting education and research Standards and specifications Been active in this area for many years Why? –Standards bring commercial and educational sectors together –We act as users and articulate our requirements Hope to influence vendor community as well as developing ‘community source’ –May do this by developing software, examples, standards …

Supporting education and research The E-learning framework Roadmap to coordinate technical development activities –E-learning community and beyond (working with research and Grid communities) –National and international Also a blueprint for institutions or organisations to use for planning

Supporting education and research The e-Learning Framework

Supporting education and research The e-Learning Framework Potential - not yet actual A roadmap – to coordinate activities –What we’ve already got –collaborate on overlaps –Identify where there are gaps Not set in stone – open to change; will go through different iterations Following emerging consensus in e-Learning standards bodies (especially IMS) Following emerging consensus in IT industry –Service oriented approach and web services

Supporting education and research The e-Learning Framework Benefits: –Build on existing ‘monolithic’ legacy systems Don’t throw away investment in existing systems… … add Web Service interfaces to them –Develop incrementally –Start in the area of greatest need –Agree unified set of standards Minimise integration costs Service components more widely usable Mix commercial and open source systems –Adaptable, extensible environment –According to size, priorities and budget –In a rapidly changing field

Supporting education and research Where you come in … ELF projects developing: –Web Service Definitions for component services –Implemented in Web Service Toolkits Service and client ‘adapters’ Mainly in Java and.NET, with standardised APIs Derived from the Web Service Definition Language –Open Source Liberal ‘commercial use’ licenses Encourage wide adoption of specifications –Service definitions submitted to specification bodies IMS only e-Learning body developing Web Service specifications.

Supporting education and research Interoperability in practice How to create, re-use and share learning objects –RELOAD open source content editor –JORUM learning object repository Video clip from Exchange for Learning demonstration

Supporting education and research Credits and contact details Thanks to Bill Olivier and Paul Hollins of CETIS for contributions and advice