2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Visualizing IMS Learning Design for easier editing Marco Luccini, Giunti Labs R&D Project Manager Fabrizio Giorgini, Giunti Labs R&D Area Manager © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission “The Future is already Here. It is just not equally distributed” The Neuromancer

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Summary Overview of Learning Design Process Existing (some) learning design editors Some requirements for the IMS LD editor The new IMS LD editor Conclusions

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Overview of Learning Design Process ­Selection of Knowledge Domain, Context/Setting, Objectives,Target Group ­Selection/design of suitable Pedagogical Model ­Select/design Learning Design Model ­Content Selection and Design ­Services Selection and Design ­Integration of Learning Design, Content and Service Specifications in a Course Package ­Outcome: ‘Unit of Learning Package’ that can be transferred and interpreted by computers to deliver the course Learning Design Editor Pedagogical strategy definition Run time: learning design player

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Overview of Learning Design Process What is a pedagogical model ? A method that prescribes how a class of learners can achieve a class of learning objectives in a certain context and knowledge domain E.g. a method describing: * How adults learn Spanish as a second language * How engineers learn mathematical skills * How to learn the skill to defend verdicts in a law court?

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Overview of Learning Design Process What is a Learning Design? An instance of a pedagogical model: a concrete application of a pedagogical model for a specific target group, for specific learning objectives and a specific domain and setting. The learning design specifies the specific workflow and content in the learning process: which role has to performs which activities, using which resources and services in which order, to attain the learning objectives in the best way, taking care of individual differences

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Overview of Learning Design Process The approach: Educational Modelling Language/IMS LD Basic Idea: Develop a ‘language’ to describe the content and processes within courses in a formal, semantic way, so that it is understandable by humans and can be interpreted by computers. This description should be independent of any delivery platform => can be deployed in any platform that provides the adequate functionality IMS LD specification

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Existing (some) learning design editors Reload Cosmos LAMS elive

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Existing (some) learning design editors From the analysis of existing editors some highlighted weaknesses: Reload: editor for content developers who have some level of technical knowledge. E.g. they must know what a ‘content-package’ is what elements compose the IMS-LD specification. Elive LD suite: specialised editor not based on template. Proprietary, difficult to be integrated in any other LMS or digital repository. Collage: it allows only the editing of Units of Learning (UoLs) by reusing and customizing best practices, which are formulated as patterns. Cosmos: The tool is designed in a way adhering rigidly to IMS-LD. Required a deep knowledge about IMS-LD LAMS: learning design editor but not compliant to IMS LD (no interoperability ensured)

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Existing (some) learning design editors Derived requirements for a new IMS Learning Design Editor: 1. Completeness: describe the teaching-learning process in a unit of learning, including references to the digital and non-digital learning objects and services needed during the process. 2. Personalization: describe personalization aspects within a learning design, so that the content and activities within a unit of learning can be adapted based on the preferences, educational needs, business processes and situational circumstances of users. 3. Compatibility: use available standards and specifications where possible. 4. Reusability: identify, isolate, de-contextualize and exchange useful learning artefacts, and to re-use these in other contexts. 5. Easy to use: combine the tree view with graphical representation for the relationships description

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Implemented new IMS LD editor Adopted solution: 1.IMS LD compliancy 2.Use the tree-based model for the fine data entry of IMS LD elements 3.Use the graphical representation to show relationships among parts of LD 4.Use graphical editor to simplify the LD structure definition

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Implemented new IMS LD editor Tree-View

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Implemented new IMS LD editor Graphical-View

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Implemented new IMS LD editor Tree & Graphical View

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Integration of IMS LD editor in LCMS Learning Design Templates XML XSL SWF JPG … eXact Packager LCMS + IMS Learning Design Editor (plug-in) eXact Lobster 3 rd party repositories WS Searching/Retrieval & Publishing of LD WS COM Instructional Designers / Authors Content Authoring

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Benefits of the new IMS LD editor Interoperable, thanks to the IMS LD level A compliancy More intuitive, thanks to the graphical editor Complete, thanks to the tree-based editor

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Weaknesses of the new IMS LD editor Still Level A only Still too much IMS oriented (e.g. elements names are from the IMS documents)

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Conclusions New IMS LD level A compliant editor Combination of tree and graphical approach to improve usability and sustain the adoption of IMS LD specification Future works (ongiong): IMS LD Level B Simple Wizard for the initial data entry of mandatory elements Use more understandable terms in the GUI (and transparently map these terms back to the IMS spec)

2007 © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission Visualizing IMS Learning Design for easier editing Marco Luccini, Giunti Labs R&D Project Manager Fabrizio Giorgini, Giunti Labs R&D Area Manager © Giunti Labs – No reproduction without written permission “The Future is already Here. It is just not equally distributed” The Neuromancer THANKS!