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

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

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

Why? 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 Internet Standards Web & other Standards iLearning Standards

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

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

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

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

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

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 – N l N materials SUfI UKeU

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

Spec Lifecycle Needs LT SpecsMultiply-Sourced Systems & Content used for Learning Implement Systems “Content” Creation & Exchange R & D Stages New Needs Develop 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

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

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

What does an LT specification look like? IMS specifications have usually had three parts: 1.Information Model 2.Binding – so far all have been XML bindings 3.Best Practice Guide (Implementation) Increasingly will also see: 4.Behavioural Model 5.Service Interface / Transactions / Protocols + bindings XML-based

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) purchaser e.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

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

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

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)

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