EML to IMS Learning Design Background and Overview

EML to IMS Learning Design: Background and Overview Bill Olivier Institute for Educational Cybernetics University of Bolton

The Origins of IMS LD • IMS Learning Design specification published by IMS Global Consortium in 2003 • Based on the Educational Modelling Language, EML, from the Open University of the Netherlands in the very south of the country

OU Netherlands EML • In 1997 OUNL: strategic decision to provide e. Learning as key to their future development • Many pedagogies already in use at the OUNL needed to be supported. How? • 3 year internally funded R&D programme • Extensive research into pedagogies (100+) • Developed a common ‘meta-language’: the Educational Modelling Language – EML • Use EML to describe the learning process • Core of the language: People engage in Activities with Resources

OU Netherlands EML What kinds of Learning? • Support use of both content & discussion as well as more complex collaboration • Support group learning where people engage in either: – The same things at different times – Different things at the same time • Support different types of learning – – Problem-based & Project-based Learning Tightly controlled Programmed Learning Loosely controlled Role Play Learning etc.

IMS • IMS also started in 1997 • By end of 2000 IMS had developed: – Metadata (to describe learning content & objects) – Enterprise (to pass enrolments & return results) – Content Packaging (to transfer & display content) – QTI (to describe tests and return results) – LIP (to describe learners and their learning) • But nothing to describe the learning process itself • Universities argued in IMS for the need to also support multi-person models of learning.

IMS • Instructional -> Learning Design WG, 2001 • Ambitious scope – Framework: – To describe learning processes – Support different approaches to learning – Multi-user as well as single learner – Portable, searchable, reusable, etc. • …but couldn’t develop from scratch in 1 year • July 2001, WG accepted EML as an input specification from which to build • Problem: EML very large. Solution: – Drop EML’s Content Description (Doc. Book derived) – Use IMS Content Packaging to hold ‘web content’ – Drop EML’s Assessment as IMS already had the QTI spec

LD and Learning Services • LD introduced the idea of Learning Service but only a limited number to ensure that Units of Learning could be moved across learning management systems • So it was decided to restrict LD 1. 0 to services common to most learning platforms • A key question remains: how can more services be made available? • IEC developed a solution by implementing the W 3 C Widget specification: Wookie Server • (Collaborative) Widgets, that call on external servers, can be included in a Unit of Learning

IMS Learning Design The core elements of the EML & IMS LD are simple: People engage in Activities with Resources • People: one or many, learners or staff – At design time, you don’t know who – But can specify the ‘Roles’ they are to play • Activities: description + structured info – ‘learning objectives’; prerequisites; metadata • Resources: learning objects & services – EML had many types of object – This got simplified in Learning Design Many roles, activities, learning objects & services are co-ordinated in a “learning flow”

Main Parts of Learning Design learning-design title learning-objective prerequisites* components roles* activities* environments* Core elements of the LD Language method play* act* role-parts* metadata Multi-player co -ordination (* = there may be many of these)

The Dynamics of Learning Design method play Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4 Role-part 1 Role-part 2 Role-part 3 Role-part … Role components Activity Environment Activity. Description Learning objects Learning services Act 5

Why Level B Properties & Conditions? Properties and Conditions allow a whole new range of digital courses to be developed: • Collaborative learning • Adaptive learning and personalisation • Conditional text • Runtime tracking • New forms of assessment • e. Portfolio's • Project-based learning • Role-play learning For more on IMS LD see the optional follow-on presentation: “LD in More Depth”

IMS LD and LAMS • LAMS (Learning Activity Management System) is based on similar ideas but is simpler than IMS LD • LAMS implements a sub-set of the IMS LD specification – Activities, Activity-Structures (activity sequences & parallel activities) – Implicit Learner & Teacher roles, but not extensible roles • LAMS can import & export this subset of LD • No Properties & Conditions (see next section!) which give LD its power & flexibility • But strictly speaking it is not conformant with the LD specification • It now supports Wookie, so can use same services