Learning Content Standards Demos Details and Demystification Robby

Learning Content Standards Demos, Details, and De-mystification Robby Robson, Eduworks Chair, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee rrobson@eduworks. com Presented at Techlearn 2001 Copyright Notice - © 2001, Eduworks Corporation. Site visitors may view a single copy of this presentation for personal use. Reproduction or reuse of all or part of this presentation without permission is prohibited.

Presentation Outline • What’s the problem? – – Making good learning content Finding the right learning content Delivering learning content Deriving value from learning content Learner Instructor Or Trainer Learning Technology Designer Learning Content Designer • What’s the solution? – – Shareable Content Objects & Templates Metadata Packaging & Runtime Communication Tracking • But how does it work? – The steps of the process – The specs involved • Show me! – This is what it looks like – Try it yourself – Learning Object Trick or Treat • Q&A Learning Technology Business © 2001 Eduworks

Assumptions and Acronyms • • • Focus on SCORM Focus is on learning content. SCORM = Shareable Content Object Reference Model. SCO = shareable content object. ADL = Advanced Distributed Learning initiative IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. LOM = Learning Object Metadata AICC = Aviation Industry CBT Committee IMS = IMS (not an acronym) LMS = Learning Management System LCMS = Learning Content Management System © 2001 Eduworks

The Problems Standards Address • Making Good Learning Content – Pedagogically Effective – Easy to make – Easy to use – Worthwhile to sell – Need good tools Learner Instructor Or Trainer Learning Technology Designer Learning Content Designer Learning Technology Business © 2001 Eduworks

The Problems Standards Address • Finding the Right Learning Content Learner Instructor Or Trainer – Educationally appropriate Learning – Technologically compatible Learning Technology Content – Legally available Designer – Plays well with others Learning – Need good labels Technology Business © 2001 Eduworks

The Problems Standards Address • Delivering the Right Learning Content – Available in L(C)MS – Gets to the learner – Works when it gets there Learner Instructor Or Trainer Learning Technology Designer Learning Content Designer Learning Technology Business © 2001 Eduworks

The Problems Standards Address • Deriving Value from Learning Content Learner Instructor Or Trainer – Learning and/or increasing Learning performance Technology Content – Receiving certification Designer – Making money Learning – Recording results Technology Business © 2001 Eduworks

Solutions Based on Standards • Making Good Learning Content – Shareable Content Objects (SCOs) • Chunks of learning content • Reusable • Can be assembled into larger learning units • Standardized communication with LMS Separate: Presentation Content Sequencing Communication – Templates • Faster and more effective development © 2001 Eduworks

Solutions Based on Standards • Finding the Right Learning Content – Learning Object Metadata • • • Author, Title etc Technical requirements Classification schemes Educational intent Rights management – Federated searching • Submit same search to multiple repositories • Search over communities of practice One resource can have many metadata records LOM and “Dublin Core” are compatible All content standards include places for learning object metadata © 2001 Eduworks

Solutions Based on Standards • Delivering the Right Learning Content – Content Aggregation • Pack content for transport • Instruct LMS how to sequence learning objects • Include metadata – “Runtime Communication” • LMS and content talk • Content initiates talks • Talks restricted to small set of topics (Who are you, what did you do, how long did it take) Sequencing ultralight: “Let the learner decide” or “in the order I sent you the SCOs. ” Anything more complex is really more complex. © 2001 Eduworks

Solutions Based on Standards • Deriving Value from Learning Content – Tracking • Communicate assessment results • Link to learner profile and certifications • Item analysis on assessments – Creating a market • Standardization increases size of market and makes it worthwhile for content developers to invest in quality content “Tracking” consists of scores, time spent, and completion status Tracking generates data that can be used to assess the content as well as the learner © 2001 Eduworks

Creation & Assembly of SCOs 1. Learning Content is created or repurposed from other applications 2. Learning Content is broken into SCOs. Each SCO is assigned metadata and made “intelligent” by storing it as HTML and adding calls to API’s that will allow communication. 3. SCOs, possibly from an external source, are assembled into a larger learning unit called a package. SCOs may be physical files or URL’s. 4. Package contains a “manifest” file and says how the LMS should deliver the SCOs. © 2001 Eduworks

Creation and Assembly of SCOs Create Generic Content Repurpose Learning Content Authoring Tools Chunk Assemble Templates speed design & control look, feel, and ISD SCOs fit together to form learning unit. Might come from multiple sources Package includes metadata that describes the objects and the package. Also includes instructions that tell the LMS how the SCOs are to be organized. © 2001 Eduworks

Deploying Content Package • • Package is shipped to an LMS installs package. (This may involve uploading resources to a content server. ) Import LMS stores files or pointers to files plus metadata and instructions shipped with package. © 2001 Eduworks

Finding Learning Content • Learner finds the learning content. Learning Object Metadata creates standardized representations of learning units that can be imported from SCORM content packages. SCORM packages can point to external sources for metadata. Multiple descriptions of same object LMS Learning Catalog are allowed. Courses on Halloween are Available at Techlearn 2001 LMS provides context for finding content – e. g. skill gaps, certifications, managerial approval. © 2001 Eduworks

Delivering Learning Content • • • First SCO in package is “launched”. SCO tells LMS it is running. SCO “talks” with LMS records results. SCO tells LMS it is finished. LMS launches next SCO in package. LMS responsible for inter-SCO sequencing. SCO responsible for own internal sequencing. LMS SCO must initialize, finalize, and report results to LMS © 2001 Eduworks

The Specs Involved Spec Organization Description Runtime Communication ADL – being standardized in IEEE API for LMS – SCO communication CMI Data Model AICC – being advanced Defines vocabulary and by ADL and responses for LMS – standardized in IEEE SCO communication Learning Object Metadata IEEE – came from ARIADNE and IMS. Many versions exist Defines categories used for describing learning content Aggregation Model IMS – adopted by ADL. Much comes from AICC. Next version is “sequencing ultralite” Tells how to create packages and give sequencing instructions to an LMS © 2001 Eduworks