Origins of IMS Learning Design

1
Origins of IMS Learning Design its conceptual
framework

• Oleg Liber CETIS
• May 2008

2

• Quick history
• The conceptual model and why we need one
• LD developments in the modern world

3
A note on standards

• The A4 page
• Does not limit what may be written
• Does not prevent other sizes being used
• Permits emergent actions e.g. filing - and
  other products files cabinets

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Pre-LD (1997-)

• Emerging VLEs (LMS)
• Educom (now Educause) establishes Instructional
  Management Systems (IMS) Project to explore how
  to achieve interoperability
• No clear reference model
• Initial spec for whole system interoperability
  huge and rejected
• Component specs
• Content packaging metadata enterprise learner
  information question and test

5
But wheres the pedagogy

• Is pedagogy only represented in content
• What about group learning and other pedagogies
• How can these be represented online

6
Online pedagogy

• LMS only provide for delivery of content tests
  and information learner management
• No system actively supports wide range of
  pedagogies
• What would a spec look like

7
OUNL and EML

• Educational Modelling Language
• Can represent most widely used pedagogical
  approaches
• Forms the basis for the development of an
  interoperability spec IMS LD
• Commenced 2000 spec 2003
• Core model
• People do activities using resources

8
Reminder about standards

• Remember the A4 example
• About online learning
• Allowing emergent actions and products
• Learning without boundaries
• Re-use remixing of elements

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Aims of IMS LD spec

• Completeness
• Pedagogical Flexibility
• Personalization
• Formalization
• Reproducibility
• Interoperability
• Compatibility
• Reusability

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Elements of IMS LD

• People do activities using resources
• People take roles
• Staff type
• Teacher tutor instructor facilitator
• Learner type
• Learner facilitator scribe chair team leader
• Roles within role plays

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LD Elements

• A Unit of learning contains
• At least one Play optional paths
• A Play contains
• a sequence of Acts
• Acts contain
• a collection of Activities some of which may
  be sequenced

• A Module
• May have optional paths
• A Module contains
• A sequence of lessons
• Lessons contain
• a collection of Activities some of which may
  be sequenced

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• Unit of Learning

• Play

• Title
• Completion rule
• (e.g. after a period)
• Completion feedback

• Title
• Description
• Learning Objectives
• Prerequisites
• URI

Act
Title Completion rule (e.g. after a
period) Completion feedback
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Activities

• State what should be done
• Support activities
• Learning activities
• Can be in sequences
• May use learning resources
• May require software services (like a forum or an
  email service)

• Properties
• Title
• Description
• Learning Objectives
• Prerequisites
• Completion rule
• Completion feedback
• Environments (materials and tools)

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Role-parts

• Role-part is a role doing an activity
• Teacher A presents a lesson on Ohms Law

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Learning resources

• Learning objects (for interoperabilitys sake!)
• Web page
• IMS content packages
• Learning service types
• Sendmail email
• Conference - forum chat
• Actual system not specified at design stage
• Other cool stuff
• Learning objects and services are assembled into
  environments (for the sake of re-use!)

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Design prepare deliver

• Design roles activities service types
• Learning design editor
• previewing
• Prepare add people actual systems dates
• Editor Or runtime system
• Deliver a run with these people actually do
  it.
• Runtime engine and interface

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Where it gets complicated

• or do I mean sophisticated
• Properties and conditions (level B)
• Activities can branch depending on rules
• Different roles can follow different paths
• Notifications (level C)
• Allowing control at runtime
• Challenge for User Interface or designer learning

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Method
learning objective
condition
pre-requisites
Play(s)
property
Act(s)
learning activity
person
support activity
role-part(s)
role
activity
environment
outcome
notification
learner
activity structure
learning object
service
staff
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Progress since IMS LD 1.0 (2003)

• RELOAD editor
• UNFOLD project
• SLED
• Design for Learning projects
• Liverpool Hope
• OpenDocument.net repository
• TENCompetence

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Questions

• Does eLearning need a LD standard
• Is IMS LD on the right track
• Does it need updating
• Is it relevant in a web 2.0 world
• What are the next steps

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Am I right

• At some point online learning will take over from
  the campus as the predominant mode of learning
• Face to face will be the added value
• Is Learning Technology ready for this