Libraries and the Enhancement of Elearning Report from an OCLC sponsored Task Force

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Libraries and the Enhancement of E-learning
Report from an OCLC sponsored Task Force

• ALA Midwinter January 11, 2004

• Paul LePore, Univ. of Washington
• Ed Meachen, Univ. of Wisconsin
• Karen Williams, Univ. of Arizona

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Presentation Outline

• Common language, Issues, Relevance
• Standards
• OCLC possibilities

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Background on Task Force

• Composition
• Diverse, geographically, functionally,
  demographically
• Charge
• To explore issues of interaction of the academic
  library and e-learning and what role OCLC might
  play in this arena
• Timeframe
• -spring to fall, 2003

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Common Language

• E-learning
• Learning Object
• Courseware Management Systems

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E-learning

• Technology enriched classes and learning
  environment
• From e-reserves to fully on line
• From syllabus posting to online communities
• Beyond DL to hybrid course development
• 70 colleges engaging e-learning strategy
• An environment and set of services, that cross
  traditional lines
• A promise of enriched teaching and learning
  experience
• Reusable digital content

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Learning Objects

• Learning object what is it?
• Small teaching packages
• Can be reused, shared and recombined to form new
  packages
• various forms e.g. PowerPoint presentation,
  word document, a hyperlink, digital images,
  various combinations
• Key concept learning objects are composites
• Object itself
• Context that the object can be used in
• Metadata must recognize this composite nature
• Reuse requires metadata and careful management
• Similar nature and issues of library content,
  yet dynamic

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Course Management Systems (CMS)

• Course management systems
• aka Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and
  learning management systems
• software applications that manage a courses
  electronic elements, ie learning objects,
  discussions, content, e-reserves, etc

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Whys this important

• High use-high growth
• Spending increases-need to leverage resources
• Core service enhancement
• Improved learning outcomes
• A new pedagogy
• Intersection of technology, content, teaching and
  learning, a service convergence
• Shift to user centric environment

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Where does it fit?

• Good question!
• Crosses boundaries
• Requires multiple skill base-
• metadata
• technical
• design
• new pedagogy
• Questions of ownership and control
• Service or organizational convergence

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Issues

• Cultural Barriers- crosses traditional lines
• seamlessness is essential, yet different systems
• service convergence but organizational barriers
• no common language/values
• Metadata standards
• Institutional/multi-institutional repositories
• Ownership/management/control of learning objects
• Perspective shift

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Library Role

• Metadata creators/managers
• Repository managers
• Learning Objects guides
• Preservation
• Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Rights
  Management
• Training
• Content Integrators
• User orientation

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Why Standards?

• Interoperability
• Reusability
• Portability
• Accessibility
• Scalability
• Cost-effectiveness.

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Standards Evolution Model
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Evolution Of Library Standards

• Long history of standards development
• Well defined standards space- search services
  (Z39.50)- interlibrary lending protocols-
  bibliographic records exchange

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Emergence Of Web Services

• World-wide web resources
• Digital repositories
• Metadata infrastructure
• Dublin Core
• Open Archives Initiative
• SRW/SRU (lightweight Z39.50)
• Directory services

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IMS Global Learning Consortium

• Founded in 1997
• Develops specifications not standards
• Initial focus on back-end systems
  specifications- Enterprise specification-
  Content packaging specification- Metadata
  Information Model Specification

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Advent of Advanced Distributed Learning

• ADL launched in 1997
• Requirements formulated through meetings with
  industry, higher education, and government
• Joined with AICC, IEEE, ARIADNE, ALIC, IMS
• Developed SCORM, the starting point for the
  implementation of next generation E-learning

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The SCORM What is it really?

• Integration of industry specifications from many
  other organizations
• AICC, IMS, IEEE, ARIADNE, etc.
• Provides a unified learning content model
• Defines a standardized web run-time environment
• Is the first step on the path to defining a true
  learning architecture

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ADL -- Convergence of Interests
1998
1999
2000
ARIANDNE IMS
IEEE
AICC ALIC
IBM Cisco Microsoft Macromedia Oracle NetG Click2L
earn Saba Pathlore MindLever (many others).
ADL SCORM 0.7.3
ADL SCORM 1.0 Content Model Run-time Environment
ADL SCORM 1.1 Post Test Phase Clean, Fix, Trim
Launch, API, Data Model, XML Course Interchange
Meta Data
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SCORM Core Complete
Final Pieces
Foundational Pieces
2000
2002
2001
2003
ARIADNE IMS
IEEE
IEEE
AICC
IBM Microsoft Macromedia Cisco NetG Click2Learn Sa
ba Pathlore Centra, (many others).
SCORM 1.0 Content Mod. Run-time Env.
SCORM 1.1 Clean/Fix
SCORM Sequencing Work Began
IMS Finalizes Simple Sequencing
SCORM CAM 1.3 RTE 1.3 SN 1.3
SCORM 1.2 Adds Content Packaging Profiles New
Meta-data
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Areas of Library E-learning Partnership and
Opportunity

• Metadata infrastructure
• Search services
• Content packaging/transmission
• Portals and portlet technologies
• Common services for access management
• Learning activities

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Way Forward

• Joint forums to explore new service paradigms
• Clearly expressed functional requirements
• Small and large-scale demonstrator projects
• Improved communication channels for standards
  development

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Advocacy Towards User-centered e-Learning
Services

• Promote concept of service convergence
• Help define the action agenda
• Campus, Region, Country, International
• Foster creation/distribution of best practices
• Work with
• Other membership organizations
• Library service providers
• Those who help create learning objects
• Advocate for early metadata capture

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Advocacy Steps

• Participation in IMSGlobal
• Sponsor for the 2003 Alt-I-lab meeting
• Continued participation in next generation
  activities
• E-learning Forum
• Led by leaders in the field
• First Topic New Organization and Service Models
• Sponsor Pat Albanese
• Hosted on Community Section of www.oclc.org

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Extended OCLC services

• Integrate e-learning into all existing services
• To further the integration of libraries into
  e-learning
• Ensure WorldCat can handle
• Learning Object Metadata
• Using appropriate standards not MARC
• Make services available from within a CMS
• Enable early metadata capture
• Joint pilot projects as proof-of-concept

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Make traditional Content and Services Visible
e.g. links to QP, FirstSearch, Connexion
Learning Objects To the Left Services for full
Life Cycle Create, Describe, Access, Deliver,
Preserve, Share
Make Library Collections Work in Learning Create
Learning Objects From Library Collections e.g.
ContentDM to package Learning Objects
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Discussion