All you need to know about eLearning standards and specifications but never dare ask

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• All you need to know about e-Learning standards
  and specifications but never dare ask!
• Paul Hollins
• Manager CETIS
• Bolton Institute
• British Learning Association Conference London 31
  March 2004

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• I am NOT trying to sell you something !
• (Well perhaps I am)

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Connecting People, methods and Ideas !
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• All you need to know about e-Learning standards
  and specifications but never dare ask!
• The Standards Analogy
• Before Standards
• The Promise of Standards
• An overview of educational technology
  interoperability standards
• Introduction to some specifications and standards
  of interest
• CETIS and other resources
• Please interrupt me with questions, comments,
• or to clarify acronyms/jargon etc.!
• Question and discussion time at the end.

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The Standards Analogy

• Do you remember BETAMAX ?

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Standards whats the point?

• Think about
• buying a new kettle, and taking for granted
  that when it is plugged in, it will receive the
  right kind and amount of electricity- a situation
  brought about by standards.
• Think about
• the internet

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Standards whats the point?

• Now think about
• taking a CD-ROM based tutorial from last year,
  and putting its assessment section into a VLE
  (Virtual Learning Environment) or LMS (Learning
  Management System), with links to student/learner
  or employee records and new content.

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Before Standards
Think railways Different gauge (sized)
track Different rolling stock Confusion,
increased costs In short chaos !!
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The Promise of Standards
They allow all of this e-Learning stuff to
really work! For educators/trainers For
Learners For institutions/business For
vendors For publishers
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An overview of Educational Technology
Interoperability Standards

• Standards and specifications are (amongst other
  things) designed to facilitate the description,
  packaging, sequencing ,delivery of and
  accessibility to educational content, learning
  activities and learner information

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Standards vs. specifications?

• A standard is a recognized technology, format or
  method that has been ratified by a recognised
  standards body, e.g. international bodies (ISO
  IEEE) national bodies (BSI).
• Specifications have not been ratified by official
  bodies, but can be useful as de facto standards
  in the interim between identifying a need, and
  the relevant standard being ratified, e.g. IMS.

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Why do we need educational technology standards
and specifications?

• To prevent content becoming locked in to
  proprietary systems.
• To ensure educational content can be reused.
• To enable educational content learner
  information to be shared.
• To facilitate interoperability.

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What do educational technology interoperability
standards specs do? (1 of 2)

• Enable users to search for, locate and retrieve
  appropriate content.
• Plan educational scenarios and formulate
  instructional design.
• Deliver educational content tailored to learners
  requirements.

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What do educational technology interoperability
standards specs do? (2 of 2)

• Share content between systems.
• Create and deliver computer aided assessments.
• Record and share learner information.
• Ensure educational content is accessible to all
  users.

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Acronym, Acronym and more Acronyms !
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Some of the Acronyms !

• CETIS
• IMS
• ADL
• IEEE
• SCORM
• ISO
• BSI
• AICC
• Look at www.cetis.ac.uk

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Introduction to some specifications and standards
of interest

• IMS Content Packaging
• IMS Question Test Interoperability
• IEEE Learning Object Metadata
• IMS Digital Repository Interoperability
  Specification
• IMS Simple Sequencing
• Scorm
• IMS Learning Design

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How do educational technology standards specs
relate to educational practice?
administration
pedagogy
learning resources
teacher
student
dialogue
delivery system / vle
competencies
library
tests assessment
library
activities
registry/authority
course
Original diagram by C. Duncan
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How do educational technology standards specs
relate to educational practice?
administration
pedagogy
IMS Enterprise
IMS LIP
learning resources
student
dialogue
teacher
Meta-data
IMS Learning Design
delivery system / vle
IMS DRI
IMS QTI
IMS DRI
competencies
library
tests assessment
library
activities
IMS Competency Definition
IMS Content Packaging
registry/authority
IMS Simple Sequencing
course
Original diagram by C. Duncan
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How do educational technology standards specs
relate to educational practice?
administration
pedagogy
IMS Enterprise
IMS LIP
Meta-data
learning resources
student
dialogue
teacher
IMS Learning Design
delivery system / vle
IMS DRI
IMS QTI
IMS DRI
competencies
library
tests assessment
library
activities
IMS Competency Definition
IMS Content Packaging
registry/authority
IMS Simple Sequencing
course
Original diagram by C. Duncan
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The Doubters (and some real concerns)

• Standards restrict creativity
• Standards dont work
• Complicated and difficult to understand
• A lot of work for not much benefit
• Which one and why?
• Standards are driven by the vendors

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CETIS AND OTHER RESOURCES

• Centre for Educational Technology
  Interoperability Standards.
• Funded by the JISC since 1997.
• Supports UK higher and further education.
• Represents UK HE/FE on international educational
  standards initiatives, e.g. IMS, CEN/ISSS.
• Advises universities and colleges on strategic,
  technical and pedagogic implications.
• Manages 6 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) 2
  cross-SIG focus groups.
• Liaises with relevant groups in the UK, e.g. UfI,
  Becta

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Briefing papers

• Introductory briefing papers on standards and
  specifications.
• http//www.cetis.ac.uk/static/briefings.html
• IMS Enterprise
• IMS Learner Information Package
• IMS Learning Design
• IMS Content Packaging
• IMS Simple Sequencing
• IMS Question and Test Interoperability
• ADL Shared Content Object Reference Model

UK Irish Videoconference Seminar Series, January
2004
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The CETIS SIGs

• Accessibility SIG
• Assessment SIG
• Computer aided assessment and QTI.
• Educational Content SIG
• Content Packaging, Learning Design, Simple
  Sequencing, SCORM, educational modelling
  languages, simulations, etc.
• Learner Information and Enterprise SIGs
• Metadata and Repositories SIG
• Learning resource meta-data, digital
  repositories, digital libraries, resource list
  interoperability.
• FE Focus Group
• Pedagogy Focus Group

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• CETIS
• Paul Hollins
• Manager
• CETIS
• Bolton Institute
• P.A.Hollins_at_Bolton.ac.uk

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How to get involved in a CETIS SIG or locate
other resources

• Check out the web site
• http//www.cetis.ac.uk
• Contact me!
• P.A.Hollins_at_Bolton.ac.uk
• 01204 903097

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