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IMS: From Vision to RealityNLII - New Orleans

Frank TanseyIMS Global Learning Consortium

tansey@sonoma.edu

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NLII Had a Vision

Improve quality of learning and teaching through technologyBring together the various efforts to create distributed learning toolsDevelop specifications that would promote the effectiveness of distributed learning

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Suppose you call a meeting…

This was a grand experimentInitially the perceived focus was higher educationCould we all just get along?

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The journey begins…

Requirements basedGathering participants Expands the scope Creates friction Re-enforces the importanceA false start shows us the path

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Gathering Steam

Sometime process is more important than productBut, it sure makes it difficultIMS is not a ‘one trick pony’

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The Transition

Planning began earlyLots of support and encouragementIndependence — the ultimate endorsement of the vision

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We Produced Results and …

We established our positionWe defined and delivered our productWe showed that our process worksWe get to set our own goals for 2001

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The Reality - IMS Advantages

Productivity through a proven systemNeutral Playing FieldCombined Global & Local PerspectiveAbility to Share and Leverage

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IMS Productivity

A proven method for specification developmentConcentrate effortsFour specifications/revisions each yearFocused on addressing real issues

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Neutral Playing Field

Actively seeks input from all sidesLeave baggage at the doorTechnology and Pedagogically neutralSuper-majority for approvals

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IMS Brings Together…

Major forces in the distributed learning world to create the specifications that enable innovation in products and adoption by users.

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Global Perspective

Distributed learning has no boundariesMust meet the needs of all participants US-based European Asian And…Support a range of local conditions

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Ability to Share and Leverage

Leadership role in bringing competing efforts togetherFree distribution of all specificationsProvide building blocks to other efforts

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IMS Collaboration Activities

IEEE LOM (global)DoD SCORM (US)JISC Evaluation projects (UK)MLE Program (UK)

IMS Role in Standards Evolution

Unanimous Adoption

EmergingConsensus

First implementations

Mature productsInitial specs

Mature standards

A Model for Standards Evolution

ApprovedStandards

R&D Concepts

LabsTestbedsMarkets

StandardsBodies

SpecConsortia

SpecConsortia

SpecConsortia

SpecConsortia

LabsTestbedsMarkets

Labs,Testbeds,Markets

StandardsBodies

Specifications Reference Models Standards

User Needs

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Specification Context

IMS specifications are designed to be implemented in short orderFill needs that are important to organizationsProvide reusable solutions

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What Good Are Specifications?

They make digital content more independent from services and hardware used to deliver itThey provide more uniform, more precise access to networked learning resources and servicesThey help extend the life time of capital purchases and organizational changesThey facilitate the integration and maintenance of system components and data resources

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Specifications Development

Only as good as the specification scopeBuilt on ‘real world’ use casesImportant to not try and include too much But need to provide a path for

growth and/or refinement Don’t orphan prior effortsTrails before final release refine the specification

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Requirement to Specifications

Discovery

Administrivia

Portability

Testing

Customizing

Meta-data

Enterprise

Content Packaging

Question & Test

Learner Information

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Specification Roll-outs

1999 2000 2001

Interface Specs Free Resources to Evolve

EnterpriseSystems

Multimedia Content

PackagingData Sharing

Meta-data

Harmonization, Consistency

UseEnviron-

mentsManagement

Assessment

Evaluation

Learner/GroupInformation

Information Exchange

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Some Real World Examples

Content PackagingQuestion and Test InteroperabilityEnterpriseMeta-data

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UK Activities

BECTa - National Learning Network $43m;CETIS - IMS-focused projects $375k;FEFC – ILT Implementation Plan $68m;HEFCE – eUniversity $75m;JISC DNER – repositories;JISC - MLE Steering Group Publishing HE/FE requirements

guidelines call for proposals $180k.

Total Expenditures in excess of $186 million

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Emerging Specifications

Learning Information PackagingAccessibilityInstructional DesignQuestion and Test Interoperability v2Content ManagementRepositoriesCompetencies

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Accessibility

New 4-year effort jointly with National Center Accessible Media (WGBH) Specifications for special devicesNot only developing a specification but… Getting features in to other specs at

the start Revising specifications as necessary

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Instructional Design

Focused on instruction and learningNot on technology, infrastructure and data exchangeWill inform existing and future IMS specificationsReinforce the purpose to be a global learning consortiumCo-leads - Industry Canada and Cisco Systems

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Learner Information Packaging

Enabling transfers to support functionality… Repositories Customization Repackaging of informationCurrently a Public DraftImplementations already underway

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Demonstration

Wayne VeresCalifornia State University San

Marcoshttp://www.csusm.edu/csbs/

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IMS StaffEd WalkerChief Executive Officerewalker@imsproject.orgThor AndersonDirector Specification Developmenttanderson@imsproject.orgMarcia RockwoodDirector Operations mrockwood@imsproject.orgLisa MattsonDirector Web Resourceslisa@imsproject.orgBrett McDowellMember Advocate, Community Developmentbmcdowell@imsproject.orgKevin RileyEuropean DevelopmentCo-Lead Content Teamkriley@imsproject.org

Stu ZigunDirector, Strategic Alliancesszigun@imsproject.orgTom WasonTechnical Liaisontwason@imsproject.orgFrank TanseyCo-Lead Profiles Teamftansey@imsproject.orgColin SmytheEditor Profiles Team & QTI Teamcolin@dunlem.comMark McKellTechnical Writermmckell@imsproject.orgMari Vawn TinneyTraining Writermtinney@imsproject.orgCaroline OldershawCommunications Specialistcoldershaw@imsproject.org