DAM Runtime Implementation In a Nutshell

By: LCdr Roger St-Pierre

Goals of this R&D was to explore:

How to create SCO content in an appearance neutral mannerHow to encode appearance properties; andHow to implement this within an LMS

General Approach

XML Semantic Markup – DocBookSCOs devoid of stylistic informationXML schema was developed to constrain the appearance of a SCOIEEE LOM Technical.format Educational.learningResourceType

AccLIP IMS user preferences

Overall Sequence of Events

DAM: User CSS

SCO: Final XHTML

AccLIP: CSS

TILE: Auxiliary Srvc

DAM: Match ContentTo Location, AddContent Elements

SCO: XHTML +Intra-SCO Navigation +

Top, Bottom, Left, Right Content

ToC Hdr, Ftr ToolsLogo, Part Location

LMS: SequencerLMS: CP

DAM: XSL

SCO: XHTML +Intra-SCO Navigation

LMS

ADL DAM RTE

SCOMetadata

XSL

Styling Information

LMS

CP Manifest

ORGANISATION Appearance:-declaration of XSL based onTechnical.format andEducational.learningResourceType-location of Logo and itsAlternative text

ITEM LOM:Technical.format andEducational.learningResourceType

ITEM LOM:Technical.format andEducational.learningResourceType

LMS

Logo Info

XSL Style Sheet

DAM: …

DAM: XSLDefault

Technical.formatEducational.learningResourceType

SCO: DocBook XML

Semantic Model-View-Controller model

XML Expresses the “Model”XML SCOs contain no style (“View”) and no code (“Controller”)Who provides additional “controller” information in the transformation and how? (e.g. Intra-SCO Navigation)

DocBook Semantic Markup

Numerous XSL style sheets for transforming into XHTML, PDF, etc. I.e. quite flexible in terms of tranformationSuitability for e-Learning? Primarily used for documentationNo provision for interactive content such as Forms

DAM Markup Includes

Method for transforming SCO into XHTMLMethod for defining transformation based on type of SCOWay of specifying auxiliary servicesWay of specifying a logo; andWay of defining layout

Metadata Attributes

technicalFormat Used to define the format of the input

to the XSLT process

learningResourceType Used to further constrain the

transformation based on type of SCO

Binding Technique for DAM Markup

Option 1 - Internal to Content PackageOption 2 - External to Content Package with reference in the CP; andOption 3 – DAM Markup itself references the CP (I.e. Option 2 reversed)

Conclusion

It can be done; but will requirea consensus on issues such as:

1. Use of Metadata to obtain style2. Standardization of content semantic markup3. Binding technique for DAM markup4. Best practices