Distributed Learning and Distributed Learning and New Learning CommunitiesNew Learning Communities

ARL Conference, Eugene 1998

Educom's National Learning Educom's National Learning Infrastructure InitiativeInfrastructure Initiative

and the IMS projectand the IMS project

Mark Resmer, ARL Conference, May 14 1998

An EDUCOM initiative Founded in 1994 National = systemic Learning = student-

centered environments Infrastructure =

Internet + new applications

What is the National What is the National Learning Infrastructure Learning Infrastructure Initiative?Initiative?

Basic premise of the NLIIBasic premise of the NLII

Improve qualityImprove quality Increase accessIncrease access Contain costsContain costs

How do we balance/reconcile these issues?How do we balance/reconcile these issues?

How can technology help to accomplish this?How can technology help to accomplish this?

QualityAccess

Cost

Collaborative efforts:Collaborative efforts:

Creating the climateCreating the climate– Institutional leadersInstitutional leaders– Public policy makersPublic policy makers

Creating the frameworkCreating the framework– IMS projectIMS project

Creating the productsCreating the products– PublishersPublishers– Technology companiesTechnology companies– UniversitiesUniversities

The NLII partnership The NLII partnership strategystrategy

Education membersCSU, Collegis Research Institute, UNC, Michigan, Miami Dade, CIC (“Big Ten”), Buena Vista University, George Mason University, JISC, UCCommercial/government membersMicrosoft, Apple, IBM, Sun, International Thomson Publishing, Collegis, Farance Inc., KPMG, NIST, Department of Defense, Empower, @Learning, Unisys, Oracle, ETS,Simon and Schuster, AT&T, Asymetrix

IMS: the primary IMS: the primary NLII partnershipNLII partnership

Parts of the prototype are being developed by Blackboard LLC

Project creates open specifications and prototype Members create products

Instructional Management Instructional Management Systems project overviewSystems project overview

Goal: develop an open architecture for on-line learning

Deliverables: create freely distributable specifications and software that enables the development, use, and management of Internet-based learning environments

Model: HTTP + Mosaic de facto standard, led to explosion of content, new markets

Lessons from the IMS - Lessons from the IMS - successful partnership successful partnership characteristicscharacteristics Identify mutual goals - not handouts Be inclusive - not exclusive (add

competitors) Create common value space, not products Start small and grow - not grandiose and

fail Run like a business - not like a consortium Hire professionals - don’t rely on

volunteerism Make all partners invest - no free rides

IMS organizational modelsIMS organizational models

Learning/Teaching

Coordinating/Providing

Advising

Assessing

Accessing

Browsing

DevelopingInteracting

Distributing

Transacting

Packaging

Administering

Operating

Enrolling

Certifying

Indexing

L T

C D

IMS interchangesIMS interchanges

L

P

T

C

Peer-to-PeerInterchange

Interchange

Off Campus Student

CD

On campus Student

Teacher

IMS Mgmt

System

The IMS environmentThe IMS environment

Back office

Collaboration Tools

Authoring Tools

Learning Resource

s

Libraries

IMS technical overviewIMS technical overviewScope of Specification

– Meta-data – Profiles– Content– Management (Content, Course,

Collaboration)– External Services

»Financial»Commerce»Student records»Library

IMS meta-data IMS meta-data specificationspecificationBuilt on top of XML/RDFIncorporates Dublin CoreInitial basic set of

fields/valuesTiered repository

– Allows for dynamic management

Basic IMS meta-data fieldsBasic IMS meta-data fields

IDLocationVersionDate MD versionFormatTitle AuthorKeywordsLanguageSubjectAbstractLevel ObjectivesUse timeFormPresentationStructurePedagogyInteractivityCreditsSourceRelationPrerequisitesStewardUseRightsPrice CodeCatalogIDUserSupport

IMS meta-data IMS meta-data extensibilityextensibility

IMS CORE METADATATitle: Author:Learning Level:Keywords:and more….

AVIATION EXTENSIONS

Airframe type:….

MATHEXTENSIONS

Theorem:….

IMS profile specificationIMS profile specification

Educational records “Wallet”

MobileContains

– Personal information– Performance information– Portfolio– Preferences

Commerce and library Commerce and library interfacesinterfaces

Commerce interface: provides vehicles for innovative tracking of IP and access info

– Superdistribution model - Brad Cox– Enables potential new models for fair use, sampling

etc.– Role based access control

Library interface: Bridges between learning services and information access services

Library interface still needs to be defined– Possible CNI project?– ARL interest?

ConvergenceConvergence

Aviation Industry CBT Consortium (AICC)

Dublin Core LOMG ADL IEEE ARIADNE GEM

Specs, Code, and Market Development

IMS Members, Testbed, Developers Network, Public

IMS work processIMS work process

IMS Staff(14 FTE)

IMSMembers

Funding and requirements Permanent

Stds. bodySpecs

Educom's National Educom's National Learning Learning

Infrastructure Initiative Infrastructure Initiative and IMS Projectand IMS Project

http://www.educom.edu/program/nlii/.index.html

http://www.imsproject.org

More information: