CETIS EC SIG & Pedagogy Forum, Liverpool Hope University, 26/04/ 2007 1/25 IMS Learning Design in 2007 Dai Griffiths CETIS, The University of Bolton JISC-CETIS.

CETIS EC SIG & Pedagogy Forum, Liverpool Hope University, 26/04/ 20071/25

IMS Learning Design in 2007

Dai Griffiths

CETIS, The University of Bolton

JISC-CETIS Educational Content SIG and Pedagogy Forum Liverpool Hope University, 26th April 2007


IMS Learning Design in 2007

• Some reflections on challenges facing IMS LD today

• Some current work going on at the moment with IMS LD

• IMS LD and TENCompetence


There are some issues around IMS specifications in general

• Content Packaging as a strategy is anomalous in a world of social software and mash ups

• XML and self contained zip files is starting to look old fashioned– There are solutions, but there is an overhead

• Ideas are bubbling up from below, and top down solutions are being challenged


There are issues of the purpose of IMS LD

• There were two purposes of IMS LD as originally formulated:– Modelling language: use of the specification

to model pedagogic processes– Interoperability: transmission of data between

applications• Focusing on modelling is fascinating, but are we

reluctant to believe IMS LD can be just a file format?


Plus…

• LD is identified with structures developed around the specification :– Modelling and eLearning methodology: the

methodology which is used to create and use Units of Learning (UOLs)

– Infrastructure: the applications which have been developed to work with IMS LD

• People are still confused about what it is and what it can do


Two big challenges for IMS LD:a) Disaggregation of VLEs

• Stitching together services like mail, chat, blog, wiki etc is no longer hard, so VLEs are tending to be disaggregated

• But IMS LD assumes VLEs, with cohorts, design time and runtime distinction…

• Its role and use in a system which is built around the learner rather than the institution is an open question (PLE, TENCompetence)


Farmer & Tilton, June 2006, IM&M Technical Briefs for OSS Watch (JISC funded)


Two big challenges for IMS LD: b) institutional change

• Education, especially higher education, is a moving target: expansion, new institutional structures and policies, Communities of Practice and Corporate Universities, all of which meet in Life Long Learning

• Is IMS LD equipped to meet the needs of this environment?

• TENCompetence is focused on LLL, and is looking at this. More on this later…


The role of IMS LD

• interoperable flexible large scale distance education on VLEs (Moodle to Blackboard)– but less VLEs than expected, so less need to

interoperate…• Can be used as a file format for lesson plans &

learning activities, not structure of application– We are moving Reload in this direction

• It models formal educational structures – the limits beyond formal education have not been

explored, although Dialog+ was encouraging– Needs to work within wider contexts. What are they?


So there are challenges… and interesting work addressing them

• Liverpool Hope projects which you have heard about– OpenDock (opendocument.net repository)

• Leonardo, IMS LD aware lightweight repository with API

– DesignShare • Linking Reload and opendocument.net

– LD4P– etc…


Individual institutions and researchers

• Instutional research, for example– Wollongong Centre for Interactive Learning

Environments (project with OUNL)• http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/

– Complutense University of Madrid <e-LD> – Waterloo LearningMapR

• Individual research, for example– CoSMoS– NetUniversité


Open Source foundations

• .LRN provides support for IMS LD, levels A, B & C.

• LAMS V2 has IMS LD level A export

• Moodle roadmap: mid 2007 “Support for importing/exporting LD, converting Moodle activities and sequences of activities into a standard format for sharing, and importing standard sequences into Moodle courses”


European professional learning projects with IMS LD strands

• APOSDLE: “develops a software platform and tools to support you to learn … within the context of your immediate work and within your current work environment”

– http://www.aposdle.tugraz.at/

• Prolix: “align learning with business processes…”

– http://www.prolixproject.org/


European eLearning projects using IMS LD

• iClass

– http://www.iclass.info/iclass01.asp

• eLegi

– http://www.elegi.org/


LICEF – Télé-université work in LORNET network

• The IDLD portal (www.idld.org) – contained around 50 LDs in January– tools, guides and IMS LD information

• A new graphic function editor in alpha – part of TELOS (integrated product of LORNET

system) – extends of MOT+ to IMS LD level B and C– imports XML files as graphics, executed in a player– Graphic objects have properties sheets with links to

an ontology.– A new release is expected before the summer of 2007


TENCompetence

• Life Long Competence development• 4-year EU-funded Integrated IST-TEL project

www.tencompetence.org• Infrastructure for planning and carrying out Life

Long Competence Development– Open Source– Standards and interoperability specifications– Service oriented


• works with IMS LD in the context of three areas which are key to the future of the specification– Life Long Learning (the wider context for

formal education)– Service based architecture (generational

change in technology)– Personal Learning Environment

(disaggregation of VLEs)

TENCompetence and IMS LD


Getting personal…

• Not top down tools for education and training bodies

• Any individual, group, organisation can develop competence definitions, profiles, competence development

• Multiple learning providers provide life long services and content, but the user formats, edits and manages them as it suits them


• Integrates whole range of users competence development activities

• Provides and coordinate services• Coordinates people in competence development

roles, resources, activities in competence development plans and activities

• Design time and runtime become blurred• These are (simple) learning designs, and will be

exported to IMS LD

Developing a Personal Competence Manager



• When there is a need for more complex competence development plans, TENCompetence uses full IMS LD and CopperCore

• There is a workpackage focusing specifically on Learning Activities, where IMS LD is central.

Sometimes you need more…


• It is hard to identify or agree on pedagogic chunks and helpers

• Depends on learners’ objectives, teacher preference, pedagogy, institutional context

• A moving target: teacher’s skills and needs are changing, as they get more experience of (limited) VLEs

• Planned collaboration with Liverpool Hope • Will produce a number of prototypes and use

them with practitioners• First outcomes should be within six months

Tools for teachers which hide the LD

CETIS EC SIG & Pedagogy Forum, Liverpool Hope University, 26/04/ 200723/25Work in progress!


• SCORM player integrated with IMS LD

• Working on chat and a number of other services for the near future

• Assessment using QTI and IMS LD for a wider range of purposes than QTI alone

IMS LD runtime


• “Antelope” V.1 release of Personal Competence Manager before the summer

• Prototype IMS LD based author in the autumn• New IMS LD runtime services in 2007• Integration of opendocument.net repository with

Reload• TENCompetence open workshop with LD theme

in Barcelona 21st - 22nd June– Call for papers etc. www.tencompetence.org

Watch out for…

CETIS EC SIG & Pedagogy Forum, Liverpool Hope University, 26/04/ 2007 1/25 IMS Learning Design in 2007 Dai Griffiths CETIS, The University of Bolton JISC-CETIS.

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