The Training and Learning Architecture: Infrastructure for the Future of Learning

The Training and Learning Architecture:

Infrastructure for the Future of Learning International Symposium on Information Technology and

Communication in Education (SINTICE) 2013

Damon Regan, Ph.D.

Contractor with The Tolliver Group, Inc. supporting the ADL Initiative

The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative

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Highest quality education and training anytime and anywhere.

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SCORM*

SCORM Adopters

SCORM enables

an interoperable

e-learning

environment

that has become

the de facto

global learning

standard

*Sharable Content Object Reference Model

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New Research Projects

Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

Training and Learning Architecture (TLA) Web service specifications and open source software

Virtual World Framework (VWF) Sandbox Web-based persistent virtual environment

Personal Assistant for Learning (PAL) Software to support pervasive learning

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“So some things get invented because it is suddenly possible to invent them.”

- Vint Cerf

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Project Tin Can

‣ ADL Funded Research Effort

‣ Code-named “Project Tin Can” Rustici Software

‣ Requirement to “modernize” SCORM

communication framework

‣ Community-derived use cases, interviews, over

100 white papers

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Project Tin Can Requirements

1. Should support a variety of content types

2. Should be simple to implement

3. Should support offline or disconnected scenarios

4. Portable content (interoperable across platforms)

5. Improved access to run-time data

Unlock the power

of data to spur

innovation and

improve quality

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Move from managing “documents”

to managing discrete pieces of

open data and content

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Information-Centric Approach

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Presentation Layer

Platform Layer

Information Layer Open Data & Content

(Information)

Systems, Processes,

Management & Web APIs

Public Digital

Services

The Layers of Digital Services http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/egov/digital-government/digital-government.html

Private Digital

Services

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$1.5B was spent

on educational

technology in 2012

Training and Learning Architecture (TLA):

Web APIs and Open Source Software

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Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

Training and Learning Architecture (TLA):

Web APIs and Open Source Software

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Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

Credit: Liz Burow (@Burlix) 15

Experience API (xAPI)

What is the ?

‣ Result of Project Tin Can

‣ Tracks experiences, informal learning, real-world

experiences (not just completions)

‣ Allows data storage AND retrieval (ex. 3rd party reporting

and analytics tools)

‣ Enables tracking mobile, games, ITS, and virtual worlds

experiences

‣ Developed by open source community

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Comparing xAPI and the SCORM RTE

‣ Course tracking:

Bookmarking, completion,

time, pass/fail, scores

‣ Multiple scores per object,

unlimited test results and

interactions

‣ No LMS required

‣ No web browser required

SCORM

Run-Time

Environment

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Comparing xAPI and the SCORM RTE

‣ Supports offline scenarios

‣ Control over your content

‣ Tracks web or native apps

‣ Tracks serious games,

simulations, virtual worlds

‣ Tracks real-world, informal

learning & performance

‣ Tracks team-based learning

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SCORM

Run-Time

Environment

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Activity Streams

‣ http://activitystrea.ms

‣ Collaboration between Google, Facebook, Microsoft and others

‣ Allows reporting of experiences, not just completions

‣ Format: <Actor> <Verb> <Object> (I did this):

Simple Statement: I (actor) watched (verb) a video on protecting employee data (object)

Complex: in the context of [information assurance certification training] with result [timestamp:2013-0618T18:30:32.360Z ].

Reporting

Systems

Assessment

Services

Semantic

Analysis

Statistical

Services

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Learning Record Store (LRS)

Learning Management System (LMS)

User Management

Course Management

Run-Time

Player

Scheduling

Grade Book

Search

Delivery

Learning Records

Statistics

Repository

Sequencing

Preferences Assessment Reports

What is an LRS?

Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

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Just the Learning Records

Learning Record Store (LRS)

Learning Records

Learning Record Store (LRS)

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https://github.com/adlnet/ADL_LRS

‣ Version 1.0 Released in April 2013

‣ Over 30 Adopter Products

‣ Over 100 Contributors

xapi.adlnet.gov

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Training and Learning Architecture (TLA):

Web APIs and Open Source Software

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Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

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TLA Content Brokering

From Durlach & Spain: Forms of Adaptation in a Framework for Instructional Technology

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Managing Content

3D Repository Open source repository for 3D models

Re-Usability Support System for

E-Learning (RUSSEL)

Open source repository for e-

learning content

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Discovering Content

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Understanding Content

Metadata, repositories, and registries that support

discovery and access should align content with

objectives, standards, or competency information

LRMI Properties:

• name

• about

• author

• educationalAlignment

• …

Competency Definitions

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Not just metadata…

‣ Paradata: a particular kind of metadata.

• Specifically, paradata is usage data.

• How is something being used?

‣ Shared with Learning Registry based on activity

streams specification

• actor, verb, object

‣ Example:

• 10th grade English Languages Arts Educator (actor)

matched academic standard Y (verb) with resource X

(object)

Training and Learning Architecture (TLA):

Web APIs and Open Source Software

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Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

TLA Competency Networks

Learning

Management

Systems

Registries &

Repositories

Assessment

Systems E-portfolios

Social

Networks

Objectives, standards, or competency

information needs to be shared across

learning applications

Shared objectives, standards, or competency information

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Competency Structure vs. Actual Competencies

Represent and structure information, but does not set out any

specific learning outcome or competence definitions or

structures.

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Existing Competency Frameworks

‣ MedBiquitous Competency Framework

• ANSI accredited technical standard for representing

competency frameworks

• Developed for healthcare education

‣ Achievement Standards Network (ASN)

• Open specification used with K-12 standards

‣ Integrating Learning Outcomes and Competences

(inLOC)

• Recently completed European funded project

Each provides methods to model definitions, structures, and relationships

Training and Learning Architecture (TLA):

Web APIs and Open Source Software

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Experience Tracking

Learner Profile

Content Brokering

Competency Networks

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TLA Learner Profiles

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Relationship to Competencies

Proficient In Progress Desired

Learner Profile Competencies

Definition

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Learner Profile Visualization

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Owning Your Data

‣ Multiple Personas for Multiple Systems

• Work

• School

• Hobbies

• Neighborhood

• Etc.

‣ Rather than storage in multiple places “owned” by different

systems, all centralized and YOU grant permissions.

‣ Data migration easier

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Data Relationships

badgeClass B1

alignment: 01

criteria: P1

Learner L1 activity

• L1 used R1

• L1 used R2

• L1 achieved O1

resource R1 (LRMI)

teaches O1

resource R2 (LRMI)

assesses O1

objective O1

page P1 (LRMI)

alignment: O1

resources R1, R2

badgeAssertion B1L1

badge: B1

Evidence: L1activity

Learning data revolves around

competency definitions

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Linked TLA Services and Data

badgeClass B1

alignment: 01

criteria: P1

Learner L1 activity

• L1 used R1

• L1 used R2

• L1 achieved O1

resource R1 (LRMI)

teaches O1

resource R2 (LRMI)

assesses O1

objective O1

page P1 (LRMI)

alignment: O1

resources R1, R2

badgeAssertion B1L1

badge: B1

Evidence: L1activity Experience

Tracking

Learner Profile

Competency Networks

Content Brokering

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Personal Assistant for Learning (PAL)

Software to enable

pervasive learning

‣ Better retention by spacing learning in time

‣ Better transfer by varying learning context

‣ Better mastery by personalizing pace, path, context, and

method of instruction

‣ Better completion by adapting to non-cognitive factors

such as confidence and motivation.

Learner-PAL UIs

Learner

- Recommendations

- Engagement

Workflows

- Context Awareness

- Personalization

Services

Learning Methods

- Authoring

- Curation

- Competencies /

Topics

- Learning Objects

- Metadata

- Learner Profile

Author

- Podcasts

- Virtual

Environments

- Perceptual

Learning

Modules

- ITS

- Apps

- I/O Devices

- Sensors

Back End

Authoring UIs

Front End

External

Interfaces

External Resources

PAL Architecture

PAL Services

Data Repository Commercial

- Outlook Calendar

- Social Network

- Maps

TLA

- Competency

Networks

- Content Brokering

- Learner Profiles

- Experience

Tracking

Other PAL

Implementations

- Vendor A

- Vendor B

- …

Virtual World Framework (VWF) Sandbox

Persistent virtual environment

that runs in a web browser

http://vwf.adlnet.gov

Traditional Virtual World

Game Engine

3D Modeling

Tool

https://github.com/adlnet/Sandbox 43

Apache License 2.0

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Example Virtual Game and xAPI

Nutrition Mission Game Choose the food to complete

your mission

(xAPI publish example)

Connected Garden Virtual environment connected

to real garden

(xAPI read example)

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Querying the LRS

function tick()

{

var d = Date.now();

if (d - this.lastTick > 30000)

{

this.pointsQuery.since = this.lastQuery;

this.queryLRS('http://imaginarium2.adlnet.org/xapi', this.pointsQuery,

this.processResults.bind(this));

}

}

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The LRS Query

{

"agent":

{

"account":

{

"homePage": "http://imaginarium.adlnet.org",

"name": “plant1"

}

},

"verb": "http://imaginarium.adlnet.org/xapi/verbs/grew",

"since": "2013-09-13T04:00:00.370Z"

}

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Animating the Plant function processResults(data)

{

var score = 0;

for (var i in data.statements) {

score += data.statements[i].context

.extensions['http://imaginarium.adlnet.org/xapi/nouns/imaginarium']

[‘plant-growth-value'];

}

this.animationFrame =

transformScore(score);

}

Resources

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Conference Paper http://www.e-ucm.es/sintice2013/sintice2013_01_Regan.pdf

Training & Learning Architecture (TLA) http://www.adlnet.gov/tla

TLA Experience API (Tin Can API) & Public Groups http://xapi.adlnet.gov

ADL GitHub Main Link https://github.com/adlnet

VWF Sandbox http://vwf.adlnet.gov/adl/sandbox/

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Thank you!

@damonregan

Damon Regan, Ph.D. Technical Team Co-Lead

The Tolliver Group, Inc

[email protected]