LOP2P Architecture for Institutional Learning Objects Sharing Rafael de Santiago André Luís Alice Raabe, Dr. Master Program of Applied Computer Science Itajaí Valley University (UNIVALI) Brazil

Introduction There are many definitions of Learning Objects (LO), but there is a common point: REUSABILITY! The standards are facilitating the employment of LO on Learning Institutions through learning environments (LMS) Many Learning Institutions are creating and using LO concepts in their courses

Problem To empower reuse LO must be accessible to teachers and instructional designers Many learning institutions have LO repositories, but there no easy way of integrate them in a single structure When an institution do not allow the use or access to an LO by others, it diminishes the REUSABILITY! Solution: Easy sharing of LO (open content license)

Rights and Sharing The distribution of LO should preserve the copyrights of their creators, but that should not disallow the use of them Open content licenses applied to LO as a solution to guarantee a broader reuse. These licenses include: Creative Commons License GNU Free Document License Open Publication License

Advantages of Sharing LO (1/2)  It is not necessary to construct new LO for a common subject;  an LO with a large subject can aggregate other LO;

Advantages of Sharing LO (2/2)  more people can contribute with evolution to improve the LO;  gives to teachers a larger amount of materials to create courses for his students.

Solution We present LOP2P: a architecture for establish a network for LO sharing. The main objective: facilitate the connection of a largest number of institutions, contribuiting for: sharing and use LO from others creators. Another feature of this architecture is the possibility of entrance of LO repositories

Solution Services of LOP2P:  LO Publish;  Search for LO;  Download of LO;  Visualization of LO.

Solution LOP2P network will connect learning institutions with a distributed network, using P2P model. Each institution will be a peer!

LOP2P Why P2P (1/2)?  without central structure, which demand higher cost of maintenance;  make initiatives independent of a centralization posture in which any change in behavior of the central initiative affect the entire network;  network continues to work if you disconnect any peer;

LOP2P Why P2P (2/2)?  more uniform sharing of resources with a greater number of peers;  better performance and less bandwidth;  shared resources can be used more efficiently: increase the sharing of LO

LOP2P Architecture The LOP2P archtecture provides a model that connect differents learning institutions through Learning Management Systems (LMS) The architecture specifies two software to enable the network: LMS plugin and Mediation Layer

LOP2P Plugin The plugin enables the connection between learning environment with a LOP2P network The LOP2P plug-in must have the following integration features: the plug-in should be developed using the same programming language in which the LMS was created; communication with the mechanism of connection to the network (mediation layer) should be done through an API that allows sockets over TCP/IP.

LOP2P Plugin

LOP2P Mediation Layer  ML enables the communication between plugin and sharing network  Based in IMS DRI: Search/Expose; Gather; Request/Deliver; Submit/Store

LOP2P Mediation Layer

LOP2P Plugin Implementation issues... The first version of plugin was developed to MOODLE (“Block” Plugin) Developed in PHP with the socket API of that language Fifteen hours of programming

LOP2P Plugin Implementation issues...

LOP2P Mediation Layer Implementation issues... Java Language: portability Framework JXTA: to enable P2P network The first version of ML was developed around thirty hours

Results It was expected that the prototype of the ML could be released in a fully operational version until June 2009 Problems to ensure connection in a secure institutional environment: to connect through firewalls, subnets and proxies

Results A strategy allowed by JXTA was chosen:

Results Through this strategy the security policies of the institution are not affected (liberation of a port and an IP)

Results The prototype of Mediation Layer was tested: the connection of institutions occurs; the LO publish is working; the LO search is working; the LO download is working; the services remain functional even through firewalls, subnets and proxies.

Results Is missing a fully functional plugin: problems with PHP sockets impossible to complete a MOODLE plugin (simultaneous connections – “Non Blocking Connections” works, but some problems remains) tests could be made in controlled environments

Final Considerations There are others initiatives for sharing Learning Objects: ARIADNE (ARIADNE, 2008), Edusource (Hatala, 2004), Edutella (Nejdl, 2002), LOMster (Ternier, 2002) e ROSA P2P (Brito, 2005) The originality of LOP2P architecture is in establish features to integrate learning institutions in a single peer-to-peer networking, connecting through the existent LMS.

Final Considerations LOP2P architecture is dedicated to sharing Learning Objects with a free license of use.

Final Considerations Future works: Test Mediation Layer with several institutions Improve MOODLE plugin and deliver to MOODLE community in order to expand the network

LOP2P Architecture for Institutional Learning Objects Sharing Rafael de Santiago André Luís Alice Raabe, Dr. Master Program of Applied Computer Science Itajaí Valley University (UNIVALI) Brazil