License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 © 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network Introduction to IMS Learning Design Michael Derntl, Susanne Neumann, Petra Oberhuemer University of Vienna, Austria This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 2 IMS Learning Design (LD) IMS LD is a specification that enables the formal description of learning and teaching processes  facilitates documentation of good teaching practice A course or lesson described (authored) using IMS LD is called IMS LD unit of learning (short: UoL) A UoL is a machine-readable package that can be played over and over with different people, technology, …  facilitates reuse of good teaching practice IMS LD is geared towards use in computer-managed environments  facilitates adoption of technology enhanced learning practices

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 3 Design-time and runtime IMS LD separates design-time and runtime  When creating a UoL, you define the design-time components and arrange them within a teaching/learning method  The runtime engine (LMS or Player) instantiates the design-time elements (e.g. roles) with concrete entities (e.g. student users) during a run  Once fully developed, the UoL can be reused in different runs Example:  During a run in Moodle, an Asynchronous Discussion environment in the UoL may be instantiated as a Moodle Forum  During another run of the same UoL in dotLRN the same environment could materialize as a dotLRN Forum.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 4 Metaphor and structure IMS LD follows a stage-play metaphor  The method in the UoL is organized into plays  Each play is organized as a sequence of acts  Within each act, the roles perform activities within environments; they enact their role-parts IMS LD separates the components (“ingredients”) and the method (“recipe”)  Components are: activity, activity structure, environment, role, property  In the acts, role-parts connect roles to other components – so each component can be reused (referenced) multiple times in the method

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 5 Representing Units of Learning  In the following we define LD elements and their descriptive attributes based on an example UoL  For each component and method element we provide a visual symbol that represents the element and its attributes  The symbols are slightly simplified and adapted representations of the elements as they are defined in the IMS LD information model

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 6 Example: “Global Warming” This unit of learning is a lesson on global warming. To start off, learners first take a self-test. Depending on the score learners achieved during the test, learners will be presented with additional material: Learners, who have achieved a score less than 50%, will see in the following activities an environment that contains additional learning objects on global warming. All learners will then choose from three activities. Depending on their interest, they can choose between:  A discussion/reflection activity which is based on two articles.  Writing an essay on one aspect of global warming.  Interviewing an expert on global warming, and publishing the interview online.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 7 Activity “To start off, learners first take a self-test.” An activity is used to express actions that learners or instructors / learning facilitators perform during learning and teaching. A1 Self test Take a self test on global warming. A1 Self test Take a self test on global warming. P1

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 8 Environment “Depending on the score learners achieved during the test, learners will be presented with additional material: Learners, who have achieved a score less than 50%, will see an environment that contains additional learning objects on global warming.” An environment is a container to combine learning resources (learning objects) and/or services (chat, forum, etc.) to be used in an activity. Additional material on global warming E1 Article A Website B

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 9 Property “Depending on the score learners achieved during the test…” A property is a container to store different kinds of data. The data in this container can be displayed and updated/changed during activities. P1 Test result Contains the score achieved at the self-test 0 Properties can be used in activities either to display a property value (input to the activity) or change/update a property value (output of the activity)

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 10 Condition “Learners, who have achieved a score less than 50%, will see in the following activities an environment that contains additional learning objects on global warming.” A condition is an IF-THEN rule that controls the visibility of activities, activity structures, and environments, as well as the updating of properties. Additional learning material required? activity A1 completed AND value of property P1 < 50% E1 Hide E1 activity A1 not yet completed E1

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 11 Activity Structure “All learners will then choose from three activities. Depending on their interest, they can choose between…” An activity structure combines several activities in order to create a sequence or a selection. AS1 Explore global-warming issues 2 A2, A3, A4 Sequence: all referenced activities consecutively executed. Selection: the specified number of activities may be chosen (by the role) among the referenced activities.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 12 Activity Structure Now we need to specify the three activities:  A discussion/reflection activity which is based on two articles. A2 Discussion/reflection activity Discuss the greenhouse in the forum and reflect on the discussion in your blog. E2 Discussion and reflection environment E2 Article 1 Article 2 Blog service

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 13 Activity Structure Now we need to specify the three activities:  A discussion/reflection activity which is based on two articles.  Writing an essay on one aspect of global warming. A3 Write an essay Write an essay on one aspect of global warming

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 14 Activity Structure Now we need to specify the three activities:  A discussion/reflection activity which is based on two articles.  Writing an essay on one aspect of global warming.  Interviewing an expert on global warming, and publishing the interview online. A4 Interview an expert Interview an expert on global warming, and publish the interview online

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 15 Role A role expresses the function that a person carries out in a learning design. In our example, the only involved role is the learner. Other roles could be teacher, tutor, moderator, expert, group, etc. Learner R1

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 16 Current Solution

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 17 Role-Part “To start off, learners first take a self-test.” A role-part is used to connect a role to an activity, activity- structure, or environment (1:1 mapping!) Learners: Self-test R1 A1

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 18 Role-Part We need to connect the learner role to all activities, the activity structure, and the environments: “Following the self-test, learners will choose from three activities. Depending on their interest, they can choose between…” “Learners, who have achieved a score less than 50%, will see in the following activities an environment that contains additional learning objects on global warming.” Learners: Additional material R1 E1 Learners: Selection R1 AS1

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 19 Act An act is a self-contained phase that consists of role-parts and conditions. It describes the method of the unit of learning. During a run, all role-parts of an act are executed concurrently. The next act commences only after the preceding act is completed. Act # 1 Act # 2

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 20 Final Solution COMPONENTSMETHOD

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 21 IMS LD Elements Wrap-up IMS LD distinguishes  Components: activities, activity structures, properties, roles, environments  Method: acts with role-parts and conditions The method weaves the components into a process following a stage- play metaphor Act 1Act 2Act n Role-Part 1Role-Part n RoleActivityEnvironment Components Method Activity Structure Role-Part 2 Property Condition Acts are executed one after the other All role-parts in the active act are concurrently executed

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 22 Interpretation of the Unit of Learning LMS 1 LMS 2

License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0© 2009 ICOPER Best Practice Network 23 Thank you!  Visit the ICOPER Best Practice Network:  Enjoy free ICOPER training material:  Send questions and feedback to: