Standards and Specifications and Medical Learning Technologies in Scotland Rachel Ellaway E-Learning Manager College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine The University of Edinburgh

Common and shared specifications and standards for e-learning: Metadata Repository operations Content packaging Content sequencing Content runtime behaviour Assessment Student and course data Learner information What are e-learning specifications? Learner competencies Logistics Messaging/Web services Accessible content Accessibility preferences - learners Learning design Collaboration Learner support

Common and shared specifications and standards for e-learning: Transport: XML, SOAP Search/query: OpenURL, SQL Harvesting: OAI Vocabularies: VDEX, ZThes Authentication: X509, ATHENS, Shibboleth … and related specifications?

IMS Global ADL/SCORM CETIS RELOAD MedBiquitous IVIMEDS JISC IE SDMCG … and some activities

Shared models for describing and exchanging information Adoption and implementation of these models - integration and adaptation Ability to input and output using agreed formats and protocols Internal capacity for representing interop components - not necessarily the same as the shared formats What does it take?

Like HTML, XML is a subset of SGML Tagged markup in text files - w3.org/xml But the tags are specified by the user: XML: extensible markup language

XML should be created by machines for machines Bindings, DTDs, schemas, application profiles Encoding and strict formatting - XHTML Static or dynamically generated Stored as XML or disaggregated in databases How do you use XML?

Exchange - packets Exposing information - feeds Assembling and packaging - IMSCP Encoding and storing Decoding and parsing Stylesheets - XSLT When do you use XML?

Set of data elements and relationships between them Data types, cardinality, vocabularies Bindings, best practice, use cases Development cycles Scope and versioning Structure

Process starts with user needs and/or input from a research community active in a related area specification work, defining how interoperability can be achieved in the field under consideration specifications are tested for their validity by user organisations. if a specification is deemed to be valid and widely accepted, it is submitted to a formal standards body Standards and Specifications

The IMS Global Learning Consortium - “the most advanced group developing learning technology interoperability specifications” Formed in 1997, membership includes almost all the leading technology system suppliers, publishers and user organisations Active participation of user organisations is crucial: JISC is a member through CETIS making it possible for UK interests to be represented IMS Global:

Accessibility Competency Definitions Content Packaging Digital Repositories Enterprise Enterprise Services Learner Information Learning Design Meta-data Question and Test Interoperability Shareable State Persistence Simple Sequencing Vocabulary Definition Exchange IMS Specifications

Metadata: synchronised with the IEEE LOM Content Packaging (IMSCP): transport format that retains content, metadata and organisation. Zip file containing XML manifest(s), objects and other metadata Learner Information (IMSLIP): information about a learner (individual or group learners) or a producer of learning content (creators, providers or vendors) Learning Design (IMSLD): pedagogical meta-model for describing and providing run-time controls and structures for learning processes Question and Test Interoperability (IMSQTI): assessment meta- model Vocabulary Definition Exchange (IMSVDEX): defines a grammar for the exchange of value lists of various classes: collections often denoted "vocabulary" IMS Specifications

Many metadata specifications: e.g. Dublin Core. IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) is an ISO standard - others now converging on the LOM 1.General: title, description, contributors, language … 2.Lifecycle: version, status … 3.Meta-metadata: who and when metadata created/edited … 4.Technical: location, format, size, requirements … 5.Educational: educational level, context of use … 6.Rights: who owns it and who can do what with it … 7.Relation: is it part of something, does it have parts … 8.Annotation: notes from developers, users etc … 9.Classification: source, taxonomy, purpose … Example 1: IEEE LOM

ObjectID = 08DAE D-4B8F-BBC6-3F5FE7B1CF65 Name: Uracil Description:Uracil diagram Keywords: uracil,pyrimidines,biochem,structure,pathway,pettigrew Location: (WEB) Size (bytes): 1133 MIME: SWF Application type: diagram Context:non-specific Format:SWF Language: EN-GB Source: Uracil Code: n/a Version: 1.0 Catalogue: UOE_MVM_ResManager Restrictions?: y Restrictions: University of Edinburgh Metametadata, annotation & classification also supported "Uracil"

IEEE LOM binding all elements are optional - an empty record is a valid LOM record! Application profiles: specifications for how a specification is used: Cardinality Vocabulary Data type Binding UK LOM Core Example 1: IEEE LOM

Transport mechanism for object(s) and metadata: Zip file with XML IMS manifest and objects May also have sub objects and sub-manifests May also have organisation or even multiple organisations Either use/build IMSCP tools, use RELOAD or process manually Success of any of these depends on complexity of the CP and the specificity of the source and target contexts Example 2: IMS Content Package

Meta language for any pedagogical activity Developed from EML from the OUNL UK and Dutch orientation - CETIS No IMSLD tools extant yet but much activity LAMS close but RELOAD developing tool ACETS SSLD … Example 3: Learning Design

In order to attain the following learning objective(s): (includes minimal and optimum success scenarios) With prerequisite(s): (prior knowledge, skills, educational level etc) Trigger(s): start and end The following persons/roles: (student and staff roles) ACETS SSLD: context

ACETS SSLD: activities Perform:Which roles?Do what?How? Learning activity(s): (including implicit forms such as reflection and consolidation) Support activity(s): Using environment(s) or scenario(s):

ACETS SSLD: objects & services Using:Which roles?Do what?How? Tool object(s): (able to act on other objects) Knowledge object(s): (content/information etc) Test object(s): (various forms of evaluation and assessment) Search service(s): Communicate service(s): Announce service(s):

ADLNet (Advanced Distributed Learning Network) Sponsored by the US federal government to "accelerate large- scale development of dynamic and cost-effective learning software and to stimulate an efficient market for these products in order to meet the education and training needs of the military and the nation's workforce of the future” ADL produce SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), a specification for reusable learning content Good runtime rules but single learners - instructional heuristic Strong North American buy-in ADL/SCORM:

Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards Funded as a JISC service Participates in IMS and other S&S bodies on behalf of UK tertiary education Runs SIGS - regular meetings, all welcome Creates and sustains user-adopter communities Participates in key projects and programmes - X4L, UK Metadata Core, Pedagogies and e-Learning etc CETIS -

Dynamically Enhancing VLEs with information from the library (UoE and OU) Middleware XML agent processing outgoing search and incoming returns into specification-compliant XML Local systems parse into specific uses Metadata alchemy - MARC-LOM, community of practice issues 2nd funding round … DEVIL Project

EROS (Edinburgh Reusable Object Sequencer) Online CAL authoring, delivery and analysis suite - implementing IMSQTI and IMSSS compliance - ? IMSLD ResManager: Metadata manager and brokerage for all core MVM e-learning platforms. Uses LOM profile for metadata, developing OAI harvesting compatibility and IMS Repositories compliance EROS & ResManager

Collaboration between all 5 Scottish medical schools Common and agreed med-ed outcomes GMC ‘Tomorrow’s Doctors’ Large outcome-interoperability project IMSRDCEO and IMSVDEX Fuzzy and probabilistic interoperability Tolerance, partiality, locality - ?interop The Scottish Doctor

JISC funded project (X4L strand B) developing tools to facilitate the use of emerging Learning Technology Interoperability specifications such as those produced by ADL and IMS Free and open-source tools (SourceForge): Metadata and Content Packaging Editor SCORM Player Learning Design Editor (soon) RELOAD:

Different and competing standards Different application profiles Fuzzy interoperability Vendor lock-in S&S development and change S&S don’t address all users’ needs Adoption and change management Issues

Strategy and policy - knowledge management, collaboration, reuse etc Federated vs centralised systems architectures Integration within institution - ‘golden copies’ and data protection issues Politics, control, change management - the University is always somewhere else Integration with external developments: SDMCG, JISC IE, IVIMEDS etc Developments

Systems can talk to each other already But technical interop ≠ semantic interop Standards and specifications are emerging Opportunities for connections, reuse, data protection, quality assurance It’s not hard but it requires a change from closed and centralised architectures to open and federated ones Issues of stability, risk and semantic integrity Now is the time! Interoperability is the new Internet!

Roadmap We need SDMCG-wide involvement in S&S All current infrastructure and future developments need to be evaluated in terms of S&S Use funding opportunities to drive development Engage with MLE and other S&S activity and advice - JISC/CETIS etc Move away from 1-1 non-compliant joins to a common S&S structure for a common Scottish MedEd information environment

Metadata: IEEE LOM - with agreed binding: UK LOM Core, IVIMEDS Content transport: IMSCP Assessment: QTI Learners: IMSLIP (e.g. portfolios and transcripts) Plus new developments: CaseML, RDCEO etc SDMCG not passive but active participants in S&S and interop in med-ed Roadmap

S&S provides a scalable and longitudinally robust way of working in the emerging LO economies It just takes commitment and mutual support Our schools want it It’s not as hard as it looks Core of the SHEFC bid … so how about it? … and then

Standards and Specifications and Medical Learning Technologies in Scotland Rachel Ellaway E-Learning Manager College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine The University of Edinburgh