Use of Content Packaging to make Learning Management Systems Interact Nikhil Wason

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)? A software tool designed to manage learning environments Provides – Course management – Learner Progress Tracking – Basic Collaboration: Discussion boards Used by companies and educational institutes Typically Web-based E.g.: Courseworks

Current State of Affairs Most organizations use different LMSs – Primarily developed in-house – Commercial LMSs are very expensive – Human resistance to migrate to a new system Inter-LMS interoperability not possible Difficult to reuse learning objects – Learning Objects: any reusable resource that aids learning Initiatives like SCORM

Why Interoperability? Lots of learning content can be reused – No need to recreate standard stuff Learning content and methodology can be improved Sharing knowledge helps improve productivity Finding like-minded people to work with

IMS Content Packaging (CP) Describes data structures for interoperability of LMSs – Helps exchange content in a standardized manner – Helps export learning content for reusability Uses XML to describe manifest for data Developed and standardized by IMS Global Learning Consortium

IMS CP: Conceptual Model

A Wrapper Web Service..

Turn a basic Project Management Module into a Project Collaboration facility – Search for “users of interest” in other LMSs – Add users to existing teams – Share resources Intra-LMS user collaboration!

Questions?

Use of Content Packaging to make Learning Management Systems Interact Nikhil Wason