Learning Resource iNterchange Microsoft Learning Resource iNterchange (LRN)

Challenges in the eLearning Marketplace Today Lack of learning technology standards Learning content tied to learning management system Difficult to customize or update content Difficult for learners to access “nuggets of learning” (learning resources)

How LRN Addresses the Challenges in the eLearning Marketplace Broadly-supported interchange specification Content format agnostic Supports customization and updating of content Defines learning resources, not courses

What is LRN? Microsoft’s implementation of the IMS Content Packaging Specification, version 1.1, IMS Meta-data Specification, version 1.2 and ADL SCORM, version 1.2 An extensible, XML-based description of learning content (resources) A LRN manifest contains: Metadata describing the resource, such as Title or Description Organizations of the content, such as a Table of Contents Resources, such as HTML files, graphics, or other documents Content referenced by a LRN manifest may use the SCORM “LMS API” to control runtime behavior

Sample LRN Manifest

Problems LRN Does Not Address Runtime dependencies Binary format incompatibilities

Tools Available for Working with LRN LRN Toolkit version 3.0 – distributed on CD and the Web (http://www.microsoft.com/elearn) IMS Content Packaging Specification, LRN Documentation LRN Editor LRN Viewer LRN Validator, XML Schemas LRN Converter for FrontPage and Powerpoint LRN Converters for LRN 1.0, LRN 2.0, and SCORM 1.1 Sample Content in LRN format Microsoft XML Components and Tools (http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml) Third-party XML tools and parsers

Exploring LRN in More Detail

LRN Structure imsmanifest.xml manifest metadata organizations item item item item imsmanifest.xml resources To be changed, make it look more like a directory than a network cloud resource metadata resource resource file manifest

Example Assume we are interested in creating a course about the W3C and the specifications they produce Structure of the course is: - World Wide Web Consortium - W3C Technical Reports and Publications - Recommendations - Proposed Recommendations - Candidate Recommendations - Working Drafts - Interesting XML Sites - www.xml.com - www.xml.org - www.extensibility.com

Example: LRN Viewer

Example: XML

<manifest> details <metadata … /> Description of the content <organizations … /> Description of the navigation structure for the manifest <resources … /> A collection of resources that make up the content </manifest>

<metadata> details <manifest . . .> <metadata> <schema>IMS CONTENT</schema> <schemaversion>1.1</schemaversion> <imsmd:lom> <imsmd:general> <imsmd:title><imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en"> World Wide Web Consortium </imsmd:langstring></imsmd:title> <imsmd:description><imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en"> A sample LRN manifest, illustrating a deep wrap </imsmd:langstring> </imsmd:description> <imsmd:keyword><imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en"> LRN, IMS, W3C, sample </imsmd:langstring> </imsmd:keyword> </imsmd:general> </imsmd:lom> </metadata> <organizations>. . . </organizations> <resources>. . . </resources> </manifest>

<organizations> details <manifest . . .> <metadata … /> <organizations default="MANIFEST01_ORG1"> <organization identifier="MANIFEST01_ORG1"> <item identifier="MANIFEST01_ITEM2" identifierref="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE1" isvisible="1" parameters=""><title>W3C Home Page</title> </item> <item identifier="MANIFEST01_ITEM4" isvisible="1" parameters=""> <title>W3C Technical Reports and Publications</title> <item identifier="MANIFEST01_ITEM6" identifierref="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE2" isvisible="1" parameters=""><title>Recommendations</title> <item identifier="MANIFEST01_ITEM7" identifierref="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE3" isvisible="1" parameters=""><title>Proposed Recommendations</title> ... <item identifier="ITEM7"> ... </item> </organization> </organizations> <resources>… </resources> </manifest>

<resources> details <manifest . . .> <metadata> … </metadata> <organizations> …</organizations> <resources> <resource identifier="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE1" type="webcontent" href="http://www.w3c.org"/> <resource identifier="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE2" type="webcontent" href="http://www.w3.org/TR/#Recommendations"/> <resource identifier="MANIFEST01_RESOURCE3" type="webcontent" href="http://www.w3.org/TR/#PR"/> . . . </resources> </manifest>

Example – View and XML

What About Reusing Content? One big <manifest> works, but what if I just want to reuse a portion of a course? What if I want to use “W3C Technical Reports and Publications” and “Interesting XML Sites” in other courses?

<manifest> Re-use LRN format supports sub-manifests Allows a course to be made up of multiple learning resources Allows learning resources to be added easily to new courses More information about this advanced feature in the IMS Content Packaging specification

Rich, Interactive Content LRN Benefits Courseware Exchange LRN is an implementation of an industry specification. You can use any type of existing content. Rich, Interactive Content LRN takes advantage of Web delivery. You can create content with any tool. LRN supports the SCORM run-time environment. Customization and Extensibility LRN is based on XML. You can define new metadata and learning resources.