IMS Learning Object Discovery & Exchange David Massart, IMS LODE co-chair EdReNe Expert Workshop 4.1 January 8, London, UK David Massart, IMS LODE co-chair EdReNe Expert Workshop 4.1 January 8, London, UK

Outline  Motivation  Objectives  LODE versus other IMS specs  Expected benefits  Technical overview  Deliverables  Agenda  Motivation  Objectives  LODE versus other IMS specs  Expected benefits  Technical overview  Deliverables  Agenda

Today  The use of learning (content) management systems is common in most educational organizations  Huge number of educational resources available on- line, for free or by subscription  Most of these resources are hidden in repositories, which hampers their potential use and reuse  Several initiatives aim at federating e-learning systems to unlock the educational content hidden in their repositories  The EUN Learning Resource Exchange  GLOBE  CORDRA  The use of learning (content) management systems is common in most educational organizations  Huge number of educational resources available on- line, for free or by subscription  Most of these resources are hidden in repositories, which hampers their potential use and reuse  Several initiatives aim at federating e-learning systems to unlock the educational content hidden in their repositories  The EUN Learning Resource Exchange  GLOBE  CORDRA

BUT...  No agreed profiles address the needs of the learning domain  No established practices for combining existing specifications into complete solutions  Individual organizations (GLOBE, LRE, CORDRA) are creating their own solutions, and an opportunity to establish broader interoperability is being missed  There is no way of measuring or testing the compatibility and conformance of specific solutions  No agreed profiles address the needs of the learning domain  No established practices for combining existing specifications into complete solutions  Individual organizations (GLOBE, LRE, CORDRA) are creating their own solutions, and an opportunity to establish broader interoperability is being missed  There is no way of measuring or testing the compatibility and conformance of specific solutions

IMS LODE Project Group  Aims to facilitate the discovery and retrieval of learning content stored in repositories  Examines, selects, and adapts specifications that are being applied to digital libraries, generic repositories, and learning repositories  Defines a small number of scenarios for the discovery and exchange of learning resources (e.g., federated searching, harvesting, etc.)  Will produce:  A set of specification profiles to support the scenarios  Sample implementation(s)  A conformance domain-profile  Aims to facilitate the discovery and retrieval of learning content stored in repositories  Examines, selects, and adapts specifications that are being applied to digital libraries, generic repositories, and learning repositories  Defines a small number of scenarios for the discovery and exchange of learning resources (e.g., federated searching, harvesting, etc.)  Will produce:  A set of specification profiles to support the scenarios  Sample implementation(s)  A conformance domain-profile

LODE versus Other IMS Specs  Current IMS specs  Make it easier to exchange and reuse learning content (e.g., QTI, Common Cartridge, Content Packaging)  Allow specific types of content to be transferred between systems and reused  Aide discovery by unifying the descriptions of content (e.g., Metadata, VDEX)  Do not address the issue of how this content can be found  Missing piece: A protocol to support the discovery and exchange of interoperable content  Current IMS specs  Make it easier to exchange and reuse learning content (e.g., QTI, Common Cartridge, Content Packaging)  Allow specific types of content to be transferred between systems and reused  Aide discovery by unifying the descriptions of content (e.g., Metadata, VDEX)  Do not address the issue of how this content can be found  Missing piece: A protocol to support the discovery and exchange of interoperable content

Expected Benefits  Educators  Easy way to discover learning content that addresses students’ needs  Maximization of re-use  Minimization of material re-invention costs  Students  Access to the highest-quality learning resources available  Significant impact on the quality of learning experience and learning outcomes  Educators  Easy way to discover learning content that addresses students’ needs  Maximization of re-use  Minimization of material re-invention costs  Students  Access to the highest-quality learning resources available  Significant impact on the quality of learning experience and learning outcomes

Expected Benefits (2)  Content providers  Ability to advertise products by making them globally discoverable  System vendors  Limited set of specifications to support to make systems compliant with major federations of learning resources  Federation builders  Secure investment by developing infrastructures based on standard specifications  Content providers  Ability to advertise products by making them globally discoverable  System vendors  Limited set of specifications to support to make systems compliant with major federations of learning resources  Federation builders  Secure investment by developing infrastructures based on standard specifications

Searching A Repository Repository Query Result query result

Harvesting A Repository Repository Request Response Repository

Registering A Repository Register Repository Registry Repository Description

Looking For A Repository Query Registry Result

Putting Everything Together Reg #1 Reg #2 Rep #4 Rep #1 Rep #2 Rep #3 Rep #6 Rep #5

Deliverables  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Overview  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Information Model  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Binding  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Best Practice & Implementation Guide  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Conformance Specification  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Overview  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Information Model  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Binding  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Best Practice & Implementation Guide  IMS GLC LODE v1.0 Conformance Specification

Agenda  Sept 2007: Charter approved  Feb 2008:  Conceptual Model (candidate release)  Sept 2008:  Interoperability demonstration  Oct 2008:  Conceptual Model (release)  Sept 2007: Charter approved  Feb 2008:  Conceptual Model (candidate release)  Sept 2008:  Interoperability demonstration  Oct 2008:  Conceptual Model (release)

Agenda (2)  Feb 2009:  Candidate final release  Nov 2009:  Interoperability demonstration  IMS Technical Advisory Board Vote  Final release  Feb 2009:  Candidate final release  Nov 2009:  Interoperability demonstration  IMS Technical Advisory Board Vote  Final release