Dr David Massart, EUN AgLRs – Budapest, Hungary Nov. 2, 2009 Reusable Learning Content Discovery and Exchange

A Learning Object (LO) Can Be Anything Digital Used for Teaching or Learning

Learning Objects Range From atomic learning assets (e.g., a picture) To complex learning resources (e.g., a complete multimedia course)

Learning Asset

Learning Resource

Learning Object Repositories Learning Objects (LOs) can be – Available online – Stored in a learning object repository Learning Object Repository (LOR) = Digital Library of LOs – Manage collections of LOs – Control the access to LO collections A LOR can be part of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Metadata Some LOs are complex multimedia objects Some LOs are hidden in LO repositories LOs are rarely self-contained: – Target audience: K-12, higher-education, life-long learning – Nature: Lesson plan, course, exercise, assessment

Metadata (cont.) Data about data (i.e., learning content) Initially thought in a LO Repository context LO Descriptions (i.e., metadata) 1. Machine-readable: Building searchable indexes 2. Human-Readable: Assess LO usefulness

Three Steps To Obtain A Learning Object Searching and evaluating metadata Resolving the learning object location Consuming the learning object

Reusable Learning Content Some LOs – Are open – Can be rendered in a web-browser (plugins) – Are available online Others, more complex, are packaged with metadata describing how they can be rendered – ADL SCORM – IMS Common Cartridge – IMS QTI

ADL SCORM Based on the IMS Content Package (CP) specification Defines a model for the structure and behavior of content and components Based on assumptions of ubiquitous access and availability of web-based technologies

SCORM Content Is explicitly authored and prepared for use in a SCORM environment Delivery and instruction is coordinated through a “learning management system” (LMS) that is responsible for managing the learner’s instructional experience (deliver, track, report, manage content) Delivery and learner interaction is within a web-based technology environment (typically using web browser).

In SCORM Content alone determines what instruction the learner sees and what data is provided to control the learning experience LMS alone determines how to deliver, present, manage and track the learner through the learning experience and an overall specification of the instruction that is uncoupled from the specifics of the content itself Tools are built using web-based technologies, providing a low-cost, ubiquitous delivery platform

IMS Common Cartridge (CC) Developed to support the exchange of more complex and interactive learning materials Extends CP by providing support for – Questions and tests – The initiation of discussion forums – Basic authentication to protect the content delivered – More detailed description of the way in which the importing LMS is supposed to render links to specific web resources

Learning Objects, Metadata, and Repositories Revisited

A Hidden Educational Web Most on line learning resources are unlocatable using text-based search engines (Repositories make it worse) Search engines results are difficult to assess by teachers and pupils Metadata help to retrieve and assess learning resources but metadata repositories are just another part of the “hidden web”

Learning Resource Discovery Decentralized approach: Federated searching – A “source” sends a query to several “target” repositories – Each repository processes the query and returns results to the source Centralized approach: Metadata harvesting – A “harvester” builds a central index with metadata harvested in target “repositories” – A source queries the harvester index.

Mixed Approach

Metadata Revisited: Machine-Readable Descriptions of LOs Discovery – Searching for LOs – Assessing usefulness of search results Exchange – Obtaining an appropriate copy