European Schoolnet CELEBRATE IST Context eLearning with broadband technologies

European Schoolnet A Cross Programme Action Budget over 7 MEuros - 30 months EUN Office plus 21 partners –Belgium (2) –Finland (4) –France (3) –Hungary (1) –Israel (1) –Italy (3) –Netherlands (1) –Norway (2) –Spain (1) –UK (3)

European Schoolnet eLearning Summit 2001 “Create the conditions to sustain a commercial market for eLearning content development.” Recommendation 4 Private sector calls for: “The creation of small learning ‘objects’ (based on open standards) could facilitate the development of new business models for content development and encourage innovative procurement mechanisms.”

European Schoolnet Project Rationale “To keep concentrating on content and ‘delivery’ – disregarding context and “community” is attempting to build the Knowledge Society with the crude tools and frames of mind used to build the Industrial Society…..If Augumented Reality, WebTV, Mobile Platforms or any other technology become mere instruments of the mechanistic “delivery” of content – they will be no more than adornments of an old, old – desperately old – Education!” Antonio Dias de Figuerdo from the University of Coimbra in Portugal, Learning 2.0 conference in Vasteras, 2001 Content plus Context (Community & Collaboration) –Networked learning environments and constructivist learning models require new metaphors for how we understand content and the exchanges that take place between learners.

European Schoolnet The Celebrate Project Learning Objects and Learning Community Objects Brokerage system of brokerage systems Standards: LOM, SCORM 1.2 Application profiles –ELR thesaurus –Richer set of vocabularies –Hierarchy of application profiles Learning Content Management Tools Learning Management Tools Addresses economic, organisational feasibility

European Schoolnet

Technical Challenge –Issues related to the interoperability of LMS/LCMSs how do we achieve interoperability of LOs and LCOs across LMS/LCMS? –Multilinguality and the contribution of translation tools –An investigation of emerging Educational Modelling Schemes and Languages –Mechanisms for predicting/anticipating the needs of teachers/learners and matching these more precisely to available learning objects (a Predictor facility)

European Schoolnet Interoperability of LOs How does one find learning objects? How does one create LOs and adapt LOs and ensure interoperability? How does one integrate learning objects with each other or into a larger structure (sequencing and courses)? How can one evaluate learning objects in terms of quality, the required attainment level of the student prior to using the resource, the learning gain after using the LO, and teaching effort required to integrate the LO?

European Schoolnet 9 Work Packages 1. Requirements & Validation 2.Pedagogical Models 3.Brokerage System 4. Creation of LOs 5. Demonstrator Portal 6. Broadband Pilots (Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Norway, UK, ENIS) 7.Evaluation 8. Exploitation and Dissemination 9. Project management

European Schoolnet General ‘Bus’ Architecture Server I Server II Server III Server IV BUS Interface

European Schoolnet Brokerage System of Brokerage Systems LCMS/LMS VLE LCMSEUN Central Services BUS Interface

European Schoolnet Administration PCs in the school Administration PC’s in the Classroom CD-ROM Networking ResourcesCollaboration Networked School Administration Repositories Learning Resources Brokerage SystemsLearning Objects LMS LCMS VLE Polyhierarchy of Brokerage Systems Palm, Tablet PC Mobile Intelligent Learning Personalised VLEs

European Schoolnet The OASIS Project Interoperability of administrative data Based on the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) Fitting it to European needs

European Schoolnet Library Transportation Communications Food ServicesStudent Administration ? ? ? ? ? The Integration Problem

European Schoolnet Growing Interoperability Problems Applications are isolated islands. Data is locked in “data tombs”. Redundant data entry is common. Disconnected applications increase support costs. Reporting is a costly, inefficient process.

European Schoolnet Food Services Agent ZIS Student Administration Curriculum Transportation Library A More Elegant Solution: The SIF Zone

European Schoolnet

Food Service Grade Book HR / Finance Library SIS Transportation Instructional Services Voice Telephony Integration Data Warehousing K12 Data Model Accountability, Reporting, Planning, etc…

European Schoolnet Local School Regional National

European Schoolnet Future Developments PCs in the school Administration PC’s in the Classroom CD-ROM Networking ResourcesCollaboration Networked School Administration Repositories Learning Resources Brokerage SystemsLearning Objects LMS LCMS VLE Polyhierarchy of Brokerage Systems Palm, Tablet PC Mobile Intelligent Learning Personalised VLEs

European Schoolnet Why reuse? Cost of producing a Learning Object –400 € for languages up to 1500 € for maths –Given that you get graphics and manuscript for free –If every teacher in Europe would make his own LO it would cost at least 20 billion € Quality –An LO being reused gains in quality Time –Reuse saves time for the teacher

European Schoolnet Does it work? This presentation is for more than 60% reuse Reuse works when LOs are designed for it and tools to share are available Reuse involves: find, evaluate, acquire, adapt, integrate A reusable LO should make this easy

European Schoolnet Why metadata? Search engines do a good job now in finding web pages, but will deliver better results if they can make use of metadata Learning Objects are typically packaged (e.g. in a zip file) and stored in repositories inaccessible for search engines A better model online bookstores

European Schoolnet Why metadata (cont.) Search engines will not answer questions such as –For which age? –Who owns the LO? –What are the conditions of use? –How much do I need to learn before using it? –Does it fit the curriculum? –What are the technical requirements? –How can I adapt it? Metadata are an important element for reuse Questions like this will not get answered unless the information is provided in addition to the LO

European Schoolnet Issue: How, not Why How can we facilitate assigning metadata to Learning Objects –Inheritance of collections Publisher, audience, language, … Drag and drop into a folder –Predictive metadata tagging

European Schoolnet Why Standards? Do you know your clothes size: –38D, NL, F (sometimes) –C38Norway, Sweden and Finland –40B, F (sometimes) –44I –44/46Portugal and Spain –12UK Also: –…, S, M, L, XL, XXL, … –…, 39, 40, 41, … –…, 80B, 100C, …

European Schoolnet “Standards help to remove barriers” europe/issue6/articles/en/enterprise12_en.htm About 1800 standards per year produced in Europe Increasing political importance Contribution to Single market Construction products (cement) Consumer health Sustainable development Environment Safety voluntary activity carried out by, and for, interested parties in accountable standards organisations that have been recognised by the European Union involvement of 'societal stakeholders‘ Toys, weighing instruments, gas applicances, medical devices, etc.

European Schoolnet But also… Semantic interoperability –help people to understand each other better Technical interoperability –open systems, components Increase freedom –integrate content & components from various origins –think about DIN A4! Lower cost –Not reinventing the wheel

European Schoolnet Alternatives? De facto standards –Commercial inequalities –Dominance of US based model over European one (cultural diversity) Segregated development because incompatibilities –Hypermedia before the web –Education and training: no base platform Disparate projects No reuse and further development No uptake & no impact

European Schoolnet Finally No standards, metadata, reuse will be successful Unless –A minimum set of high quality Los Produced by publishers Teachers with the appropriate tools –A well supported community of teachers

European Schoolnet Thank you !

European Schoolnet Useful Links