1. CopperCore, an Open Source IMS Learning Design Engine Hubert Vogten Open University of the Netherlands OTEC

2. What is Open Source? ­Open Source is about: ­the right to make copies of the software and distribute these copies ­the right to access the source code of the software ­the right to make improvements to the software ­these rights are guaranteed through a license ­For an exact definition and the approved licenses have a look at http://opensource.org

3. Open University of the Netherlands (OTEC) ­has been involved in the development of an learning design specification for many years which finally resulted in IMS Learning Design ­is committed to providing services/dissemination but, has limited resources ­the LD community is looking at us with regards to first implementations of the specifications of this complex specification ­we decided to develop CopperCore, an IMS Learning Design Engine and make it available as Open Source

4. CopperCore Development Strategy (1/2) ­Why Open Source development? ­out of principle, publicly funded, public access ­enhance quality, code is peer reviewed by community ­enhance resources by contributions of others ­enables the use of other Open Source components ­(governments are enforcing it by law, however not yet in the Netherlands) ­Advantage for users of CopperCore ­use of the code is free (access, copying, modifying) -no restrictions in usage of the code except for the GPL in case of the CopperCore -No issues about IPR when collaborating with others

5. CopperCore Development Strategy (2/2) ­CopperCore Objectives: ­to provide an open source software component that can process the IMS Learning Design specification encapsulating it’s complexity for developers wanting to integrate LD in their environment ­NOT to provide yet another VLE ­allows integration in different environments ­not indented to be used stand alone, but rather in a service or component based architecture

6. CopperCore API’s ­Provides 3 Application Programming Interfaces 1.dealing with administrative tasks 2.dealing with run-time delivery of the IMS LD specification 3.dealing with time dependent events ­Two levels of APIs are supported ­native Java, based on the J2EE framework ­web services through SOAP

7. CopperCore layered architecture

8. The CopperCore add-ons 1.Clicc ­very basic command line access to the administrative API 2.Publisher ­a basic web interface allowing the validation and publication of IMS LD manifests 3.WebPlayer ­very simple LD player demonstrating the use of the run-time delivery API

9. CopperCore and other components CopperCore authentication authorization conferencing QTI component LIP component searching policy management user management

10. CopperCore integration: Alfanet CopperCore

11. CopperCore integration: JISC ELF Framework Service Based Learning Design

12. How did Open Source strategy help us ? ­by giving IMS LD community easy access to CopperCore, stimulating use of LD ­similar we can and did use developments of others. Community building around (educational) components ­we have got feedback and code proposals from others which enhanced and improved our developments ­has led to cooperation with others like Alfanet, the Service Based Learning Design in JISC ELF and with Reload in Unfold

13. Additional information ­CopperCore http://copercore.org ­Unfold http://www.unfold-project.net ­Reload http://reload.ac.uk ­The SLeD player http://ldplayer.sourceforge.net ­JISC E-Learning Framework http://www.jisc.ac.uk/ ­Alfanet http://alfanet.ia.uned.es ­And the stand of the Open University

14. Why choose for Open Source Development? ­Principle reasons ­publicly funded projects should be publicly accessible ­Practical reasons ­more and more governments enforcing it by law ­means of bundling and extending resources ­more people working on the code ­re-use of components that are available ­means of improving quality by having peers reviewing the code