Learning Information
Services
Exchanging Data Between
Enterprise Systems
About Me
• Bruce Phillips (bphillips@ku.edu)
• University of Kansas Information
Technology
• Responsible for integrating our
Student Information System (Campus
Solutions) with our Learning
Management System (Blackboard)
References
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/
LISv2p0SpecPrimerv1p0.html
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/
LISv2p0ProfilesPrimerv1p0.html
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/
LISv2p0BestPracticev1p0.html
Requirement
• Integrate a Student Information
System (SIS) with a Learning
Management System (LMS)
– SIS is system of record for classes,
enrollments, grades
– LMS is system students and faculty use to
assist learning and instruction
– LMS needs data on people, classes, and
enrollments
Learning Information
Services
• Vendor-neutral standards
– Sponsored by the IMS Global Learning
Consortium
• Specifies data formats and services related to
the data
–
–
–
–
–
–
Person
Course
Member (enrollment)
Group (term)
Outcomes (grades)
Bulk (initial load)
Learning Information
Services
• Specifies data exchange methods
– SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol
– LDAP – Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol (future)
• Version 2.0 released June 2011
LIS Standards
• Data fields used for each type
– required and optional
• Allowed values and data types
• XML Schema Definition (XSD)
• Web Services Description Language
(WSDL) documentation
Vendor Supported
• Student Information Systems
– Oracle Campus Solutions (AKA PeopleSoft)
– Banner
– Jenzabar
• Learning Management Systems
–
–
–
–
–
Blackboard
Canvas
Moodle
Desire2Learn
Sakai
Learning Information Services
Profiles
• A specific subset of data and services
supported
• Vendors are free to implement the
standards to support a specific core
profile
• Almost no vendors support the entire LIS
2.0 standard
• Ensuring that your SIS and LMS vendors
support the same profile in the same
manner is key to interoperability
Core Profile
• Data and services for
–
–
–
–
Person
Group (Term)
Course section
Enrollment (Membership)
• Provisioning data includes
– Full batch snapshot (bulk)
– Incremental snapshot (since last update)
– Event-driven via SOAP web services
• Near real time
Additional Profiles
• Final grade reporting
• Combined sections
• Full course hierarchy
Core Profile - Person
• Data elements include
– Name, Address, ContactInfo, Demographics,
UserId, InstitutionRole
• Complex data types that are broken down into
multiple parts
• Services include
– Create, Update, Delete
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/PM
Sv2p0InfoModelv1p0.html
Core Profile - Group
• Data elements include
– Group, GroupType, Relationship, Org, TimeFrame
– Complex data types that are broken down into
multiple parts
• Services include
– Create, Update, Delete
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/GMSv2p
0InfoModelv1p0.html
Core Profile - Course
• Data elements include
– title, catalog description, location,
timeframe, org, notes, default credits,
academic session
• Services include
– Create, Update, Delete
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/
CMSv1p0InfoModelv1p0.html
Core Profile - Membership
• Data elements include
– Member, role, timeframe, membership
• Services include
– Create, Update, Delete
• http://www.imsglobal.org/lis/lisv2p0/MMSv2
p0InfoModelv1p0.html
How Does KU Use LIS 2.0?
• Provide data from our Student
Information System to our Learning
Management System
– Campus Solutions
– Core profile data only
Blackboard
• Groups (Terms), Courses, Enrollments
• Initial load of data
– Bulk snapshot
• Changes updated once per day
– Incremental snapshot
Flow of Data – Bulk
Processing
1 – SIS creates LIS 2 data file
and places it on web server
2 – SIS sends LMS SOAP message
announcing data file is
available
SOAP
Message (4)
3 – LMS picks up data file
and processes it
4 – LMS sends SIS SOAP
message that it is finished
processing data file
SIS
Data File (1)
Web
Server
Data File (3)
LM
S
SOAP
Message (2)
Questions To Consider
• How is data selected in the SIS for
inclusion in the LIS 2.0 feed?
• What is the timing of feeds from SIS to
LMS?
• Does the Learning Management
System enable pre- and postprocessing of LIS 2.0 data?
Questions To Consider
• What is the effect of LIS 2.0 data values and
operations in the LMS?
• What data should instructors be allowed to
change in the LMS?
• If the LMS supports merging courses what is
the effect on processing the LIS 2.0 feed
from the SIS?
• How to detect and correct errors?
Questions To Consider
• What LIS 2.0 data and service is
generated by the Student Information
System for each type of action
performed by students and staff?
• What are the known bugs related to
LIS 2.0 data exchange for both the SIS
and LMS vendor software?
Disadvantages
Learning Information Systems
• Vendor systems must agree on how
the standards are implemented
• Many hidden aspects of vendor
implementation
• Limited support beyond core profile
• Error checking/reporting is undefined
– vendor specific
Advantages of
Learning Information Services
• Reduces vendor lock-in
• Can save time and money vs.
developing a custom integration
solution
• Can support multiple systems
• XML processing is widely supported