The Global Framework for E-Learning
What’s Hot and
What’s Not
Centre For Constructive and Experimental
Mathematics
Simon Fraser University
September 25, 2003
Robby Robson
President, Eduworks Corporation
Chair, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee
rrobson@eduworks.com
Eduworks Corporation
Outline
GRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD
WHAT’S HOT & WHAT’S NOT
1.
2.




SOME PROJECTS GETTING STARTED
3.



4.
5.
6.
Architectures
Repositories
Content Reusability
Distributed Networks
NSDL Reusability & Interoperability
Enhancing the Searching of Mathematics
A Curriculum of Learning Objects
WISH LIST
FINAL THOUGHTS
DISCUSSION
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 2
GRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
THE (E-LEARNING)
WORLD
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E-Learning Hype Cycle
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
Courtesy RCA Wilson
25-Sep-03
Page 4
Evolution of Technology
JavaScript in
HTML
Java Frameworks
File-based
Database-Based
Repository-Based
Content Players
Content
Interoperability
Content
Reusability
1996
Services Model
ASP / Cold Fusion
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Distributed
Network
Client / Server
Global
Network?
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 5
Evolution of Standards Bodies
DLF
(1995)
HLA
(1994)
EICA
OKI
IEEE
LTSC
AICC
(1988)
CEN/ISSS
WS-LT
SIF
EdNA
(1994)
1996
1997
1998
ARIADNE
IMS
MERLOT
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NSDL
1999
2000
JTC1
SC36
ADL
Dublin
Core
(1995)
W3C
(1994)
CanCore
OASIS
ALIC
2001
2002
2003
ebXML
HR-XML
CONSORTIUM
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Evolution of Learning Technology
Standards (Simplified Version)
CREATE NEW WORLD ORDER
GET CONTENT TO WORK
GET SYSTEMS TO
INETEROPERATE
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
The Wider World
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 7
Conversational Convergence

Universal




All sectors (Private, Education, Government, etc.)
All geographic regions
All technologies (E-learning, Content Management,
Knowledge Management, Human Performance
Improvement)
Conversations





Get down to business
Local needs and global desires
Content is content
A need for tools
On the standards front – a need for clarity
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 8
Challenges to Overcome

Different Cultures and
Languages



Different Business
Models




From country to country
From sector to sector
From country to country
From sector to sector
Economic Barriers
Even time zones are
tough!
Eduworks Corporation

Lack of Experience



With the Internet
With the technology
Problems of Scale



Wal-Mart: 1.2 Million
BECTA (Work force Ed in
U.K.): 6 Million
But it has to work for a
schoolroom or small
company, too . . .
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 9
Email from 22 July, 2003
“We are making small but steady steps.
We are acquiring new customers at a good
rate/month and have *almost* completed a
robust product.
We have decided to put SCORM support
on the sideline for the time being (given the
very low demand we encounter in the
med/small company market and the speed
with which the specs evolve). We are
focused only on our web-based, hosted elearning software.”
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 10
And Small Communities of Practice
(Email from Sep 22, 2003). . .
“I have to agree that spam is a serious concern for these registries of
mathematicians. In fact I predict that most of the recipients of this proposed
message would consider it spam:
> IMU-Net 2 will come out in November and will be sent to a list of more
> than 40,000 e-mail addresses of mathematicians the world over.
I don't see why mathematicians should be advised yet again to have a good
personal home page. This idea started making the rounds 10 years ago.
Compilations of home page URLs (including special ones for
mathematicians) were also popular at that time, when the Web was new.
Google led to their demise.”
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 11
What’s Hot … And
What’s Not
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JavaScript in
HTML
Eduworks Corporation
Java Frameworks
ASP / Cold Fusion
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
Services Model
25-Sep-03
Page 13
Right Now - Functional Architectures


Stable Models
Stable Product categories
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 14
Component Model – from late 2001. (Still
works!)
Offerings
Content
Authoring
Tools
Content
Objects
Offerings
Register Info
Content
Assembly
Tools
Learning
Objects
Content
Repository
and
Offering
Catalog
Learning
Objects
Recorded
Events
Catalog
Manager
Learning
Offerings
Eduworks Corporation
Learning
Planner
Learner
Registrar
Delivery
Environment
Collaborative
Environment
Goals
Plans
Plans
Learner Info
Profile Info
Activity Info
Learner
Profile
Manager
Profile Info
Activity Info
Assessment Assessment / Profile Info
Testing
Objects
Engine
Results Info
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 15
Enterprise LMS
Offerings
Content
Authoring
Tools
Content
Objects
Offerings
Register Info
Content
Assembly
Tools
Learning
Objects
Content
Repository
and
Offering
Catalog
Learning
Objects
Recorded
Events
Catalog
Manager
Learning
Offerings
Eduworks Corporation
Learning
Planner
Learner
Registrar
Delivery
Environment
Collaborative
Environment
Goals
Plans
Plans
Learner Info
Profile Info
Activity Info
Learner
Profile
Manager
Profile Info
Activity Info
Assessment Assessment / Profile Info
Testing
Objects
Engine
Results Info
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 16
LCMS
Offerings
Content
Authoring
Tools
Content
Objects
Offerings
Register Info
Content
Assembly
Tools
Learning
Objects
Content
Repository
and
Offering
Catalog
Learning
Objects
Recorded
Events
Catalog
Manager
Learning
Offerings
Eduworks Corporation
Learning
Planner
Learner
Registrar
Delivery
Environment
Collaborative
Environment
Goals
Plans
Plans
Learner Info
Profile Info
Activity Info
Learner
Profile
Manager
Profile Info
Activity Info
Assessment Assessment / Profile Info
Testing
Objects
Engine
Results Info
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 17
Course Management System (VLE)
Offerings
Content
Authoring
Tools
Content
Objects
Offerings
Register Info
Content
Assembly
Tools
Learning
Objects
Content
Repository
and
Offering
Catalog
Learning
Objects
Recorded
Events
Catalog
Manager
Learning
Offerings
Eduworks Corporation
Learning
Planner
Learner
Registrar
Delivery
Environment
Collaborative
Environment
Goals
Plans
Plans
Learner Info
Profile Info
Activity Info
Learner
Profile
Manager
Profile Info
Activity Info
Assessment Assessment / Profile Info
Testing
Objects
Engine
Results Info
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 18
Service Architectures and Frameworks:
What’s Hot

Communities are driving them



SchoolNet, SIF, Education.au, EduSource …
Vendors are supporting them
Standards groups producing them

IMS, OKI, SCORM 2.0, etc.
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
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And What’s Not



Stability is needed
Installed bases make it hard to change
architectures
Re-usable Design is not Interoperability



Comes from local thinking
Leads to too many frameworks
THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN THE RESEARCH /
MATHEMATICAL COMMUNITY
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 20
File-based
Eduworks Corporation
Database-Based
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
Repository-Based
25-Sep-03
Page 21
Hot: Growing Number of Projects

ARIADNE


EDUSOURCE


SCORM conformant, Accessible (Section 508), DRM enabled Rich Media Repository
D-SPACE and other projects


(Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching)
Providing peer review, a value-added service
VIMS (Virtual Image Management System – U.S. Military)


Over 60 collections, tens of thousands of records, hundreds of thousands in user
communities
MERLOT


Instructions for adding local repositories; cross-cultural
National Science Digital Library (U.S.)


Enabling collaborative generation of learning objects
EUROPEAN SCHOOLNET


Now a European foundation, focused on content, metadata & tools
Open source out-of-the-box solution
EdNA, The Le@rning Federation
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Hot: A Growing Number of Products




New releases of Enterprise LMS / LCMS
New entrants into the VLE (Course Management
System) space
Pure Learning Object Repository products
Content Management Systems



With learning components / standards
JSTOR, Digital Mathematics Library & Similar
Plus … help from the Library Community



Centuries of experience
Stable standards
Installed user base
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Not:

“Learning Object Repository”




A conglomeration of undefined terms is an
excellent tool for hype
Business models?
Searches still find too little that’s good …
or worse … too much.
Objects in professional communities of
practice are


Not granular (JSTOR)
Not exposed
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 24
Content Players
Eduworks Corporation
Content
Interoperability
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
Content
Reusability
25-Sep-03
Page 25
Reusable Content (Learning
Objects): What’s Hot


Lot’s of Activity
Emergence of Object Models (next slide)




Provide common vocabulary
Map to standards and technology
Identify pedagogic pressure points
Potential to Increase Value
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 26
Learnativity Object Model and
SCORM / AICC
eLearning
Knowledge Management
Learning
Environment
Content Package
Sharable Content Object (SCO)
Sharable Content Asset (SCA)
concept
Web Services
Communities
Components
Databases
Asset
Objective
Practice
Assess
principle
procedure
text
A
u
d
i
o
illustration
Communications
2003 +
_
Eduworks Corporation
animation
SCORM / AICC CONTENT MODEL
Context
and
ComplexIty
ReusabiIIty
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
+
25-Sep-03
Page 27
Standards and Technology Help
More Value
Less Value
REUSE
THE TARGET
QUADRANT
CONTEXT
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Learning Objects: What’s Not Hot:




The Definition
Aggregation instead of Disaggregation
Work instead of workflow
Theory instead of effectiveness
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Distributed
Network
Client / Server
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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Education on the Open Network:
MIT Open Courseware Initiative Server Hits, May & June
2003 (Taken from Wired, August 2003)

Top 10 Courses
1.
2.
3.
4.

Problems of Philosophy
Laboratory Software Engineering
Introduction to Electronics
Hands-on Astronomy: Observing
Stars and Planets
5.
Linear Algebra
6.
Calculus with Applications
7.
Introduction to Modeling and
Simulation (Nuclear Eng.)
8.
Electricity and Magnetism
9.
Logistical and Transportation Planning
Methods (EE & CS)
10. Introduction to Marketing
Eduworks Corporation
Top 10 Nations (Other than
U.S.)
1. Canada
2. Germany
3. South Korea
4. Brazil
5. U.K.
6. Japan
7. France
8. China*
9. India
10. Australia
*
(3.9
(3.6
(3.2
(3.2
(3.1
(3.1
(3.0
(2.6
(2.5
(1.4
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
Million)
2 Million from Hong Kong & .6 Million
from the PRC (where the government
blocked access until February of 2003)
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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America’s Army – Released July 4, 2002


Digital emigrants have settled
the world
Natives will define it
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 32
Big Issue (Hot and Not):
Digital Rights Management and
Intellectual Property Rights


Intellectual Property
Rights and Laws can
no longer conveniently
be ignored
DRM is needed for



Content development
workflows
Federating repositories
Sharing knowledge
based on trust: “I didn’t
want to email it because
it’s still draft and in
confidence.”
Eduworks Corporation

DRM




Often confused with
enforcement (e.g. RIAA)
Guided by multimedia and
communications industries
Subject to patents
Intellectual Property Rights
and Laws


Differ around the globe
Often don’t make sense
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 33
A Fundamental Shift in DRM

Client / Server Model




Content delivered and
consumed
Copyright restrictions &
licenses enforced at point
of consumption
Authorization based on role
Possession is 9/10 of the
law – have content, can
distribute!

Distributed Network Model







Eduworks Corporation
Content flows through
network
Content can change during
its lifecycle
Conditions, permission,
constraints etc. relevant at
each stop in lifecycle
Distribution rights as
important as usage rights
Rights governed by
contract, not possession
Need to handle attribution,
creative commons, etc.
DRM = Routing of
Intellectual Property
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 34
Status of “Distributed Rights
Management”

Persistent DRM Technology is being
prototyped





COLIS Project
VIMS Project
Microsoft RMS
Standards emerging
A Long Way to Go
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CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
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SOME PROJECTS
GETTING STARTED
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NSDL Reusability & Interoperability
Creating guidelines for the generation of
reusable and interoperable content
Target


1.
2.
Create “WAI” site for reusability






People who write the content
Repositories who store the content
Simple guidelines that do a lot
Sections on domain specific tools
Partners: MERLOT, ENC, MathDL
Mathematics example community of practice
with respect to authoring tools
Just getting started . . .
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 37
Enhancing the Searching of Mathematics
Part of NSDL (PI is Robert Miner of Design
Science)
Three Parts
Experiment with three search techniques:






Hold Conferences
Assemble Test Collection
Experiment with three search techniques:
1.
2.
3.
Metadata-based
Tree normalization (inherent in MathML) and pattern
matching
Presentation to content conversion, followed by
computational comparison
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 38
A Curriculum of Learning Objects


Canadian Project to create interactive
grade 6 – 8 curriculum (Math Resources)
Interesting points



Generation of metadata along a production
workflow
Retaining “totipotence” of objects over a
project lifespan and with concrete products
Assessment
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 39
WISH LIST
Eduworks Corporation
DRM Ecosystems



Models needed
Practice needed
Possible projects



Projects within the NSDL arena
Projects like VIMS
Projects like EduSource and EdNA
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 41
Framework for Desktop Learning

Change in approach to learning technology
FIS
HR
DBMS
LMS
Enterprise
Desktop XXMS
LMS
CRM Infrastructure
SCM
E-com
Desktop
Desktop
Applications
CM




Supported by evolution of standards
Global
community-driven
Based on experimentation, grounded in practice
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 42
FINAL THOUGHTS



Awareness Needed
Experimentation Needed!
Interoperability starts with people
Eduworks Corporation
CECM: Global Framework for E-Learning
25-Sep-03
Page 43
Discussion
Contact information:
rrobson@eduworks.com
Eduworks Corporation