Supporting further and higher education

E-learning Framework and Tools

Tish Roberts JISC Programme Manager

Draft Aim

To produce and test the use of a generic technical framework for e-learning systems which will allow the FE/HE community to create MLE architectures to support their e-learning strategies, and develop tools and interfaces where appropriate.

E-Learning Technical Framework

Objective - Develop a technical framework that support a diversity of pedagogic models and institutional types.

• articulate a shared understanding of the technical systems that are needed to support a wide variety of e-learning approaches based around a generic, modular framework.

Technical Framework to Support E-learning v.1

The core of the framework has this set of deliverables:-

• A list of services identified within the frameworkFor each service:– The definition of the scope and purpose of the service– List of applicable standards and specifications– Information on open-source toolkits – List of prior work of value, such as projects and case

studies, or demonstrations projects using the service– Information on shared services offered on an ASP

basis, e.g. relevant JISC IE services

• General guidance on creating, exposing, and consuming services

User Agents

Application Services

Common Services

Institutional Infrastructures (TCP/IP etc)

Application Services

Common Services

Activity MgtSequencing

Collaboration

Search

ContentMgt

UserMssaging Authentication AuthorizationDRM Identifier

Activity(auth)

Packaging

Cataloguing

Assessment

Grading

Competency

Profile

PortfolioGroup Mgt

Course Mgt

Scheduling

Resource Mgt

StatusInfo

LearningFlow

Hierarchy Logging Filing Workflow

ResourceList

Pres./Archive

Service Res. M.Schema R.

Development activity

• Primarily concentrated on providing libraries that enable developers (from commercial as well as open-source communities) to create applications that provide and consume services defined within the framework.

• Test and Demonstrator projects are aimed at testing out the service definitions and toolkits in actual use.

Test Projects

• a series of short tightly defined project that test a specific products ( API, OSRI, IOAgents ) developed by other initatives (OKI, other JISC projects, IMS etc ) that implement relevant standards.

• Output not only test framework, but also adds to developer toolkit which can be re-used by wider community

Demonstrator projects

Larger scale projects that are proof of concepts, – demonstrating specific user scenarios that

cross traditional boundaries, – a vertical slice of the problem domain. will

integrate products, tools and service using standards to demonstrate feasibility and possibilities

(eg Collaborative Online and Information Services COLIS http://www.colis.mq.edu.au/ )

Development BaySupport the development work of test and demonstrator projects

and the wider educational development community. This would include access to:-• Collaboration tools to support joint development activity (Wikis,

Blogs, discussion boards etc )• Reference set (service definition, UML diagramme, user

requirement etc)• Software toolkits (source foundry ?)• Testing facilities ( servers side testing )• On-line plug fests• Standards and implementation guidance

• Others in the e-learning technology development community

Use CasesStarting point for the framework been the “very

high level Use Case” of learner-centred education - extreme simplification.

- evolution of this framework depends upon teasing out the complexities of much finer-grained processes and

- looking at learning and teaching from a variety of viewpoints,

- remit of the sister pedagogy strand of this programme

Map existing framework

Objective - consider, inform, and be informed by existing development activities funded by the JISC (IE, Grid,) and relevant external activities (OKI, IMS)

• to gather knowledge of frameworks and current institutional architectures / models to feed into the Framework doc

Requirements’ gathering

Objective :- to achieve an understanding of the current needs of e-learning system users

• Define Users and Stakeholders • Establish requirements - define the

‘pool of services’ (applications and interfaces) to support e-learning.

• Collate existing Use cases and test against the framework.

Decision-making and support

Objective:- to put in place appropriate decision-making and support structures for the programme activities

• Constant review and consultation with experts and the community is a very important aspect of this programme.

• Development + Dissemination via Creating MLE infoKit style site

Tools to fill the Gaps

Objective - Identify the ‘gaps’ in software provision, standards and middleware that currently prevent an institution from the development of a coherent architecture

• where appropriate, commission the development of new tools and interfaces.

Some other goalsInternational effort:-• JISC is not intending to tackle it all• Work with and use work others(IMS, OKI, NSF, Internet2 etc )• All development Open source • Support + encourage

development community

Involving the SIGs • Community of

expertise/practitioner's• Consultation and engagement • Help us identify priority areas• Test + Demonstrate • Produce tools • Research, short studies,

(definitions – groups )• Dissemination

Skills• Programming – Java, C#, Python• UML modelling• XML• WSDL• Knowledge of standards • .NET, J2EE• Availability, ie- x day/per/week

PrioritiesWhich service should we

concentrate on first

List and prioritise 3

1- Authentication2- Assessment3-Course management

Application Services

Common Services

Activity MgtSequencing

Collaboration

Search

ContentMgt

UserMssaging Authentication AuthorizationDRM Identifier

Activity(auth)

Packaging

Cataloguing

Assessment

Grading

Competency

Profile

PortfolioGroup Mgt

Course Mgt

Scheduling

Resource Mgt

StatusInfo

LearningFlow

Hierarchy Logging Filing Workflow

ResourceList

Pres./Archive

Service Res. M.Schema R.

Further InformationMLEs - http://www.jisc.ac.uk/mleE-learning Frameworks

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=elearning_framework

E-learning Pedagogy http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=elearning_pedagogy

Framework Programme site - http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=programme_frameworks