LCMS What is thriving the Dutch hype or

LCMS: What is thriving the Dutch, hype or need? Jocelyn Manderveld Educational Technology Expertise Centre Open University of the Netherlands

Overview Introduction Definition of a LCMS Using a LCMS: Hype or need? Use of LCMS in the Netherlands Challenges Questions and discussion

Definition of a LCMS Question: How would you define a Learning Content Management System? Problem: Difficult to define My point of view LCMS’s do not exist! Better to speak about Content Management Systems

Why this perspective? Content Management Systems: Software for authoring, storage, use, reuse, search and management of content Content in this case Learning Objects (articles, questionnaire, books etc. ) Units of learning (courses, modules, tasks) Assets (e. g. pictures, video, audio, simulations) All materials needed to create learning experiences What happened with learning?

What happened with Learning in CMS? Content in a Content Management System needs to be delivered to users Users in this case learners and staff The actual learning takes place outside de CMS Delivery through Virtual Learning Environments as Blackboard, Web. CT, N@tschool, print, PDA’s etc

Overview of LCMS Content Management Authoring of content Storage of content Learning Delivery of content Metadata VLE Print Workflow Repository PDA Etc. Check in / out Search, use, reuse Thanks to Johan Vesseur

Using LCMS hype or need?

expectations Gartner’s market perspective: ‘Hype cycle for emerging technologies’ Virtual Learning Environments disillusionment LCMS over enthusiasm gradual improvement time

Over enthusiasm 1995 2000 Possibilities for flexible delivery of content through internet Many off the shelf products Many providers Less focus on business cases, what do we really need? ? ? Institutes start to implement VLE’s

Disillusionment 2000 2002 Many implementations, every institute of education uses own VLE Getting a clearer picture, on what we want Developing a lot of content, which can not be adequately managed Need for use, reuse of content between different institutes and VLE’s Need for standards

Gradual improvement 2002 2003 Institutes for higher education notice, that they have the same problems, start working together eg Digital University of the Netherlands VLE’s start tackling the problems with content management Several (L)CMS available on the market Integration of VLE’s with CMS Several learning technology specifications and standards

Use of LCMS in the Netherlands Clearly a need for LCMS in the Netherlands Within Digital University pilots with LCMS Important questions: What are technical possibilities of LCMS? How can a LCMS communicate with VLE’s as Blackboard, N@tschool? Testing Learn e. Xact HIVE (Harvest Road) Other institutes for higher education start to implement own solutions, technologies e. g. Web. Platform by University of Groningen

Use of LCMS in the Netherlands Other institutes focus on development of learning technology specifications e. g. Educational Modelling Language, IMS Learning Design by the Open University of the Netherlands Other institutes are developing content together

expectations How do we prevent disillusion? LCMS ? time

Challenges Authoring CMS VLE’s

Challenges Important role for learning technology specifications Metadata for searching in CMS Content Packaging for importing content into VLE’s QTI for developing assessment items LD for developing units of learning LIP recording student information

Where specs fit in an architecture Search & Retrieve HTML, XML PNG, SVG, SMIL JPEG, MPEG Digital Repositories Content Authoring Learning Design SCORM, Simple Sequencing Metadata Learning Activity Design Metadata Tagging Content Packaging Metadata Content Packaging Publish Content Management / Digital Repository Search & Retrieve Test Authoring Content Packaging QTI VLE Learning Development - Curriculum - Courses - Modules Enterprise Course Catalogue Student Record System Enrolments Results Learning Set up Learning Activities Co ordination Content/ Sequencing Learning Design SCORM, Simple Sequencing Transcript ISO Collaborative Learning Assessment LIP Collaboration QTI Results Outcomes LIP Learner Record Transcript PDR Thanks to Bill Olivier

Challenges Not all specifications are implemented in VLE”s Or parts of specifications are implemented If we really want to have the benefit of a LCMS, to use, reuse, share content between VLE’s and institutes, VLE”s must implement the specifications Remember: IMS Compliancy does not say enough!

Dealing with these challenges Convince VLE and LCMS that we need a full adoption of specifications or Developing ‘open source’ tools which implement the specifications

International initiatives Tooling ALFANET: European project building an open source LD engine RELOAD project (Reusable E learning Object Authoring and Delivery): Building open source SCORM player, IMS LD editor, open source IMS CP TOIA project (Technologies for Online Interoperable Assessments): Building tools for using and implementing QTI ALOHA: University of Alberta, online digital repositories, Building an IMS LD implementation SPLASH: open source peer to peer content management LAMS: Learning Management Activity System: EML inspired authoring environment and player Edutella: University of Hanover: open source peer to peer metadata sharing Etc…….

Dutch keen on participating in international initiatives YES, we must work together to meet the challenges These are not typical Dutch challenges

Questions and discussion Thank you! jocelyn. manderveld@ou. nl