Learning platform conformance regime. The Learning Platform Conformance Regime

Transcription

1 Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime The Learning Platfrm Cnfrmance Regime Versin 2.4, January page 1 f 8

2 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime 1 Intrductin The Department fr Educatin and Skills (DfES), in supprt f the Curriculum Online initiative, cmmissined Becta t: create a framewrk fr raising levels f interperability between learning, assessment and infrmatin management systems and learning cntent prvide a framewrk which can infrm investment decisins thrugh mre transparent infrmatin abut individual prduct capability t schl/lea purchasers. An initial regime was published t supprt an nline registratin and certificatin prcesses. The website fr registratin is: Varius discussins have taken place at the Curriculum Online Technical Standards Wrking Grup and at the Learning Platfrm Stakehlder Grup that have helped infrm the develpment f this regime. Thugh the initial fcus was n Curriculum Online, the regime shuld nw be cnsidered applicable t learning platfrms fr use in all UK schls, unless stated therwise. The apprach is t prduce an agreed way f describing the functinality f learning platfrms and detailing requirements fr particular specificatins r standards where apprpriate. The audience fr this dcument is learning platfrm prviders that are cnsidering registering their prducts and cntent prviders that prvide cntent that requires a platfrm fr delivery. Dcumentatin fr purchasers and users f platfrms will be prvided separately. This regime will be subject t revisin and upgrading and it is expected that further specificatins will be included where they enhance interperability in schls. There will be regular reviews f the regime. It is anticipated that any detailed rewrking f prcesses r specificatins wuld be influenced by the Learning Platfrm Stakehlder Grup in cllabratin with the Curriculum Online Technical Standards Wrking Grup. Prviders will nrmally have sufficient time in which t incrprate such revisins and t self-certify against the enhanced regime. Certificatin will be based initially n registratin fllwed by an interim self-certificatin f cnfrmance prir t effective testing bdies and systems being available. Versin 2.4, January page 2 f 8

3 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime 2 Learning platfrm cnfrmance 2.1 Learning platfrms Learning platfrm is a generic term used t describe a system f infrmatin and cmmunicatin technlgies that is used t deliver and supprt learning. A learning platfrm usually cmbines several functins int a cherent envirnment. A learning platfrm may be a single prduct r may be made up f several independent mdules that can interact. Fr a prduct t be cnsidered as a learning platfrm under this regime it must enable users t access and launch digital learning cntent. A descriptive framewrk has been develped t allw prviders t register and submit infrmatin abut a wide range f e-learning systems and tls even if they d nt meet the requirements f the Becta Learning Platfrm Cnfrmance Regime. The Regime cnsiders what the varius functinal cmpnents are and where there is a need fr them t interact. Apprpriate pen standards and specificatins will be adpted t maximise interperability. The terms Managed Learning Envirnment (MLE) and Virtual Learning Envirnment (VLE) are ften used. If these terms are used they shuld be used cnsistently and as defined in this regime (see Appendix). There are e-learning technlgies that are relevant t learning platfrms that may include a range f tls, services and web services. These are ften nt easily differentiated and there are prducts that span several categries r blur the bundaries. A tl, r applicatin, is a sftware prduct that prvides a particular functin, such as a cllabrative discussin area, a curse builder r a tagging tl. These may be prvided separately r as part f a learning platfrm. A service is a system r peratin that prvides smething peple need. In the cntext f e- learning this culd be a dedicated database, e-prtfli service, a hsted prtal r supprt fr interactive grups. A learning platfrm may be used t prvide, r integrate with, a service n a reginal r natinal basis. Web services prvide autmated cmmunicatin withut the need fr manual input. They may jin up a mdular cllectin f web-applicatins t cmbine functinality. Fr example, searching culd be enabled acrss several learning repsitries simultaneusly. Learning platfrms may ffer web services r link int them. 2.2 The regime This regime is based n a mdel f cnfrmance that defines: A basic level f cnfrmance that platfrms have t meet t be cnsidered as a Becta Learning Platfrm. Specificatins that need t be supprted fr platfrms that manage cntent. A framewrk t describe functinality f learning platfrms. Where certain functinality is claimed, as defined by the framewrk, then: additinal infrmatin may be required cnditinal cnfrmance t technical specificatins may be required. In ther wrds, if a prvider registers a prduct and claims certain functinality this may imply cnfrmance t particular standards, specificatins r applicatin prfiles. Prviders shuld refer t the Shareable Cntent Object Reference Mdel (SCORM 2004 versin 1.3.1) t prvide backgrund t a framewrk fr delivering and managing learning cntent. SCORM is a mdel that cntains a cllectin f prfiles f several standards and specificatins plus sme Versin 2.4, January page 3 f 8

4 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime additinal data mdels and recmmendatins. Sme, but nt all, f these are required within the cnfrmance regime and the SCORM 2004 bks prvide very useful infrmatin and explanatins f sme f the key cncepts and definitins. 2.3 Basic cnfrmance Any prduct that claims cnfrmance t the Becta Learning Platfrm Cnfrmance Regime v2 must: Have been accepted by the Becta learning platfrm registratin scheme. Have prvided infrmatin abut the prduct functinality in accrdance with the latest Descriptive Framewrk fr Learning Platfrms: Data Mdel (available frm the learning platfrm website). Cnfrm t specificatins r standards as required. Lad digital cntent int a strage area that can be accessed via the platfrm interface. Enable the user t launch digital cntent via a web brwser, including be able t use the hypertext transfer prtcl, HTTP. Be able t accept cntent packages that are cnfrmant with the IMS Cntent Packaging data mdel and binding specificatins versin and the ADL Extensins. Cntent aggregatin is the assembling f assets and learning bjects int a particular structure with metadata s that it can be unpackaged and delivered t the user by a learning platfrm. Publishers may wish t place restrictins n the level f disaggregatin permitted and platfrm prviders shuld attempt t respect such preferences. Use ne, r mre, specific curriculum metadata schemes t search fr and find resurces. (Fr prducts fr use in England, the Curriculum Online metadata scheme must be used.) 2.4 Cntent bject management cnfrmance Many learning platfrms prvide the ability t lad, stre and manage learning cntent bjects. Typically these cntent bjects are packaged with metadata, include a simple navigatinal structure and cmmunicate with the learning platfrm. In rder t increase the chance f interperability between platfrms and cntent f this type, this regime specifies a set f requirements fr platfrms that manage cntent bjects. Cntent can be prvided in varius frms, sme are assets (the SCORM term is Sharable Cntent Asset SCA) that are simply initiated by the platfrm withut any further cmmunicatin, thers are learning bjects that prvide the platfrm with infrmatin that can supprt tracking and feedback (the SCORM term is Sharable Cntent Object SCO). In rder t cnfrm t the Cntent Object Management part f The Becta Learning Platfrm Cnfrmance Regime a platfrm must meet the fllwing criteria in additin t the basic criteria Metadata Several metadata schemes may be supprted, but if a platfrm is fr use in schls in England then a specified versin f the Curriculum Online Metadata Scheme must be the ne used fr cnfrmance t the criteria belw. Alternative metadata schemes may be included in future regimes. A Becta Cntent Object Management Platfrm must: Supprt a named, publicly available metadata scheme fr searching fr cntent Lad and stre metadata recrds prvided by suppliers Display infrmatin derived frm the metadata recrds t the user If the learning platfrm prvides the capability t pass n metadata t ther systems they will be expected t maintain the integrity f the metadata Versin 2.4, January page 4 f 8

5 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime By passing n metadata instances cmplete and unchanged t ther systems Use a published and well-defined cmmunicatin prtcl In derived recrds, respect editing criteria if specified by the scheme If the learning platfrm prvides the capability t create new metadata instances and pass them n it must be able t pass n new metadata instances that cnfrm t a published scheme and binding Run-time interactins Sme learning resurces can prvide infrmatin t a learning platfrm, this includes simple start and stp signals and mre cmplex infrmatin abut a learner s perfrmance. A Becta Cntent Object Management Platfrm must: cnfrm t the IEEE P ECMAscript, in particular be interperable with the SCORM 2004 Run-Time Envirnment API calls Initialize Terminate GetValue SetValue Cmmit GetLastErrr GetErrrString GetDiagnstic cnfrm t the IEEE P Data mdel and supprt the fllwing elements. Data Mdel Element Cmments Frm Learner Cmments Frm LMS Cmpletin Status Cmpletin Threshld Credit Entry Exit Interactins Launch Data Learner Id Learner Name Descriptin Cntains text frm the learner. Cntains cmments and anntatins intended t be made available t the learner. Indicates whether the learner has cmpleted the SCO. A value against which the measure f the prgress the learner has made tward cmpleting the SCO can be cmpared t determine whether the SCO shuld be cnsidered cmpleted. Indicates whether the learner will be credited fr perfrmance in this SCO. Cntains infrmatin that asserts whether the learner has previusly accessed the SCO. Indicates hw r why the learner left the SCO. Defines infrmatin pertaining t an interactin fr the purpse f measurement r assessment. Prvides data specific t a SCO that the SCO can use fr initializatin. Identifies the learner n behalf f whm the SCO instance was launched. Represents the name f the learner. Versin 2.4, January page 5 f 8

6 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime Data Mdel Element Learner Preference Lcatin Maximum Time Allwed Mde Objectives Prgress Measure Scaled Passing Scre Scre Sessin Time Success Status Suspend Data Time Limit Actin Ttal Time Descriptin Specifies learner preferences assciated with the learner s use f the SCO. Represents a lcatin in the SCO. The amunt f accumulated time the learner is allwed t use a SCO in the learner attempt. Identifies the mdes in which the SCO may be presented t the learner. Specifies learning r perfrmance bjectives assciated with a SCO. A measure f the prgress the learner has made tward cmpleting the SCO. The scaled passing scre fr a SCO. The learner s scre fr the SCO. The amunt f time that the learner has spent in the current learner sessin fr the SCO. Indicates whether the learner has mastered the SCO. Prvides infrmatin that may be created by a SCO as a result f a learner accessing r interacting with the SCO. Indicates what the SCO shuld d when the maximum time allwed is exceeded. The sum f all f the learner s learner sessin times accumulated in the current learner attempt prir t the current learner sessin. Table 1 SCORM Run-Time Envirnment Data Mdel Elements Summary (Surce: Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), Sharable Cntent Object Reference Mdel (SCORM ) Run-Time Envirnment Versin 1.3.1, 2004.) Prviders shuld be able t prvide details f hw they meet apprpriate SCORM self-certificatin tests. Additinal infrmative guidance can be fund in the dcument SCORM Run-Time Envirnment Versin The SCORM prtcl may nt wrk when learning platfrm and learning cntent are lcated in different dmains (fr example if the learning platfrm is at and the cntent is at This difficulty can be vercme, (see: the ADL dcument Crss-Dmain Scripting Issue. Platfrm prviders wh supprt SCORM shuld prvide clear infrmatin, understandable t a nn-technical audience, n whether this issue is relevant t their platfrm and, if s, hw it is addressed. There are als cncerns ver the size f files that can be stred during interactins. Internatinal wrk is underway t address this issue and this is expected t be incrprated int future versins f this regime. Until then prviders shuld prvide infrmatin abut if and hw they extend any SCORM parameters. Versin 2.4, January page 6 f 8

7 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime Appendix: MLE and VLE Virtual Learning Envirnment, VLE, and Managed Learning Envirnment, MLE, are terms intended t be used in the same sense as agreed in the Becta diagram adpted by JISC. VLE is used t refer t the cmpnents in which learners and tutrs participate in 'ICT delivered' interactins f varius kinds, including n-line learning. MLE is used t include the whle range f infrmatin systems and prcesses f the institutin (including its VLE if it has ne) that cntribute directly r indirectly t learning and learning management. In effect, an MLE might cnsist f a whle range f different sftware and systems (including ff-line systems) that interrelate, share data and cntribute t learning management. A VLE refers t a specific piece f sftware that enables learners and staff t interact, and includes cntent delivery and tracking. VLE Cmpnents Curriculum mapping Curriculum mapping refers t the use f terms, subjects r tpic structures that relate t a particular curriculum. A VLE may use curriculum mappings t aid tagging, resurce discvery r navigatin methds. Fr example, the Prgramme f Study f the Natinal Curriculum r the Natinal Literacy Strategy may be used in England. Delivery A VLE shuld enable and manage the delivery f digital materials. This culd include a range f access, lgin and security ptins, grups and curse cnstructin. Assessment A VLE shuld prvide sme assessment facilities, e.g. deliver a range f questin types, prvide an assessment creatin tl and imprt third party assessments created in cmmn frmats. Versin 2.4, January page 7 f 8

8 Becta Learning platfrms Learning platfrm cnfrmance regime Tutr supprt A VLE shuld enable tutrs t help learners and manage their learning using varius supprt systems. Cmmunicatin A VLE shuld prvide sme cmmunicatin facilities such as integrated , bulletin bards, real time chat, newsgrups r mderatin capability. Tracking A VLE shuld prvide facilities t track learners behaviur r perfrmance n the systems. This culd include reprting whether a learner has used a particular resurce, the time the learner has been using the system r prvide mre cmplex scres r assessment data. Versin 2.4, January page 8 f 8