05 distance learning standards-scorm research

Distance Learning Standards – SCORM

(Research)

Timothy K. Shih

Outline

• Ubiquitous Learning with SCORM• MINE Authoring Tools• MINE LMSs• Summary

Perspective

Ubiquitous e-Learning DevicesPDAs Phones

Hyper Pen and Book

PCs

Digital TV and Set-top Box

E-Learning Projects

MINE SCORM Authoring Tools

A Partner of the Academic ADL Co-Lab

Design Issues

• Authoring Hard SCORM Tags• Video Presentation and Flash Playback• The Metadata Wizard• Automatic Sequencing Testing• Pre-fetching of Learning Objects• Video SCORM

Authoring Hard SCORM Tags1. Function

ICONs

2. Content Aggregation

3. Resource Pool

4. Hard SCORM Tags

5. Windows for Designing Asset Layout, Metadata, and Sequence Rule

1

2

34

5

Hard SCORM Tags

• Navigation Tags – for Navigation• Reference Tags – for Multimedia

References• Answer Tags – for Exams• Auxiliary Tags – Turn on/off or Control

Hard SCORM LMS

Reference Tags

• Multimedia References– Video– Audio– Flash– URL

• Copy Resources in the New Content Aggregation and PIF

Reading SCORM Courseware on Hardcopy Books

Searching on Repository• Local Search• Server Search• Repository Search

Search by Metadata

Add to Resource Pool

Printing Hardcopy Textbooks• Reference

Tags are Embedded in between Words

• Different Navigation Tags are Generated for Different Sequencing Specifications

Hardcopy Textbooks• ID, Control Panel,

Table of Contents and Index

Hardcopy Textbooks• Content and Test

Video Presentation and Flash Playback

• Video and Slide Synchronization• Recording, Editing, Post Processing, and

Delivery• Add Metadata to Video and Each Slide• Support Flash Playback

Video Stream

Text

User Interrupt User Interrupt User Interrupt

Slide Slide Slide

Presentation Recording

• Select PowerPoint file

• Adjust Camera

• Select Style File

• Start Recording

Presentation Editing and Delivery

• Add/Delete Slides• Combine

Presentations• Authoring Metadata• Playback and

Delivery

Alternative Post Process • Adding Slides and Flash Objects

The Metadata Wizard

• Metadata is useful for object reuse• Time consuming to fill in metadata• Background of Users• Need tools to help the user

– A user profile is filled only once– Interactive questions may or may not be asked by

the authoring tool– Deduction rules can be designed by professionals

and customized to individual needs– The author makes a final confirmation of metadata

Examples of Metadata Generation

• Environment and Platform Dependent– 1.3 Language, 2.3.3 Date, 4.1 Format, etc.

• User Profile (provided at login time)– 2.3.1 Role, 2.3.2 Entity, etc.

• Deduced by Interactive Questions– Who are the target readers?

5.6 Context, 5.7 Typical Age Range• Deduced by Structural Relations

– 5.9 Typical Learning Time, 4.2 Size, etc.

Copy+ and If-Then Rules

• Copy+: via information retrieval techniques• If-Then Rules: User Defined (by educational

professionals)– If 5.2 Learning Resource Type = diagram| figure| graph| table

Then 1.8 Aggregation Level = 1 ；– If 5.3 Interactivity Level = very low| low| medium Then 5.4

Semantic Density=high | very high ；– If 5.3 Interactivity Level = very high| high Then = 5.1

Interactivity Type =active ；– If 5.3 Interactivity Level = very low | low Then = 5.1

Interactivity Type =expositive ；

• Subjective Rules (optional and user dependent)• If no rule is used, the user need to provide metadata

System Architecture of the Wizard

Learning Content Management System

Metadata Wizard

Deduction Engine

Authoring Tool

Metadata Editor

Environment and Platform Information

Deduction Rules

User Profile

Question Agent

Implementation of the Wizard• Users make a final

confirmation to use the generated metadata

Sequencing Testing• Sequencing Control

Modes– Choice, Choice Exit,

Flow, Forward Only• Problems

– “Unreachable” Clusters– “Sink” Clusters

• Solution– Automatic Sequencing

Testing

• Integrated with the Hard SCORM Authoring Tool

Example Activity Tree – A Problem

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Sink

Unreachable

Decompose the Problem

Module

Leaf

Module

LeafLeaf Leaf

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Analysis via Truth Table Module

LeafAll Cases

Deduced Truth Table (partial)Parent Activity (Module) Child Activity (Leaf)

Flow Forward Only

Choice Choice Exit

True False x x

True True False x

True True True x

True True True x

False True False x

False True True x

False True True x

False False False x

False False True x

False False True x

Flow Forward Only

Choice Choice Exit

Result

x x x x ok

x x x x ok

x x x True ok

x x x False blocking

x x x x blocking

x x x True ok

x x x False blocking

x x x x blocking

x x x True ok

x x x False blocking

x : Don’t Care

Example 1Parent Activity (Module) Child Activity

(Leaf)

Choice Exit Result

False blocking

Module

Lesson 2Lesson 1 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

Flow Forward Only Choice

False True True

Flow = false

Forward Only = true

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = false

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = true

Choice Exit = true

Activity

Sink Activity

Example 2

Module

Lesson 2Lesson 1 Lesson 3 Lesson 4

Flow = false

Forward Only = false

Choice = false

Choice Exit = true

Parent Activity (Module) Child Activity (Leaf)

Choice Exit Result

X blocking

Flow Forward Only Choice

False False False

Activity

Unreachable Activity

Bottom up Testing

Summary

• Only works for the 4 Basic Control Modes

• Extend for conditions and rollup rules (and others)

• Automatic Testing– When to trigger the testing?

• Convenience – User Friendly– How to fix the bug?

• Proper suggestions by the system

• Metrics of Sequencing and Navigation is an open issue

Pre-fetching Learning Objects• Sizes of

Learning Objects are Computed

• A Content Aggregation is Divided into Clusters

• Pre-fetching on PDAs and Smart Phones

• An intelligent caching policy is designed based on sequencing and navigation definitions

The Video SCORM Authoring Tool

• Integrated with the Hard SCORM Authoring Tool

URL References

• The Authoring Tool is available at– http://member.mine.tku.edu.tw/www/fatty/MINE/Hard%20SCORM%20Authorin

g%20Tool%20v%201.0.rar– http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/scorm (video demos)

– Implementing the SCORM Forum

• Need .net framework 1.1• Automatic installation• User’s manual

Demonstration of Authoring Tool

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Conclusions and Suggestions

• S&N is complicate– Needs Visualization Tool

• Needs S&N Testing Tools• Needs Metadata Generation• Need an Open Interface to Repository

– Standard Representation of Search Specification

– Interface to Federated Repository

MINE SCORM LMSs

A Partner of the Academic ADL Co-Lab

Devices Supported by the LMS

• PC• Hardcopy Textbook with Hyper-Pen• PDAs• Cellular Phones• TV

Reading via Hyper Pen• Using Hyper Pen as Input Device• Reading on Hardcopy Textbooks• Using Audio Messages for Navigation Control • Using Multimedia Clips as References

Hard SCORM Machine (HSM)

• HSM– based on the concept of a finite state

machine (deterministic finite state machine)– a finite state machine, M, is represented as

a 5-tuple: ),,,,( 0 FqQM

finite set of internal states

input alphabeta set of Hard SCORM tags

transition function

a set of final statesF = {f}

initial stateq0=i

Qq 0

QF

States in HSM• Reading:

While an user is reading in a correct range of reading pages, the machine is waiting for a tag to be accessed.

• Behavior and Context (BC) Analysis: Between a tag is used and a correct destination page is confirmed, the machine stays in the BC Analysis state for action analysis. This state is used in two-phase transactions.

• Warning: While a reader is reading in a wrong page (due to an incomplete two-phase transaction), the Warning state will signal audio messages and waiting for the reader to provide a correct navigation.

• Suspending:The reader may suspend the state machine. Counting of learning time is also suspended.

• Quiz Submachine: The submachine is implemented as an assessment system. The system is controlled by ECMA Script of an SCO.

Hard SCORM Machine

Reading Warning

Suspending

BC AnalysisNavigation Tags

Correct Behavior

Incorrect Behavior

Navigation Tags

Pause

Continue

Start

End

Reference TagsLearner Status

Quiz

Start Quiz

End Quiz

Incorrect Behavior

Correct Behavior

i

f

The Quiz Submachine

Start Quiz

End Quiz

Question Identification

Answer Recording

Question Tag

All Acceptable

Answer Tags

Question Tag

Two-phase Transaction

• For Content Navigation– including page index tags and previous/next page

tags, and committed by a page tag.– controlled by the Behavior and Context Analysis State– different sound signal will be used

• For Quiz– When a Start Quiz Tag is triggered, the submachine is

waiting for a Question tag to identify which question an answer will be given

– The second phase checks for a correct answer type associated with its answer value

– controlled by another two-phase transaction, which takes a Start Quiz tag and an End Quiz Tag

One-phase Transaction

• For the Reference Tags and Auxiliary Tags– Reference Tag: Video, Audio…..– Auxiliary Tags: Pause, Status, Continue……

Transition Table of the HSM

Transition Table of the Quiz Submachine

Audio Messages – for Navigation Control

The Hard SCORM LMS• Using Web Service with Different Devices• Encapsulate SCORM APIs by Using Web Service Technology

Learning Management System (LMS)

HTTP Protocol or SOAP Protocol

Server Side

Client Side

Assets

APIInstance

ContentRepository

Launch

SCO

AssetsImsmanifest

ECMAScript

LMSServer

SCORMWeb

ServicesWSG

Sequencing Cache Engine

Pocket PC Smart Phone Hyper Pen Browser

Other Devices

Revised ECMA Script for Web Service

• Extend ECMA Script to Cope with off-line Learning Model• Use Service Queue and Result Queue• Use SOAP to Encapsulate Messages

• Integrated with Pocket SCORM Reader• Consistent Learner Records on PC, PDA, Smart

Phone, TV, and Hyper Pen

Reading on PCs

Demonstration of Hard SCORM LMS

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Demonstration of Hard SCORM LMS on PC

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Pocket SCORM

LinearKnowledge Paced

Auto Re-Flow and Personalized Notes

Before Re-Flow After Re-Flow Adding Notes

Reading on Smart Phone

Login Register Unpack Select

Caching on Mobile Devices

• SCORM LMSs with Mobile Devices– Pocket PC– Smart phone

• Limitation of Storage• Divide a Course into Several Parts

(Clusters)• Preserve the Features of Sequencing• Caching Strategies

– Download Order– Replacement Order

Clusters in an Activity Tree

Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Cluster 4 Cluster 5

Sequencing Control Mode: Flow = true; Choice = false;Rollup Rules: Completed if all completed; Satisfied if all satisfied; Not Satisfied if any Not Satisfied;Exit Rules: Exit if completed

Sequencing Control Mode: Flow = true; Choice = false;Objective Satisfied by Measure = true;Objective Minimum Satisfied Normalized Measure = 0.6;Rollup Rules: Completed if all attempted

Sequencing Control Mode: Flow = true; Choice = false;Rollup Controls: Rollup Objective Satisfied = false

Rollup Controls: Rollup Objective Satisfied = false

Module 2:Enhancing Images

Module 3:Blending Images

Module 1:Basics

Lesson 1:Interface

Lesson 9:Transform

Lesson 8:Selection Tools

Lesson 7:Hue/Saturation

Lesson 6:Brightness/Contrast

Lesson 5:Color Balance

Lesson 4:Layers

Lesson 3:Palettes

Lesson 2:Toolbox

Exam(Assessment)

Introduction

Photoshop Example -- Linear

Question 1

Question 3

Question 2

Question 4

Question 7

Question 6

Question 5

Question 8

Question 9

Cluster1

Cluster Download Order

If Control Mode = Flow or Forward-Only Then Download by Cluster Order (in content aggregation)(bread first search approach)

If Control Mode = Choice or Choice-Exit ThenApply Max Fit Strategy to Clusters (smaller cluster has a higher priority)

(try to load maximum number of clusters)

• Recursive Strategy to Decompose an Activity Tree

• Order Decision Strategy

Cluster 1

Leaf

LeafLeaf

LeafLeaf

Leaf

Leaf Leaf

Leaf Leaf

Leaf

Leaf

Leaf

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5

Cluster 6 Cluster 7

Cluster 8

Cluster 9

Cluster 10

Sequencing Control Choice = TrueSequencing Control Flow = False

Sequencing Control Choice = FalseSequencing Control Flow = True

Sequencing Control Choice = FalseSequencing Control Flow = True

Download Order: 1, 7, 2, 6, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 9

Sequencing Control Choice = TrueSequencing Control Flow = False

NL: Number of Leafs (representing sizes)

NL=0

NL=2

NL=2NL=1 NL=0

NL=1 NL=2

NL=2

NL=1

NL=2

Cluster Replacement Order

Given a Target Cluster (TC) to be replacedset RBS = 0While RBS <= α{ /* make space available */

C = Max-Distance(TC, Clusters)RBS = RBS + size(C)Release Cluster C}

Let L = Download Order of Activity TreeWhile RBS > 0 { /* reuse the space */

Load the 1st Cluster C in LRemove C from LRBS = RBS - size(C)}

• Distance Factors between Two Clusters– RC: Reference

Count– LDT: Last Download

Time– LAT: Last Access

Time– PL: Path Length (in

the activity tree)– CN: Cluster Number– CS: Cluster Size

• α: Buffer Releasing Threshold

• RBS: Released Buffer Size

Connectivity

• Dynamic Replacement– Used when interaction is low– Can be turn on/off by the users

• Off-line Mode– Store navigation messages– Automatic update when connected

PDAs and Smart Phones Supported

• Running on PDAs – Dopod 700, HP iPAQ 5550, and AnexTEK

SP230 • Running on Cellular Phones

– Dopod 565 and Mio8390

AnexTEK SP230Dopod 700 HP iPAQ 5550

Dopod 565 Mio 8390

Demonstration of Pocket SCORM LMS on PDA

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Demonstration of Pocket SCORM LMS on PDA

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Demonstration of Pocket SCORM LMS on Smart Phone

Video Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Reference URLs• Demonstration by Trans Asia Airline

– Pocket SCORM: the 2005 Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards, Innovative Technology

– http://www.elearn.org.tw/PocketSCORM/

• Other Demonstrations– http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/scorm

• Implementing the SCORM Forum

• Hyper Video• Interactive Lecture• Video Annotation

– Picture– Text– WWW

• Interactive Player• Interactive Video Authoring Tool• Annotate MPEG-2 (User Defined Data)

Interactive Video

Interactive Video

Multistory Video

• User Interaction (i.e., hyper jump)• User Annotation (i.e., picture, text, URL, etc.)

Start point End point

Sequence start point

Sequence end point

Text Annotation

Picture Annotation

Interactive Video Authoring Tool

Story Board

Video Editing Window

Annotation

Editing Functions

Video Sequences

Interactive Video Player

Annotation and Reference

Video Playback and Hyper Tags

Video Control Panel

Hyper Jump TagAnnotation Tag Web Reference

Web Control Panel

Demo of Interactive VideoDemo of Interactive VideoVideo Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Interactive Video Using Gesture and Remote ControlInteractive Video Using Gesture and Remote Control

• How about SCORM on TV?• How about interactivity?• How about standard?

• The DVB Multimedia Home Platform (MHP)– Defined by the DVB consortium– Adopted in many countries

• Italy, Germany, Finland, Singapore, S. Korea, Australia and others• Included in the US OpenCable & ACAP standards

• Can we combine MHP with SCORM?

The Video SCORM ProjectThe Video SCORM Project

What is MHP

• A Platform Definition• A Set of Java APIs• A Set of HTML Document Type Definitions• An Extension to Existing Open Standards DVB,

MPEG, JavaTV

• MHP 1.0.x (1.0.0 – 1.0.3)– The original MHP specification plus updates– The most commonly deployed version of MHP

• MHP 1.1.x – HTML Support, Stored Applications, Internet Client

APIs, Smart Card APIs

The Video SCORM Authoring Tool• Integrated with the Hard SCORM Authoring Tool

Video Tag

Web Tag

Content Aggregation

Properties

Scene

The Video SCORM Authoring Tool

• A video SCORM component is an SCO• Divides scenes into video stream files• Allow users to add metadata and

sequence rules• However, sequence rules among

scenes is our future work

Scene

Actor for video jump

Web link

The Video SCORM Run-time• Integrated with the Hard SCORM LMS (Web-based)• Download video SCORM components (SCOs)

Video Scene

Web Content

Video Control

Demonstration of Video SCORMVideo Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

Interactive Digital TV

• Traditional Cable TV• Interactive TV (Video): interactivity

between the users and broadcasting program, could be PC-based

• Set-top Box and Digital TV– Limited computation power– Limited input device

• Is MHP a solution?

Running an MHP-based Program

• You must have:– Transport stream and object carousel

generator– A playback system– Cable or satellite TV channel

• Expensive? Yes• Alternative resource for research

– Digital TV Simulator

TV SCORM on a Simulator

• Simulator: OSMOSYS SDK 2.1 (MHP 1.1)

• Integrated with our SCORM LMS

TV SCORM on a Simulator• Aggregation Tree (on/off)• Remote Controller for Navigation

Demonstration of TV SCORMVideo Clip Available at http://www.mine.tku.edu.tw/SCORM/

General Broadcasting System

Multiplexer

MPEG-2encoder

MPEG-2encoder

Object carousel generator(broadcast file system)

Videocapture

tool

Audiocapture

tool

Content Authoring &preparation

Modulator

Upconverter

Receiver (Set Top Box)

MPEG-2 Elementary stream

Full transport stream(Incl. service information )

Transport stream playout system

For satellite network only

Raw video & audio data Directories containing applications & assets

Status of Video SCORM Project

• PC-based Interactive Video– Video SCORM Authoring Tool– Video SCORM Run-time Environment– Integrated with the Hard SCORM LMS

• Set-top Box and Broadcasting System– TV SCORM on Simulator

• Read SCORM-based contents– Integrated with the Hard SCORM LMS– Interactive Video is not fully implemented

Conclusions and Suggestions

• Web Service and Centralized Delivery• Java-Based LMS• Need detailed definition of learner

records– Activity Tree, Student Records, Transcripts

• What about Web 2.0?• What about Grid?

– Flexible Delivery Paths– Flexible Computation Services

Field Study and Feedbacks

Status and Open Issues• Status of CORDRA• Repository for questions and tests – Q&TI?• Need representation of learner profile – activity

tree, student performance, transcripts

• Intelligent Tutoring – based on assessment outcome and S&N rules

• Simulation and Games• The Integration of Ubiquitous Computing and

Grid Computing

Acknowledgement

• Judy Brown, Director of Academic ADL Co-Lab

• David Wirth, Deputy Director of Academic ADL Co-Lab

• John Toews, Academic ADL Co-Lab• Doug Hamilton, Academic ADL Co-Lab

We will like to thank the following people for their discussion and suggestions:

Thank You

E-Learning Team, MINE Lab, Tamkang University

A Partner of the Academic ADL Co-Lab

Advisors and Doctors Ph. D. Candidates

MS Graduates and MS Students