Approaches To E-Learning: Key Standards And Technologies

A centre of expertise in digital information management

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Approaches To E-Learning:Key Standards And Technologies

Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath, BA2 7AY

[email protected]://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

UKOLN is supported by:


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Contents

Standards• The Context• The Need For Standards• Key Web Standards• E-Learning Standards• Other Relevant Standards

Key Application Areas • The Web• Collaborative Systems• Learning Systems


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The ContextStandards have a partial (but important role) in development work.Standards have a partial (but important role) in development work.

Standards: concerned with protocols and file formats

Standards: concerned with protocols and file formats

Architectures: models for implementing systems

Architectures: models for implementing systems

Applications: software products used to implement systems

Applications: software products used to implement systems

Resources: financial and staff costs needed to implement systems

Resources: financial and staff costs needed to implement systems

Open standards vs. Proprietary HTML / XML vs. PDF CSS / XSL vs. HTML GIF vs PNG

Which standards are applicable NT / UnixFile system / database application HTML tools / content management

Development vs. Migration costs Use of in-house expertise In-house vs. out-sourced Licensed vs. open source

Apache / IIS FrontPage / Dreamweaver Oracle / SQLServer ColdFusion vs ASP

Note the talks will illustrate applications, but we are application-neutral

Note the talks will illustrate applications, but we are application-neutral


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The Bigger Context

In learning / e-learning users cover bother learners and teachers.User issues are not just usability, functionality, etc. but also learning styles, student needs, pedagogy, etc.

In learning / e-learning users cover bother learners and teachers.User issues are not just usability, functionality, etc. but also learning styles, student needs, pedagogy, etc.

Applications

Standards

ArchitectureUsers

Resources

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Why Do We Need Standards?

Any suggestions on why we need standards?

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What Standards Provide

Standards are needed:• To provide application-independence – remember

when documents were trapped into particular word processing software

• To provide platform-independence – allowing us to move between PCs’ Macs, Unix systems, etc.

• To provide long term access to data – avoiding the digital dark ages.

• To provide a coherent architectural model – which allows for evolution and integration.

• To provide an open marketplace – allowing users to choice their preferred solution.

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Key Web Standards

HTML:• Universal native language for the Web• Should be used for the structure of Web

resources (and not their appearance)• Simple to use (but not necessarily for everyone)• You should create compliant HTML, and not just

HTML that seems to work

CSS:• Used to define how HTML tags appear• An elegant solution, allowing the appearance to

be managed and changed• Greater use should be made of CSS

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HTML’s Limitations

Although HTML is deployed world-wide it has its limitations:

• It cannot easily be extended (e.g. to add scientific tags)

• If can only describe basic document structures

• It was designed as an output format• It cannot easily be reused for other

purposes

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XML To The Rescue

XML:• Extensible Markup Language• A meta-language, used for designing other

languages• Designed to be extensible• Used to create languages such as MathML, CML,

SMIL, SVG, etc.• Has been a tremendous success in a short period• Should form the basis for your networked

applications

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“Flash? No thanks, I’ll stick with XML”

- or do you not trust my salesmanship?

“Flash? No thanks, I’ll stick with XML”

- or do you not trust my salesmanship?


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XHTML

XHTML:• HTML expressed as an XML application• XHTML are:

• In lowercase: <p> and not <P>• Must be closed: most have <p>xxx</p>• Empty elements thus: <hr /> and not <hr>• Attributes quoted: <img src=“foo” .. />

• XHTML must be compliant• Better suited for repurposing – but more

important to get it right• Current applications should probably aim to

create XHTML

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Other Key Web Standards

SVG:• Scalable Vector Graphics• Vector graphics formats designed for Web• Can resize graphics without losing resolution• Particularly applicable in scientific applications• See <http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/>

SMIL:• Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language• Potential for use in many scientific applications

(simulations, etc.)• See <http://www.w3.org/AudioVideo/>

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SVG and SMIL are both XML applicationsSVG and SMIL are both XML applications


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Other Key Web Standards

MathML:• Mathematical Markup Language• Rendered natively in Mozilla browser• See <http://www.w3.org/Math/>

CML:• Chemical Markup Language• Java and JavaScripted browser support available• See <http://www.xml-cml.org/>

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MathML and CML are both XML applicationsMathML and CML are both XML applications


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Pulling These Together

Because W3C standards are designed to be interoperable you can:

• Integrate SVG, MathML, CML and XHTML fragments into a single document

• Use SMIL to manipulate these fragments for use in simulations, animated displays, etc.

• Process them by other applications (algebraic systems, molecular modelling applications, …)

• …

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ExamplesA MathML PageA MathML Page

A CML PageA CML Page


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E-Learning Standards

Why do you think we need e-learning standards?

What areas will be addressed by e-learning standards?E

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E-learning standards:• The content of the learning is more important than

the technologies used to deliver the learning• There is very rapid changes in technologies:

printed resources, open learning materials, videos, CBL tools, BBC micros (in the UK), Gopher, Web, VRML, VLEs, …

• We need to be able to easily move content to new or different applications and delivery systems

• Teachers need to take 'chunks' or content and integrate them into their own learning environment

• …

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Areas which e-learning standards may cover:• Resource discovery – finding e-learning

resources• Assessment – defining assessment in an open

way• User profiles – describing user characteristics• Management – management of e-learning

environments (VLEs, MLEs, …)• …

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See <http://www.cetis.ac.uk/>


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Other Relevant Standards

What other areas related to e-learning will have standards which we will need to consider when developing e-learning systems?

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My Thoughts• Communications tools• Interactive systems• Publishing tools• …

My Thoughts• Communications tools• Interactive systems• Publishing tools• …


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Communications Standards

Email:• SMTP and POP /IMAP• HTML support• What will your VLE support?

IM:• Currently driven by vendors (MSN, AOL

Messenger, Yahoo Messenger)• Interoperability difficulties• XMPP• Jabber open source work

Video-conferencing:• Studio based / Web cams• Covered elsewhere?

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Key Application Areas

What are the key applications areas which you may wish to use when developing an e-learning environment?

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Communications

Email:• Direct, lists, list archives• Email output, alerts, …

Phone Technologies• SMS alerts, 3G, …

IM Technologies• MSN Chat, …

Shared Desktops• Groupware tools

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Publishing

Web resources:• Conventional Web pages and HTML tools• Use of CMSs

Blogging technologies • Structured resources• Calendar metaphor• Web-based authoring tool

Collaborative Publishing:• Wikis

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Interaction

Various types of interaction:• Quizzes• Testing• Simulation• …K

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Managing

Applications for managing e-learning environments:

• Managing resources• Managing students• Managing assessment• …

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Rather than discuss these key application areas you will have the opportunity to try out various applications in the next session

Rather than discuss these key application areas you will have the opportunity to try out various applications in the next session


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It May Not Be Easy

However using standards is not always easy: • Many proprietary solutions can be very

good• Many users will have expertise in use of

proprietary solutions • Moving to open solutions may be

expensive, especially in the short term.• Some open solutions may be immature,

difficult to implement or fail to take off (OSI X.400 email, anyone?)

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A Matrix For Selection

In order to provide objective criteria for selection of open solutions the following matrix is proposed:

• Maturity of standard: acceptance, stability, availability of tools, etc.

• Appropriateness of standard: fitness for purpose, timescales & budget, …

• Ease of deployment: costs, training, expertise, …• Organisation culture: readiness to experiment,

views on standards, OSS, etc.There will not be a single universal solution. The solution you chose should be based on your needs & circumstances. (Beware of salesmen of all types!)

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See “Matrix For Selection Of Standards” at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefing/briefing-31/>

See “Matrix For Selection Of Standards” at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefing/briefing-31/>


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Conclusions

To conclude:• Use of open standards is important in

development of richly functional and interoperable e-learning services

• Proprietary solutions ("let's buy everything from Microsoft") can be tempting – but this can have dangers!

• Use of open standards also has challenges:• Standards complex to understand• Standards wars• Standards may be immature• …

• It is for you and your organisation to resolve these conflicts (but workshop lecturers are here to help)


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QuestionsQ

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Approaches To E-Learning: Key Standards And Technologies