CopperCore, an Open Source IMS

Learning Design Engine

Hubert Vogten

Open University of the Netherlands

OTEC

What is Open Source?

Open Source is about: the right to make copies of the software and

distribute these copies the right to access the source code of the

software the right to make improvements to the software these rights are guaranteed through a license

For an exact definition and the approved licenses have a look at http://opensource.org

Open University of the Netherlands (OTEC)

has been involved in the development of an learning design specification for many years which finally resulted in IMS Learning Design

is committed to providing services/dissemination but, has limited resources

the LD community is looking at us with regards to first implementations of the specifications of this complex specification

we decided to develop CopperCore, an IMS Learning Design Engine and make it available as Open Source

CopperCore Development Strategy (1/2)

Why Open Source development? out of principle, publicly funded, public access enhance quality, code is peer reviewed by community enhance resources by contributions of others enables the use of other Open Source components (governments are enforcing it by law, however not yet in

the Netherlands)

Advantage for users of CopperCore use of the code is free (access, copying, modifying)- no restrictions in usage of the code except for the GPL

in case of the CopperCore

- No issues about IPR when collaborating with others

CopperCore Development Strategy (2/2)

CopperCore Objectives: to provide an open source software component

that can process the IMS Learning Design specification encapsulating it’s complexity for developers wanting to integrate LD in their environment

NOT to provide yet another VLE allows integration in different environments

not indented to be used stand alone, but rather in a service or component based architecture

CopperCore API’s

Provides 3 Application Programming Interfaces

1. dealing with administrative tasks

2. dealing with run-time delivery of the IMS LD specification

3. dealing with time dependent events

Two levels of APIs are supported native Java, based on the J2EE framework web services through SOAP

CopperCore layered architecture

Relational DBMS

SOAP Interface Layer

LDEngine SessionBean

CourseManagerSession Bean

Timer MessageBean

Data Access Layer

Property Acess Layer

LD Components Layer

LDEngine DelegateCourseManager

DelegateTimer Delegate

J2EE Container

Delegates

Client using CopperCore

SOAP over HTTP

Native Java call

EJB remote call

JDBC call

The CopperCore add-ons

1. Clicc very basic command line access to the

administrative API

2. Publisher a basic web interface allowing the validation

and publication of IMS LD manifests

3. WebPlayer very simple LD player demonstrating the use

of the run-time delivery API

CopperCore and other components

CopperCore

authentication

authorization

conferencing

QTI component

LIP component

searching

policy management

user management

CopperCore integration: Alfanet

AdministrationModule

J2EE Application Server

Security Layer Presentation Layer

Dispatcher

IMS-LD Interpreter

Tracker

InteractionModule

ContentsServer

User Manager

AuditModule

Server

CoursesManager

Services

Data

CommonRepositories

WebDAV Serv er

Authoring Tool

WebDAV Client

Object Model

System Manager

IMS-QTIInterpreter

Adaptat.Module

MAPM

CopperCore

CopperCore integration: JISC ELF

Framework

Service Based Learning Design

How did Open Source strategy help us ?

by giving IMS LD community easy access to CopperCore, stimulating use of LD

similar we can and did use developments of others. Community building around (educational) components

we have got feedback and code proposals from others which enhanced and improved our developments

has led to cooperation with others like Alfanet, the Service Based Learning Design in JISC ELF and with Reload in Unfold

Additional information

CopperCore http://copercore.org

Unfold http://www.unfold-project.net

Reload http://reload.ac.uk

The SLeD player http://ldplayer.sourceforge.net

JISC E-Learning Framework http://www.jisc.ac.uk/

Alfanet http://alfanet.ia.uned.es

And the stand of the Open University

Why choose for Open Source Development?

Principle reasons publicly funded projects should be publicly

accessible Practical reasons

more and more governments enforcing it by law

means of bundling and extending resources more people working on the code re-use of components that are available

means of improving quality by having peers reviewing the code