Dear all,
I came across this in my inbox and thought it made interesting reading, so
I'm passing it on. If you like it, I could ask them to send future copies
direct to the Metadata SIG list. Any comments?
best wishes
Jenny
>Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 12:40:28 -0500
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-to: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: The CommonPlace: News and Views - Issue 2
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>--==MULTIPART BOUNDARY==
>Content-Type: text/plain
>
>
>
>News and Views
>Issue 2 • 18 April 2002
>
>News and Views has a specific goal: to share authoritative information
about e-learning technology, the effective application of interoperability
standards, and other topics that help get e-learning done. By “sharing” we
mean that the readers of News and Views are also its contributors. For
example, this second issue of News and Views contains a piece by Scott
Wilson of CETIS and an interview with Philip Dodds of ADL. The articles
that contain information gathered by News and Views editors are reviewed by
others before publication. To be successful, News and Views needs your
involvement and direction.
>
>As with the first issue, we are emailing this newsletter to individuals
and groups who we hope will find value in the information it provides. You
are encouraged to forward this newsletter to other interested individuals
and to relevant email distribution lists.
>
>Initially, the newsletter will be published every three weeks, and its
content, format, and frequency will evolve based on your feedback. If you
have suggestions that will make the newsletter more useful to you, please
let us know what they are. To have News and Views emailed directly to you,
to make comments, submit articles, or suggest topics, send an email to
[log in to unmask] Please include your name, organization,
title, email address, and phone number.
>Geoff Collier & Robby Robson, Editors
>____________________________________
>
>In this Issue:
>--May 2002 E-learning Calendar - E-learning events happening in the month
of May.
>
>--HR-XML and Competencies - The Human Resources management industry has
developed a standard for competencies. What is this standard, and how does
it apply to the e-learning market?
>
>--Packaging Content for Your LMS - Digital content can be packaged and
shipped to learning management systems using standardized “content
packages”. Several tools for making and editing content packages are freely
available from the UK. What is a content package and how can I get these
tools?
>
>--Why Is it Called SCORM? - An interview with Philip Dodds, chief
architect of the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative – What is SCORM,
what problems does it solve, who is it for, and how do I get involved?
>
>--Feedback from Issue 1 - Comments and suggestions from readers.
>
>--Feedforward: A Question for You on The CommonPlace - Help us determine
the next steps for The CommonPlace.
>
>
>May 2002 E-learning Calendar
>
>• IMS Open Technical Forum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 2
(http://www.imsglobal.org/opentechnicalforum2002may.html)
>
>• 11th annual WWW2002 conference (includes tracks on e-learning and
e-learning standards), Honolulu, Hawaii, May 7 - 11 (http://www2002.org/)
>
>• Online Learning 2002 Asia, Singapore, May 13 - 16
(http://www.vnuonlinelearning.com.sg)
>
>• Online Educa Barcelona, Spain, May 27 - 29
(http://www.icwe.net/online_educa_barcelona/index.htm)
>
>• ASTD 2002, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 31 - June 6
(http://www.astd.org/astd2002/index.html)
>
>The E-learning Calendar lists selected conferences, expositions, and
seminars that are open to the public. Vendor user conferences are not listed.
>
>-----------------
>
>HR-XML and Competencies
>Robby Robson, Eduworks Corporation (http://www.eduworks.com)
>
>Human Resource (HR) systems are central to e-learning environments. They
exchange information with learning systems about people, job requirements,
organizational roles, and much more. One might wonder which system is in
charge of what, but it really doesn’t matter as long as the information can
be properly shared.
>
>Competencies are a case in point. A goal of learning is to develop and
validate and competencies, but competencies also play an important role in
hiring, career advancement, and succession planning. As a consequence, the
HR-XML consortium (http://www.hr-xml.org) has developed and approved an XML
schema for exchanging data about competencies. The schema can be downloaded
from their website.
>
>The HR-XML competency schema is intended to encompass the exchange of data
about training and assessment results, along with applicant tracking,
performance management, ‘360 degree evaluation’, and other HR data.
Although HR-XML is still in the early stages of adoption, organizations
looking for a solution today should definitely check out this work.
>
>Several e-learning standards bodies have also been addressing the exchange
of competency data. Does this mean there will be competing standards? That
is always a concern in e-business, so much so that a group of major players
has organized a series of XML interoperability summits to explore how to
avoid duplicative efforts. The last summit was held in December, 2001
(http://www.omg.org/interop/program.htm) and included participation from
the HR-XML consortium, the IMS Global Learning Consortium
(http://www.imsglobal.org), and individuals whose companies are in the
training and education business. Since that time, the HR-XML consortium and
e-learning standards bodies have been working together to find common ground.
>
>The bottom line is that HR-XML provides a standardized way to exchange
competency data that should find applications in both HR and e-learning.
Looking ahead, this should strengthen the ability of the two types of
systems to work together effectively.
>
>---------------
>
>Packaging Content for Your LMS
>Scott Wilson, Center for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards
(http://www.cetis.ac.uk)
>
>It’s pretty easy to package up a set of books for shipping in the mail.
But how do you package digital content when you want to send it to a
learning management system (LMS)?
>
>The simplest way to send Web pages and multimedia files over the Internet
is to zip them up and ship them off, but learning delivery systems can’t do
much with just a set of files. Learning systems need to know how to treat a
collection of files as a coherent unit of learning. They also need to know
how to list the unit in an online catalog, how to deliver the content in
the unit, and how to help learners navigate through the content. These
issues are addressed by a specification called Content Packaging.
>
>Content Packaging is one of the early successes of the learning technology
standards community. It specifies how to create a package of content and
how to tell a learning management system what is in the package, how the
items in the package relate to one another, and what they are used for.
Content Packaging was publicly released by the IMS Global Learning
Consortium in June of 2000 and commercialized that same year by Microsoft
as part of their LRN Toolkit (http://www.microsoft.com/elearn). It has
since been incorporated into SCORM and is supported by learning management
systems, learning content management systems, and authoring tools.
>
>Like all standards, Content Packaging is meant to operate behind the
scenes and out of sight of the end user. But if you want to create or look
inside content packages yourself, you can do so with one of several freely
downloadable tools. Among these are the Microsoft LRN Toolkit mentioned
above, EC-Pac (http://www.met.ed.ac.uk/pac-man/editor/), and PackageIt
(http://celt.bangor.ac.uk/packageit/). Using any of these tools requires
understanding the basics of the Content Packaging Specification, however
there is a tutorial on the EC-Pac site that is very helpful, and both
PackageIt and the LRN Toolkit have some documentation available on their
websites.
>
>Meta-data is very much part of a content package, so the above tools can
be used to read and edit standardized meta-data as well. When looking at
packaging tools, this is often the critical area: some tools make adding
the meta-data a lengthy and difficult process. For example, EC-Pac provides
a useful form-based editor for meta-data, but PackageIt uses a tree-like
editor that is not that far removed from editing the underlying XML! These
tools are aimed at different audiences; try them out and pick the one that
suits you best.
>
>As a freely-available alternative to stand-alone packaging tools, you may
want to take a look at SESDL (http://www.sesdl.scotcit.ac.uk). This is a
slightly different proposition - SESDL (the Scottish Staff Development
Library) is an online library of materials that allows you to upload
images, web pages, and text; select the items you want to package; and then
download your selection as a content package. You can add meta-data and can
even ask SESDL to make you an HTML ‘frame’ complete with a table of
contents and navigation buttons and add that to the package.
>
>Summing up, Content Packaging is an important part of the standards-based
approach to learning systems and if you are inclined to try it out, there
are some freely available options that will allow you to see how it works
in real life.
>
>-------------------
>
>
>Why Is it Called SCORM?
>An Interview with Philip Dodds, Chief Architect, Advanced Distributed
Learning Initiative (http://www.adlnet.org)
>
>The CommonPlace: What is SCORM?
>Philip Dodds: SCORM stands for “shareable content object reference model”,
and I admit that it’s my fault.
>
>The CommonPlace: So what’s a “shareable content object” and what’s a
“reference model”? How did this come about?
>Philip Dodds: The Advanced Distributed Learning initiative (ADL) was
started to solve some problems faced by the U.S. Department of Defense
training programs, problems faced by anyone running a large training or
education program. Training has to be constantly updated because of changes
in equipment and procedures, and re-doing an entire course because of small
changes is costly. In the 1990s, content and training delivery systems were
being purchased together as units, which meant that once a contract was
awarded very little further competition took place that could keep prices
down. We wanted to promote a new approach where the content was separate
from the delivery and could be modularized so that it was easier to update
small pieces. This is the genesis of the shareable content object. We call
them “SCO’s”.
>
>The CommonPlace: What about the “Reference Model” part?
>Philip Dodds: In 1997 groups like the AICC (http://www.aicc.org) and IMS
(http://www.imsglobal.org) were already writing specifications meant to
enable the things we wanted. Rather than re-invent the wheel, we decided to
collect wheels and use them to build a model vehicle. The idea, which has
worked out pretty well, was that vendors would see the model and build the
real thing. The reference model is just a well-documented collection of
specifications from various sources that can be used to build SCO’s and the
systems that manage and deliver them.
>
>The CommonPlace: The ADL is famous for “Plugfests”. What are those?
>Philip Dodds: The whole idea is to turn specifications into technology and
get technology to market faster. That’s why we created a reference model,
and that’s why we run test bed activities like the “Plugfests”. Plugfests
are get-togethers where developers can try out each other’s SCORM products
and content in a pre-competitive environment. They are like shakedown
cruises.
>
>The CommonPlace: It sounds like SCORM is for vendors. What about designers
and producers?
>Philip Dodds: That’s what we’re up to now. We’re writing design and
development guidelines along the lines of a reference model for people
writing content. We want to have it ready for a “SCO-Fest” this summer, so
we need contributions from designers now.
>
>The CommonPlace: How do people get involved?
>Philip Dodds: We have a lot of stuff up on our website: specs, examples,
and software for testing content and LMS products. All of it is free. We
also have some discussion groups
(http://www.adlnet.org/collaborate/discussion_room.cfm), although there
hasn’t been a lot of traffic. Maybe we should put something on The
Commonplace.
>
>The CommonPlace: Great idea. How about “Talking up a SCORM?”
>
>---------------------------
>
>Feedback from Issue 1
>
>In addition to some much appreciated words of encouragement, the following
comments were received in response to the first issue of News and Views. In
the future our participants will be able to post their complete comments
directly to the website discussion forums.
>
>• Ed Walker, CEO of IMS suggested that we include articles on existing and
developing standards compliance programs in upcoming issues.
>• Gaute Bjørnsen of Boxer Technologies (Norway) wrote in to say that his
company has SCORM add-ins that support Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and
FrontPage together with Word templates for making SCORM-based content and
exercises.
>• Claude Ostyn of Click2learn, Inc. [USA] wrote in to point out that
Click2learn, Inc.’s Aspen Enterprise Learning Platform and ToolBook
products can create SCORM compliant content.
>• Brian Smiths of Creative Ltd. [UK] said he would like to see an article
on LCMS integration and deployment for global e-learning, and offered to
contribute to such an article.
>• Pat Garretson of the Heinemann Library division of Reed Elsevier wrote
in to request that News and Views use a screen friendly font such as Arial
instead of a serif font. (Editor’s note: The serif font was selected based
on studies indicating that it is faster to read.)
>• Trevor Doerksen from Alberta Learning [Canada] offered to write an
article on a K-12 project in Canada.
>
>News and Views welcomes contributions of articles that are short,
accurate, informative, and of use to the readership. Some excellent topics
are suggested above. If you want to submit an article for publishing in
issue 3, we need to receive it by Friday, April 26.
>
>----------------------
>
>Feedforward: A Question for You on The CommonPlace
>
>We have a question for you about The CommonPlace.
>
>The CommonPlace is a place for all involved in e-learning to share
information, identify needs, and catalyze projects focused on e-learning
technology and interoperability. On the Web, http://www.theCommonPlace.net
will be that place. The website will be open by April 30, 2002 and will,
among other things, contain forums that allow all involved to converse as
much or as little as they want.
>
>Converse about what? We don't know. That is up to you. So our question is:
>
>What forum topics would you find useful enough to monitor and participate
in personally?
>
>Some examples that have surfaced to date include:
>• News and Views feedback and discussion of articles.
>• Discussion of the use and features of specific products.
>• Sharing working examples, information, and code related to the
implementation of specific e-learning standards.
>• Sharing information on product requirements for e-learning environments.
>
>But these are just examples. We are trying to find out what will be
important and useful to you personally. Please let us know, and please let
us know what you might want to see or do at The CommonPlace.
>
>How? Just send email to [log in to unmask] No stamp is
necessary.
>
>________________________________________________
>
>Copyright © 2002 The CommonPlace.
>Disclaimer: The content of this publication represents the opinions of the
authors and editors. Accuracy, completeness, and interpretation are not
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>Content-Type: text/html
>
>
><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
><html>
>
><head>
><title>The CommonPlace News and Views</title>
></head>
>
><body link="#3366CC" vlink="#9999CC" text="#000000" alink="#0000CC"
bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
><table border="0">
><tbody>
><tr>
><td>
><p><a href="http://www.thecommonplace.net"><img
src="http://www.thecommonplace.net/images/thecommonplacelogo.jpg"
width="275" height="46" alt="the CommonPlace logo" border="0"></a>
></td>
><td>
><h1><a name="1402094"></a><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">
News and Views</font></h1>
></td>
></tr>
></tbody>
></table>
>
>
><div align="right">
><a name="1404400"> </a><font face="Times New Roman" size="2">Issue 2 •
18 April 2002<br></font>
></div>
>
><hr align="left">
><blockquote>
><p>
> <a name="1403189"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>News and
Views</i> has a specific goal: to share authoritative information about
e-learning technology, the effective application of interoperability
standards, and other topics that help get e-learning done. By "sharing" we
mean that the readers of <i>News and Views</i> are also its contributors.
For example, this second issue of <i>News and Views</i> contains a piece by
Scott Wilson of CETIS and an interview with Philip Dodds of ADL. The
articles that contain information gathered by <i>News and Views</i> editors
are reviewed by others before publication. <i>To be successful,</i> News
and Views <i>needs your involvement and direction.</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403191"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">As with the first
issue, we are emailing this newsletter to individuals and groups who we
hope will find value in the information it provides. You are encouraged to
forward this newsletter to other interested individuals and to relevant
email distribution lists. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1405451"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Initially, the
newsletter will be published every three weeks, and its content, format,
and frequency will evolve based on your feedback. If you have suggestions
that will make the newsletter more useful to you, please let us know what
they are. To have <i>News and Views</i> emailed directly to you, to make
comments, submit articles, or suggest topics, send an email to <a
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
t</a>. Please include your name, organization, title, email address, and
phone number.</font>
>
><div align="right">
><a name="1405452"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Geoff Collier & Robby
Robson, Editors<br></font>
></div>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1405453"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">In
this Issue:</font>
></h3>
>
>
><a name="1405457"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1404195"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">May 2002
E-learning Calendar</font>
></a> - E-learning events happening in the month of May.<br></font>
>
>
><a name="1405360"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1403900"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">HR-XML and
Competencies</font>
></a> - The Human Resources management industry has developed a standard
for competencies. What is this standard, and how does it apply to the
e-learning market?<br></font>
>
>
><a name="1403854"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1403927"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">Packaging
Content for Your LMS</font>
></a> - Digital content can be packaged and shipped to learning management
systems using<font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman"> </font>
>standardized "content packages". Several tools for making and editing
content packages are freely available from the UK. What is a content
package and how can I get these tools?<br></font>
>
>
><a name="1403858"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1403963"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">Why Is it
Called SCORM?</font>
></a> - An interview with Philip Dodds, chief architect of the Advanced
Distributed Learning initiative - What is SCORM, what problems does it
solve, who is it for, and how do I get involved?<br></font>
>
>
><a name="1404189"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1404013"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">Feedback from
Issue 1</font>
></a> - Comments and suggestions from readers.<br></font>
>
>
><a name="1404191"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><a
href="#1404031"><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">Feedforward: A
Question for You on The CommonPlace</font>
></a> - Help us determine the next steps for The CommonPlace.<br></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1404195"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">May
2002 E-learning Calendar</font>
></h3>
>
><ul>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1403876"> </a>IMS Open
Technical Forum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 2 (<a
href="http://www.imsglobal.org/opentechnicalforum2002may.html">http://www.im
sglobal.org/opentechnicalforum2002may.html</a>)</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1403877"> </a>11th annual
WWW2002 conference (includes tracks on e-learning and e-learning
standards), Honolulu, Hawaii, May 7 - 11 (<a
href="http://www2002.org/">http://www2002.org/</a>)</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1403883"> </a>Online Learning
2002 Asia, Singapore, May 13 - 16 (<a
href="http://www.vnuonlinelearning.com.sg">http://www.vnuonlinelearning.com.
sg</a>)</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1403888"> </a>Online Educa
Barcelona, Spain, May 27 - 29 (<a
href="http://www.icwe.net/online_educa_barcelona/index.htm">http://www.icwe.
net/online_educa_barcelona/index.htm</a>)</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1403893"> </a>ASTD 2002, New
Orleans, Louisiana, May 31 - June 6 (<a
href="http://www.astd.org/astd2002/index.html">http://www.astd.org/astd2002/
index.html</a>)</font>
></ul>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403894"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>The E-learning
Calendar lists selected conferences, expositions, and seminars that are
open to the public. Vendor user conferences are not listed.</i></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1403900"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New
Roman">HR-XML and Competencies</font>
></h3>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403904"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>Robby Robson,
Eduworks Corporation (<a
href="http://www.eduworks.com">http://www.eduworks.com</a>) </i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403906"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Human Resource (HR)
systems are central to e-learning environments. They exchange information
with learning systems about people, job requirements, organizational roles,
and much more. One might wonder which system is in charge of what, but it
really doesn't matter as long as the information can be properly
shared.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403908"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Competencies are a
case in point. A goal of learning is to develop and validate and
competencies, but competencies also play an important role in hiring,
career advancement, and succession planning. As a consequence, the HR-XML
consortium (<a href="http://www.hr-xml.org">http://www.hr-xml.org</a>) has
developed and approved an XML schema for exchanging data about
competencies. The schema can be downloaded from their website.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403913"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">The HR-XML
competency schema is intended to encompass the exchange of data about
training and assessment results, along with applicant tracking, performance
management, '360 degree evaluation', and other HR data. Although HR-XML is
still in the early stages of adoption, organizations looking for a solution
today should definitely check out this work.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403915"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Several e-learning
standards bodies have also been addressing the exchange of competency data.
Does this mean there will be competing standards? That is always a concern
in e-business, so much so that a group of major players has organized a
series of <i>XML interoperability summits</i> to explore how to avoid
duplicative efforts. The last summit was held in December, 2001 (<a
href="http://www.omg.org/interop/program.htm">http://www.omg.org/interop/pro
gram.htm</a>) and included participation from the HR-XML consortium, the
IMS Global Learning Consortium (<a
href="http://www.imsglobal.org">http://www.imsglobal.org</a>), and
individuals whose companies are in the training and education business.
Since that time, the HR-XML consortium and e-learning standards bodies have
been working together to find common ground. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403923"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">The bottom line is
that HR-XML provides a standardized way to exchange competency data that
should find applications in both HR and e-learning. Looking ahead, this
should strengthen the ability of the two types of systems to work together
effectively. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403924"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1403927"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New
Roman">Packaging Content for Your LMS</font>
></h3>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403931"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>Scott Wilson,
Center for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards (<a
href="http://www.cetis.ac.uk">http://www.cetis.ac.uk</a>)</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403933"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">It's pretty easy to
package up a set of books for shipping in the mail. But how do you package
digital content when you want to send it to a learning management system
(LMS)?</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403935"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">The simplest way to
send Web pages and multimedia files over the Internet is to zip them up and
ship them off, but learning delivery systems can't do much with just a set
of files. Learning systems need to know how to treat a collection of files
as a coherent unit of learning. They also need to know how to list the unit
in an online catalog, how to deliver the content in the unit, and how to
help learners navigate through the content. These issues are addressed by a
specification called Content Packaging.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403937"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Content Packaging is
one of the early successes of the learning technology standards community.
It specifies how to create a package of content and how to tell a learning
management system what is in the package, how the items in the package
relate to one another, and what they are used for. Content Packaging was
publicly released by the IMS Global Learning Consortium in June of 2000 and
commercialized that same year by Microsoft as part of their <i>LRN
Toolkit</i> (<a
href="http://www.microsoft.com/elearn">http://www.microsoft.com/elearn</a>).
It has since been incorporated into SCORM and is supported by learning
management systems, learning content management systems, and authoring
tools.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404686"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Like all standards,
Content Packaging is meant to operate behind the scenes and out of sight of
the end user. But if you want to create or look inside content packages
yourself, you can do so with one of several freely downloadable tools.
Among these are the <i>Microsoft LRN Toolkit</i> mentioned above,
<i>EC-Pac</i> (<a
href="http://www.met.ed.ac.uk/pac-man/editor/">http://www.met.ed.ac.uk/pac-m
an/editor/</a>), and <i>PackageIt</i> (<a
href="http://celt.bangor.ac.uk/packageit/">http://celt.bangor.ac.uk/packagei
t/</a>). Using any of these tools requires understanding the basics of the
Content Packaging Specification, however there is a tutorial on the
<i>EC-Pac</i> site that is very helpful, and both <i>PackageIt</i> and the
<i>LRN Toolkit</i> have some documentation available on their websites.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403950"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Meta-data is very
much part of a content package, so the above tools can be used to read and
edit standardized meta-data as well. When looking at packaging tools, this
is often the critical area: some tools make adding the meta-data a lengthy
and difficult process. For example, <i>EC-Pac</i> provides a useful
form-based editor for meta-data, but <i>PackageIt</i> uses a tree-like
editor that is not that far removed from editing the underlying XML! These
tools are aimed at different audiences; try them out and pick the one that
suits you best.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403952"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">As a
freely-available alternative to stand-alone packaging tools, you may want
to take a look at <i>SESDL</i> (<a
href="http://www.sesdl.scotcit.ac.uk">http://www.sesdl.scotcit.ac.uk</a>).
This is a slightly different proposition - <i>SESDL</i> (the Scottish Staff
Development Library) is an online library of materials that allows you to
upload images, web pages, and text; select the items you want to package;
and then download your selection as a content package. You can add
meta-data and can even ask <i>SESDL</i> to make you an HTML 'frame'
complete with a table of contents and navigation buttons and add that to
the package. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403957"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Summing up, Content
Packaging is an important part of the standards-based approach to learning
systems and if you are inclined to try it out, there are some freely
available options that will allow you to see how it works in real life.
</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403961"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1403963"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New Roman">Why
Is it Called SCORM? </font>
></h3>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403968"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>An Interview with
Philip Dodds, Chief Architect, Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (<a
href="http://www.adlnet.org">http://www.adlnet.org</a>) </i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403970"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>What is SCORM?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403972"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
SCORM stands for "shareable content object reference model", and I admit
that it's my fault.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403974"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>So what's a "shareable content object" and what's a
"reference model"? How did this come about?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403976"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
The Advanced Distributed Learning initiative (ADL) was started to solve
some problems faced by the U.S. Department of Defense training programs,
problems faced by anyone running a large training or education program.
Training has to be constantly updated because of changes in equipment and
procedures, and re-doing an entire course because of small changes is
costly. In the 1990s, content and training delivery systems were being
purchased together as units, which meant that once a contract was awarded
very little further competition took place that could keep prices down. We
wanted to promote a new approach where the content was separate from the
delivery and could be modularized so that it was easier to update small
pieces. This is the genesis of the shareable content object. We call them
"SCO's". </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403978"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>What about the "Reference Model" part?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403988"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
In 1997 groups like the AICC (<a
href="http://www.aicc.org">http://www.aicc.org</a>) and IMS (<a
href="http://www.imsglobal.org">http://www.imsglobal.org</a>) were already
writing specifications meant to enable the things we wanted. Rather than
re-invent the wheel, we decided to collect wheels and use them to build a
model vehicle. The idea, which has worked out pretty well, was that vendors
would see the model and build the real thing. The reference model is just a
well-documented collection of specifications from various sources that can
be used to build SCO's and the systems that manage and deliver them.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403990"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>The ADL is famous for "Plugfests". What are
those?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403992"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
The whole idea is to turn specifications into technology and get technology
to market faster. That's why we created a reference model, and that's why
we run test bed activities like the "Plugfests". Plugfests are
get-togethers where developers can try out each other's SCORM products and
content in a pre-competitive environment. They are like shakedown cruises.
</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403994"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>It sounds like SCORM is for vendors. What about
designers and producers?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403996"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
That's what we're up to now. We're writing design and development
guidelines along the lines of a reference model for people writing content.
We want to have it ready for a "SCO-Fest" this summer, so we need
contributions from designers now.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403998"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>How do people get involved?</i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404000"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>Philip Dodds:</b>
We have a lot of stuff up on our website: specs, examples, and software for
testing content and LMS products. All of it is free. We also have some
discussion groups (<a
href="http://www.adlnet.org/collaborate/discussion_room.cfm">http://www.adln
et.org/collaborate/discussion_room.cfm</a>), although there hasn't been a
lot of traffic. Maybe we should put something on The Commonplace.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404006"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><b>The
CommonPlace:</b> <i>Great idea. How about "Talking up a SCORM?"<br></i></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1404013"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New
Roman">Feedback from Issue 1</font>
></h3>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404015"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>In addition to
some much appreciated words of encouragement, the following comments were
received in response to the first issue of </i>News and Views<i>. In the
future our participants will be able to post their complete comments
directly to the website discussion forums.</i></font>
>
><ul>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404017"> </a>Ed Walker, CEO
of IMS suggested that we include articles on existing and developing
standards compliance programs in upcoming issues. </font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404908"> </a>Gaute Bjørnsen
of Boxer Technologies (Norway) wrote in to say that his company has SCORM
add-ins that support Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and FrontPage together with
Word templates for making SCORM-based content and exercises. </font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404020"> </a>Claude Ostyn of
Click2learn, Inc. [USA] wrote in to point out that Click2learn, Inc.'s
Aspen Enterprise Learning Platform and ToolBook products can create SCORM
compliant content.</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404022"> </a>Brian Smiths of
Creative Ltd. [UK] said he would like to see an article on LCMS integration
and deployment for global e-learning, and offered to contribute to such an
article. </font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404024"> </a>Pat Garretson
of the Heinemann Library division of Reed Elsevier wrote in to request that
<i>News and Views</i> use a screen friendly font such as Arial instead of a
serif font. (Editor's note: The serif font was selected based on studies
indicating that it is faster to read.)</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404026"> </a>Trevor Doerksen
from Alberta Learning [Canada] offered to write an article on a K-12
project in Canada.</font>
></ul>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404028"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">News and Views
<i>welcomes contributions of articles that are short, accurate,
informative, and of use to the readership. Some excellent topics are
suggested above. If you want to submit an article for publishing in issue
3, we need to receive it by Friday, April 26. </i></font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404029"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"></font>
>
>
><p>
><hr align="center" width="250">
><h3>
> <a name="1404031"> </a><font color="#003366" face="Times New
Roman">Feedforward: A Question for You on The CommonPlace</font>
></h3>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404033"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">We have a question
for you about <i>The CommonPlace</i>. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404035"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>The
CommonPlace</i> is a place for all involved in e-learning to share
information, identify needs, and catalyze projects focused on e-learning
technology and interoperability. On the Web, <a
href="http://www.theCommonPlace.net">http://www.theCommonPlace.net</a> will
be that place. The website will be open by April 30, 2002 and will, among
other things, contain forums that allow all involved to converse as much or
as little as they want.</font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404040"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Converse about what?
We don't know. That is up to you. So our question is:</font>
>
><dl>
> <dt> <a name="1404042"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>What forum
topics would you find useful enough to monitor and participate in
personally?</i></font>
></dl>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404044"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">Some examples that
have surfaced to date include:</font>
>
><ul>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404046"> </a><i>News and
Views</i> feedback and discussion of articles.</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404047"> </a>Discussion of
the use and features of specific products.</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404048"> </a>Sharing working
examples, information, and code related to the implementation of specific
e-learning standards.</font>
> <font face="Times New Roman"><li ><a name="1404049"> </a>Sharing
information on product requirements for e-learning environments.</font>
></ul>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404051"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">But these are just
examples. We are trying to find out what will be important and useful to
you personally. Please let us know, and please let us know what you might
want to see or do at <i>The CommonPlace</i>. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1404057"> </a><font face="Times New Roman">How? Just send email
to <a
href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
t</a>. No stamp is necessary. </font>
>
>
><p>
> <a name="1402107"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"></font>
>
><hr>
><div align="center">
><p>
> <a name="1403102"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>Copyright © 2002
The CommonPlace. </i></font>
></div>
>
><p>
> <a name="1403180"> </a><font face="Times New Roman"><i>Disclaimer: The
content of this publication represents the opinions of the authors and
editors. Accuracy, completeness, and interpretation are not guaranteed. The
opinions expressed do not constitute endorsements, recommendations, or
attempts to sell any product, service, or course of action.</i></font>
></blockquote>
>
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>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenny Slater,
LTSN Engineering, Loughborough University,
Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
Tel. (+44) 01509 227 176
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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