Kevin Donovan (KDonovan@feda.ac.uk)
Thu, 26 Nov 1998 15:58:43 +0000
Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 15:58:43 +0000 From: Kevin Donovan <KDonovan@feda.ac.uk> Subject: Re: [ifets] Comments on an architecture for on-line learning
We in FEDA have been very interested in the developments which Dimiter cites below. Our concern is that there should be emphasis on learning outcomes as well as content design and inputs.
We have developed a 'technology' known as the credit framework. This represents a coherent way to describe learning outcomes and measure them by level and size in standard units of assessment. These may be contained within differently sized modules of delivery according to particular circumstances of teaching and learning.
We believe there is potential to link the 'technologies' of learning and of content, and we have been in discussion with some of the organisations below.
If you would like to know more about our particular architecture, try our related web site at:
Thank you
Kevin Donovan
FEDA (UK)
>>> "Dimiter Bogdanov" <bogdanov@iccs.bas.bg> 11/25/98 12:01pm >>>
Comments on Constantin Ohanian FYI:
The questions in this posting are very important, I think, and they
are presumably too hot to have a definite answer. More information on
topics referred to:
1. IMS stands for Instructional Management system. IMS project
(http://imsproject.org/) is running in the frame of NLII - National
Learning Infrastructure Initiative (http://www.educause.edu/nlii/)
which in turn is launched by EDUCAUSE (EDUCOM) association
(http://www.educause.edu). IMS Project is "to enable an open
architecture for online learning". IMS is co-
operating with European Union ARIADNE project
(http://tina.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/projects/ariadne/)
on development of information content metadata.
2. IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC) (P1484)
(http://www.manta.ieee.org/p1484/) is also working on developing
Technical Standards for Learning Technology. Working Group P1484.1
has proposed an "Architecture and Reference Model" of a learning
environment. There is a close co-operation with IMS.
3. The Department of Defense and the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy (OSTP) launched the Advanced Distributed
Learning (ADL) initiative
(http://www.ott.navy.mil/1_4/adl/index.htm). IMS is part of it.
4. The Aviation Industry CBT Committee (AICC) has dveloped a number
of recommendations, guidelines, white papers and technical reports
about a common learning environment model (http://www.aicc.org).
5. The European Union is funding a set of projects dealing with
distance education also. Some of them are under the umbrella of the
Educational Multimedia Task Force initiative - EMTF
(http://www2.echo.lu/emtf/).
6. Recently EMTF has called to joint an important Memorandum of
Understanding for partnership and standardization in the field of
learning technology (http://www2.echo.lu/emtf/currentnewsemtf.html).
All above-mentioned initiatives are looking for non-proprietary and
teaching methodology neutral solutions. The listed sources of
information are giving a good understanding of technology
possibilities up now and their perspectives to have a generic
distance learning model. Although the developers of these
projects are stressing they are creating teaching methods
neutral systems they are analyzing deeply the educators point of view
and trying to incorporate it in the system model and to proof
"tomorrow could come".
Regards
Dimiter
>Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 12:00:39 -0500
>From: Constantin Ohanian <Cohanian@vuepoint.com>
>Subject: [ifets] FYI
>
>áThis is from a list serv on distance learning. One person
wrote:
>I just returned from EDUCOM, WebNet98, and Asynchronous Learning
Networks 4>Conferences. I would like to share some impressions and
questions I pickedup. And I would like to hear from others on this
list about where they see online education heading.
> 1. The interest in online learning among Universities and
>corporate training departments continues to grow unabated, but there
is no single or even a set of "models" of effective online learning
emerging.
>Every one seems to be trying out their own variation and calling it
online learning. The idea of "online learning communities" is being
widely talked about in the profession - but what exactly does it
mean? >
2. There is a great need for standards, evaluation tools,
>objectives based assessments. A number of efforts are underway.
EDUCOM's IMS Project (Instructional Media Standards) that is
developing very detailed technical standards on content to facilitate
mass sharing of content is very prominent one. Are there others like
that?
3. There is major trend towards joint ventures and mergers
>among large providers of online educational services. The Western
Governors University is joining Britain's Open University, to form
the Governors Open University System. Many countries are rushing to
form their own Virtual Universities who will exchange online courses
among themselves and with corporate providers. But where are the
learners? I do not see big registrations for online courses. Am I
missing something.
4. There is an explosion of online learning
products and technologies.The US government education department
project (America's Learning Exchange) expects to list over 1 million
online courses from over 10,000 suppliers by next year (I find it
hard to believe this number, but was told so by a representative of
the Education Department see www.alx.org.) Tele-education
>Canada already lists 12,000 online courses in its data base and is
expandingby a few thousand each month.
****************************************************
Dr. Dimiter Bogdanov
Head of SE Department
Institute of Computer & Communication Systems
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
"acad. G. Bonchev" str. BL. 2, 1113 Sofia - Bulgaria
Tel.: +359 2 70 01 18 Fax: +359 2 72 39 05
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