Approaches%20To%20E-Learning:%20Key%20Standards%20And%20Technologies

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Approaches To E-LearningKey Standards And
Technologies

• Brian Kelly
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath, BA2 7AY

Email B.Kelly_at_ukoln.ac.uk URL http//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 Context

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

Standards concerned with protocols and file
formats
Architectures models for implementing 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
Applications software products used to implement
systems
Resources financial and staff costs needed to
implement systems
Apache / IIS FrontPage / Dreamweaver Oracle /
SQLServer ColdFusion vs ASP
Development vs. Migration costs Use of in-house
expertise In-house vs. out-sourced Licensed vs.
open source
Note the talks will illustrate applications, but
we are application-neutral
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The Bigger Context
Users
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.
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Why Do We Need Standards?
Standards

• Any suggestions on why we need standards?

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What Standards Provide
Standards

• 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

Web Standards
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HTMLs 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

Web Standards
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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

Web Standards
Flash? No thanks, Ill 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 ltpgt and not ltPgt
• Must be closed most have ltpgtxxxlt/pgt
• Empty elements thus lthr /gt and not lthrgt
• Attributes quoted ltimg srcfoo .. /gt
• XHTML must be compliant
• Better suited for repurposing but more
  important to get it right
• Current applications should probably aim to
  create XHTML

Web Standards
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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 lthttp//www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/gt
• SMIL
• Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language
• Potential for use in many scientific applications
  (simulations, etc.)
• See lthttp//www.w3.org/AudioVideo/gt

Web Standards
SVG and SMIL are both XML applications
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Other Key Web Standards

• MathML
• Mathematical Markup Language
• Rendered natively in Mozilla browser
• See lthttp//www.w3.org/Math/gt
• CML
• Chemical Markup Language
• Java and JavaScripted browser support available
• See lthttp//www.xml-cml.org/gt

Web Standards
MathML 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, )

Web Standards
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Examples
A MathML 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-Learning Standards
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E-Learning Standards

• 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

E-Learning Standards
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E-Learning Standards

• 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, )

E-Learning Standards
See lthttp//www.cetis.ac.uk/gt
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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?

Other Standards

• 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?

Other Standards
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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?

Key Application Areas
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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

Key Application Areas
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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

Key Application Areas
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Interaction

• Various types of interaction
• Quizzes
• Testing
• Simulation

Key Application Areas
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Managing

• Applications for managing e-learning
  environments
• Managing resources
• Managing students
• Managing assessment

Key Application Areas
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?)

Selection Of Standards
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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!)

Selection Of STandards
See Matrix For Selection Of Standards at
lthttp//www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/documents/briefin
g/briefing-31/gt
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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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Questions
Questions