Slide 1: E-learning tools, standards and systems Sarah Porter Head of Development, JISC Supporting education and research
Slide 2: Overview • Aim: set the e-learning framework, tools and standards in context. Explain why the JISC is funding this activity. – What is JISC? What are its priorities? – What does JISC develop and how? – What is the e-learning programme? – What is the e-learning framework and why does it matter? Supporting education and research
Slide 3: Joint Information Systems Committee • Public funding body for post-16 and higher education • Funded by Funding Councils in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales • Supports post-16 (formerly FE) and HE • Annual budget of approx £66 million Supporting education and research
Slide 4: Core JISC Budget Networking Integrated Info Environment Content and Services Learning & Teaching Organisational Support Support of Research Central Services 2004-05 £m 29.43 7.27 11.49 3.99 6.21 2.87 5.25 66.51 Supporting education and research
Slide 5: HEFCE Spending Review Budget 2004-05 £m SuperJANET4 (residual funding to Regional Network Operators) UKLight Digitisation Programme Virtual Research Environments Programme Middleware in Services Programme Distributed e-Learning Programme 3.36 2.50 3.84 0.90 0.80 3.70 15.20 Supporting education and research
Slide 6: Implementing the JISC Strategy 2004-6 • JISC is positioned to lead the field internationally in integrated technologies across research, learning and teaching, management, digital libraries; • Also needs to consider needs of specific communities and innovate to support them; • Works in partnership with key agencies and groups to share resources and experience. Supporting education and research
Slide 7: Outreach with colleges, universities and other organisations E-Learning Information Environment Middleware Network Advice and Guidance Supporting education and research MIS Content Digital Library E-research
Slide 8: JISC’S Role JISC will build on its existing activities of providing a world-class infrastructure and promoting innovation through development programmes. Supporting education and research
Slide 9: JISC Development Group • Manages JISC development activities – – – – – – – – Development programmes Studies Piloting of technologies Working with post-16 and HE communities to identify requirements from technology Test out current technologies Explore processes for implementation – cultural issues etc. Over 200 current projects Manages development services e.g. Centre for Educational Technology Interoperability Standards (CETIS) Supporting education and research
Slide 10: Areas of work • • • • • E-learning E-research Integrated systems to support all communities Middleware Innovative technologies. – Plans have to be dynamic to respond to changes in external environments; – Adapt to what we learn from activities. Supporting education and research
Slide 11: Outputs may include: • Prototype user applications • Pilot technical or community services • Exemplars of good practice in deployment and use of technology • Guidelines, case studies or toolsets • Projects and studies where a report is the main deliverable • Projects developing new forms of content (e.g. discovery tools or learning materials) • Technical standards and frameworks • Project management resources and other ‘byproducts’ of programme management techniques Supporting education and research
Slide 12: Outcomes may include: • Capacity development in the community • Targeted outputs from projects or studies that set definitions or contribute to strategic thinking and decision making in the community • Representation of community needs to commercial vendors • New services. Supporting education and research
Slide 13: Embedding or service development prioritize requirements Capture outcomes and outputs monitor, evaluate and review scope activity develop and pilot Supporting education and research
Slide 14: JISC e-learning programme • How might e-learning approaches might be used to facilitate learning and teaching? • How might these approaches might be effectively implemented? • Programme provides a link between learning and teaching practice and technology development. Supporting education and research
Slide 15: E-learning programme • • • • • E-learning and pedagogy E-learning framework E-learning and innovation Distributed e-learning Video clip Supporting education and research
Slide 16: Standards and specifications • Been active in this area for many years • Why? – Standards bring commercial and educational sectors together – We act as users and articulate our requirements • Hope to influence vendor community as well as developing ‘community source’ – May do this by developing software, examples, standards … Supporting education and research
Slide 17: The E-learning framework • Roadmap to coordinate technical development activities – E-learning community and beyond (working with research and Grid communities) – National and international • Also a blueprint for institutions or organisations to use for planning Supporting education and research
Slide 18: The e-Learning Framework Supporting education and research
Slide 19: The e-Learning Framework • Potential - not yet actual • A roadmap – to coordinate activities – What we’ve already got – collaborate on overlaps – Identify where there are gaps • Not set in stone – open to change; will go through different iterations • Following emerging consensus in e-Learning standards bodies (especially IMS) • Following emerging consensus in IT industry – Service oriented approach and web services Supporting education and research
Slide 20: The e-Learning Framework • Benefits: – Build on existing ‘monolithic’ legacy systems • Don’t throw away investment in existing systems… • … add Web Service interfaces to them – Develop incrementally – Start in the area of greatest need – Agree unified set of standards • Minimise integration costs • Service components more widely usable • Mix commercial and open source systems – Adaptable, extensible environment – According to size, priorities and budget – In a rapidly changing field Supporting education and research
Slide 21: Where you come in … • ELF projects developing: – Web Service Definitions for component services – Implemented in Web Service Toolkits • Service and client ‘adapters’ • Mainly in Java and .NET, with standardised APIs • Derived from the Web Service Definition Language – Open Source • Liberal ‘commercial use’ licenses • Encourage wide adoption of specifications – Service definitions submitted to specification bodies • IMS only e-Learning body developing Web Service specifications. Supporting education and research
Slide 22: Interoperability in practice • How to create, re-use and share learning objects – RELOAD open source content editor – JORUM learning object repository • Video clip from Exchange for Learning demonstration Supporting education and research
Slide 23: Credits and contact details • Thanks to Bill Olivier and Paul Hollins of CETIS for contributions and advice • S.porter@jisc.ac.uk Supporting education and research