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
