Re: [dita-learningspec] Strawman proposals for a top-level DITA design for learning content

[Bruce Esrig <esrig-ia@esrig.com>]

We can understand the discussion so far in terms of the following major 
contributors to learning content and its delivery:
  - basic content
  - instructional content (guidance)
  - structure (the organization of the material as designed)
  - scenarios (customizations of basic content, instructional content, and 
structures)
  - user experience (the way the material is navigated by the user)

We can slot our discussion topics into these categories as follows:

    Basic content: RIOs (DITA topics).

    Instructional content: Adding guidance to RIOs and supplementary topics

    Structure: Courses, modules, and RLOs (DITA maps)

    Scenarios:
      - Substituting scenario-specific details into RIOs
      - Creating scenario-specific instructional content
      - Creating DITA maps that follow a tutorial sequence to complement 
reference works that are designed around independent duties, tasks, 
functions, features, controls, and facts

    User experience: SCORM dynamics, including any tracking of progress on 
goals, with Gagne's learning events as a means to indicate user status in 
mastering an RIO, and perhaps larger units.

If this analysis covers what we've been talking about, the next step would 
be to come up with a new summary of our proposals that uses this language.

I'll make a destructive edit of John's enclosed remarks below as a first 
step in trying to reflect this language. See earlier versions of the 
message for his original remarks.

Best wishes,

Bruce

At 09:36 PM 11/1/2006, Karen Ziech wrote:
>Wayne,
>
>I don't know whether you saw this paper on instructional design and 
>learning theory, but it's one that you might want to look at. 
>http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#Is%20There%20One%20Best%20Learning%20Theo
>
>In terms of a design model that can be used for training materials and 
>products, it seems to me to be a question of what kind of training 
>products we're talking about. The model that we've been looking at seems 
>to assume specific, identified outcomes and that the material presented 
>can help students accomplish that outcome. In traditional technical 
>training, which most of us are involved in, we seek to ensure that 
>students can perform certain tasks when they're done with the course. In 
>Dick and Carey, the tasks (derived from user and task analysis) form the 
>basis of the instructional objectives and the test items. The model we're 
>discussing supports this kind of instruction--the presentation of 
>instructional material to ensure a certain level of performance.
>
>But other types of instruction, for the development of soft and problem 
>solving skills may require a completely different model. My grad school 
>"daze" are far behind me, too, and I don't have a model for other types of 
>instruction, though I recently attended a very interesting session at the 
>Chicago ASTD conference on blended learning. How one would capture that 
>approach in DITA is, frankly, way beyond me at this point. Perhaps what we 
>need to do is define different models for different intended outcomes.
>
>It's definitely something to continue discussing. Unfortunately, I will 
>miss the meeting this week. I'll catch-up and rejoin next week.
>
>Regards,
>
>Karen
>
>Gafford, Wayne NAVSEA wrote:
>>Greetings,
>>
>>I've been trying to discover constructs other than Gagne that could help 
>>entice the adoption of a top-level design model. One discovery I am 
>>reminded of going back to my graduate school daze is the distinction 
>>between "instruction" and "learning". Gagne is clearly oriented toward 
>>instruction. As is the Dick and Carey Model. See:
>>
>>http://www.umich.edu/~ed626/Dick_Carey/dc.html 
>><http://www.umich.edu/%7Eed626/Dick_Carey/dc.html>
>>
>>After much reading, ...reviewing the strawman, past minutes and past 
>>emails, I am beginning to question if certain references to the word 
>>"learning" best represents our design goals. This is why: Learning, I 
>>would suggest, really applies to propositions that account /for how 
>>changes in human performance come about. /Instruction describes 
>>conditions and objects that can be /intentionally arranged for the 
>>learning to take place. /Sprinkling guidance throughout content is an act 
>>of instruction, not learning. If DITA is seeking to offer a model on how 
>>to weave topics together, we are seeking a solution /on the instructional 
>>spectrum, not the learning spectrum. /
>>/ / Maybe its too fine a point, but I wonder if our top-level design 
>>should be for /instructional content, rather than learning content. /I 
>>feel more comfortable and at ease with designing for instructional 
>>objects than for learning objects. Instructional objects speaks more to 
>>its origins in systems theory. Educators design instruction, not learning 
>>(they hope for learning). The instructional design caters to learning styles.
>>
>>The RLO model seems to be based on instruction, not necessarily on 
>>learning theory.
>>
>>Just musing.
>>
>>Wayne
>>
>>
>>
>>*From:* john_hunt@us.ibm.com [mailto:john_hunt@us.ibm.com]
>>*Sent:* Wednesday, October 25, 2006 14:14
>>*To:* dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org
>>*Subject:* [dita-learningspec] Strawman proposals for a top-level DITA 
>>design for learning content
>>
>>
>>Hello DITA learning content SC,
>>
>>Our review of structured designs for learning and how to apply them to 
>>DITA principles and best practices has generated good discussion and 
>>input from all of you.
>>
>>My sense is that after two months of good discussion and review, we've 
>>come to a point where we can confirm some general directions and identify 
>>the action steps needed to get to our Task 2 goal - "developing a plan 
>>for a DITA specialization for learning content, including the learning 
>>types, map domains, content domains, and processing support needed to 
>>support the design."
>>
>>To that end,  below are a series of proposals and related action items 
>>for our consideration, discussion, and action at the Thursday, 26 Oct 
>>2007 meeting.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>John Hunt
>>WPLC Education Development
>>Chair, OASIS DITA learning and training content sub-committee
>>IBM Software Group/Lotus Software

Repeating the list of major contributors to learning content and its delivery:
  - basic content
  - instructional content (guidance)
  - structure (the organization of the material as designed)
  - scenarios (customizations of basic content, instructional content, and 
structures)
  - user experience (the way the material is navigated by the user)


>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Strawman proposals for a top-level DITA design for learning content
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 1. [ Basic content and structure: ] Adopt the Cisco/Clark 
>>RLO/RIO approach as a conceptual model for instructional content.

>>[ Basic content and instructional content: ] augmented by the IEEE 
>>Learning Objects Metadata (specifically the Learning Resource Types)

>>[ Basic content and structure: ] SCORM Sharable Content Objects.
>>
>>Working assumptions:
>>
>>     * A learning object comprises a set of self-contained content that
>>       supports a single learning objective.
>>     * A learning object consists of a) instructional objects, which
>>       provide the structured framework for learning, and b)
>>       information objects, which provide the [ basic ] content.
>>     * DITA topics provide the basic building blocks for learning 
>> objects. [ A complete learning object may contain subtopics if it 
>> contains extensive instructional content. ]
>>     * Specialized DITA topic types can define the specific types of
>>       content needed for the instructional [ objects ] and [ basic 
>> content ] objects
>>       that comprise a learning object.
>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 2.
>>The following specialized DITA topic types hold the instructional content 
>>and basic content:

     * Learning Overview
     * Learning Content
    * Learning Exercise
    * Learning Practice
     * Learning Summary
     * Learning Assessment

>>b) Learning Content topics [ may occur in sequence.  The model also 
>>allows Learning Content topics to contain directly nested ] core DITA 
>>task, concept, and reference topics, in addition to other supporting 
>>topic content. [ Extensive bodies of content may require their own DITA maps. ]
>>
>>c) Action item: Identify and define any additional topic types needed to 
>>support instructional or information content for learning, using as a 
>>starting point the Learning Resource Types identified in the IEEE LOM 
>>spec (Section 5.4.5.2).
>>
>>d) Action item: Identify specific requirements for the Assessment type. 
>>(See related Proposal 6.)
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 3: [ Structure - technicality: ] Develop a DITA map domain to 
>>define a set of specialized DITA topicref elements, structured and 
>>sequenced to represent the specific topic types used for a learning object.
>>
>>Using a map domain for defining the structure of a learning object makes 
>>it possible to use this map domain in other DITA maps. For example, you 
>>could include a learning map inside a default DITA map, a specialized 
>>DITA bookmap, or some other specialized DITA map.
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 4. [ Structure: ] Use a specialized DITA map type to define the 
>>organization of learning objects into higher-level structures, such as 
>>lessons, modules, and courses.
>>
>>Action Item: Identify the specific structures and metadata we need to 
>>support in a learning map type.
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 5. [ User experience: ] Prioritize SCORM as our primary 
>>processing and delivery target.
>>
>>a) Action Item: Identify and prioritize secondary targets, such as 
>>general e-learning or classroom-based training.
>>b) Action Item: Identify the specific sub-sets of SCORM to support for a 
>>phase 1 pilot.
>>c) Action Item: Identify the specific sub-sets of SCORM sequencing and 
>>navigation to support for a phase 1 pilot.
>>d) Action Item: Identify the specific sub-sets of IEEE LOM (learning 
>>metadata) to support for a phase 1 pilot.
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Proposal 6: [ Instructional content: ] Adopt a sub-set of QTI to drive 
>>assessments and interactions, and implement them as a DITA domain 
>>specialization.
>>
>>a) Action Item: Identify the specific sub-set of QTI to support for a 
>>phase 1 pilot.
>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>Action Item: Identify pilot content, starting with training content on 
>>how to use DITA (or some aspect of it), and identify one or two other 
>>sets of training content to pilot.
>>*
>>*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>
>>*References*
>>
>>     * Learning Objects Information Types
>> 
>>http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/dita-learningspec/200610/msg00001.html
>>
>>     * Recyling Knowledge with Learning Objects
>>       http://www.clarktraining.com/content/articles/LearningObjects.pdf
>>     * Paul Barley's Term Comparison Spreadsheet
>> 
>>http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/dita-learningspec/200609/msg00009.html
>>
>>     * A DITA specialization design for learning
>>       http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita9a/
>>     * Design patterns for information architecture with DITA map domains
>>       http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita7/
>