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Subject: Re: [dita-learningspec] RE: Whither learningPractice?


Hi Eliot, Mark, all -

Thanks, Eliot, for digging out that 2005 paper, which did inform a good part of the initial OASIS discussions about the L&T specialization.

We had quite a bit of discussion in the sub-committee about additional topic types for practice, exercises, labs, and so forth. In good part because there were quite a few variants of this kind of content, we ultimately resolved that for the general spec, we'd include just the single learningContent type, intended as a general vehicle for all types of learning content.

That said,  I'd say that learningContent is intended also as a vehicle for further specialization, as might be needed for specific purposes, such as the one you bring up for learningPractice.

But your reply also brings up the issue of what base type to specialization from. For learningContent, we chose "topic" to make it as generic as possible, since learning content might be task, concept, or reference, not just task. And of course, this poses a dilemma for learningPractice, which quite frankly we did not resolve in those earlier discussions about the learningContent type. If you want a learningPractice topic that specializes from task, you would not be able to specialize from learningContent. You'd need to specialization a new branch off of task.

The other angle here is that we enabled learningContent to include nested topics of other types, including task, concept, and reference. This enables you to create a learning content topic with an intro and learning objectives and other learning-specific elements, and then deliver the content itself as a task or concept, but in the context of those learning objectives. It looks like this is the approach SAP has taken in their solution.

Perhaps this is a topic to revisit post-1.3.

John

___________________________________
John Hunt, Chair OASIS DITA Learning and Training sub-committee
Senior Technical Content Architect
IBM Collaboration Solutions | User Experience: Design and Information Excellence
4205 S. Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703
john_hunt@us.ibm.com




From:        Eliot Kimber <ekimber@rsicms.com>
To:        "Myers, Mark" <mark.myers@sap.com>, "dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org" <dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org>
Date:        06/10/2013 10:10 AM
Subject:        Re: [dita-learningspec] RE: Whither learningPractice?
Sent by:        <dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org>




I was actually looking for the topicref, not necessarily a topic type,
although I kind of expected the topic type.

I think it makes sense to use task as a base. If memory serves now that I
think about it, one of my arguments for relaxing the task model in 1.2 was
to enable construction of exercises that were not formal lists of steps, but
just a description of what to do.

I think I would still want to specialize from task to make an exercise topic
and be able to do things like name the substeps "exerciseSolution" or
similar.

Cheers,

E.

On 6/10/13 9:36 AM, "Myers, Mark" <mark.myers@sap.com> wrote:

> Hi Eliot,
>
> I can't speak about the learningPractice, that discussion predates my
> involvement with the SC.
>
> I can offer a recommendation though based on SAP's approach. We also need to
> create exercises and solutions in our training content. We use the task
> element. We specialized it as "Exercise" but otherwise it is just like task.
>
> We have authors write the tasks using the steps element to contain general
> instructions and the substeps element to contain the detailed step-by-step
> actions a user would take to complete the general instructions.
>
> So for example, general instruction go here:
>
> /learningContent/task/taskbody/steps/step
>
> The detailed action a user needs to do to complete that instruction go beneath
> the step in a substeps element like this:
>
> /learningContent/task/taskbody/steps/step/substeps/substep
>
> When we publish our handbooks, we publish each task twice: first labeled as an
> "exercise" which includes the steps and omits the substeps, the again labeled
> as a "solution" which include both the steps and substeps.
>
> I attached a screen shot from our instructor handbook as an example.
>
> We also follow this approach for learning assessments, we publish once with no
> answers indicated and then again with the answers indicated.
>
> If you want to see the sources or other examples just let me know.
>
> Cheers,
> Mark
>
>
> Mark Myers
> Knowledge Transfer Architect, Production Platform Management and Operations
> Knowledge Productization Services
> SAP America, Inc.
> 3999 West Chester Pike
> Newtown Square, PA 19073 USA
> T 1-610-661-5823
> F 1-610-661-5824
> M 1-484-802-1809
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org
> [
mailto:dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org] On Behalf Of Eliot Kimber
> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 3:18 PM
> To: dita-learningspec@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: [dita-learningspec] Whither learningPractice?
>
> I notice that John Hunt and Robert Bernard's 2005 paper
>
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita9a/ includes a
> "learningPractice" topic type (or, more generally, major section of a
> course, parallel with learningOverview, learningSummary, etc.)
>
> However, we don't have a learningPractice topic type or map type in the 1.2
> L&T specialization.
>
> Was that a deliberate decision or does the 2005 paper reflect later thinking
> after the 1.2 L&T design was finalized?
>
> I'm looking for how to organize "exercises" for an instructor-led course and
> learningPractice is just the thing.
>
> Of course, I can create my own specializations but I was curious as to why
> there's no obvious accommodation for exercises in the 1.2 L&T design.
>
> Cheers,
>
> E.
>
> --
> Eliot Kimber
> Senior Solutions Architect, RSI Content Solutions
> "Bringing Strategy, Content, and Technology Together"
> Main: 512.554.9368
>
www.rsicms.com
>
www.rsuitecms.com
> Book: DITA For Practitioners, from XML Press,
>
http://xmlpress.net/publications/dita/practitioners-1/
>
>
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--
Eliot Kimber
Senior Solutions Architect, RSI Content Solutions
"Bringing Strategy, Content, and Technology Together"
Main: 512.554.9368
www.rsicms.com
www.rsuitecms.com
Book: DITA For Practitioners, from XML Press,
http://xmlpress.net/publications/dita/practitioners-1/


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