OASIS Mailing List ArchivesView the OASIS mailing list archive below
or browse/search using MarkMail.

 


Help: OASIS Mailing Lists Help | MarkMail Help

dita-learningspec message

[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]


Subject: DITA Learning Content SC update and status



Dear Allyn, Scott, Wayne, and the DITA learning content SC -

Looks like you've had some good discussions the last few weeks.


I'd ask that we all go back and re-visit the goals for this sub-committee and the working assumptions outlined in the phased design plan.


From our goals (http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/dita-learningspec/) -


"Develop a general top-level design for structured, intent-based authoring of learning content with good learning architecture, following DITA principles and best practices. Such a design would build on past work on topic-based content, reusable learning objects, and the learning content types needed to support them."


The key phrases here are "good learning architecture," and "following DITA principles and best practices."


Then we provide some more specifics in the phased design plan (http://wiki.oasis-open.org/dita/LearningContent/Phased_Design_Plan) -


"Adopt a top-level design for DITA topic-based learning content that is equally informed by the Cisco/Clark learning objects approach and by leading instructional models, and complements the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)."


   * A learning object consists of a) instructional objects, which provide the structured framework for a learning experience, and b) information objects, which provide the source learning content.

   * DITA topic types provide the meaning and intention to content contained in instructional and information objects, and as such, comprise the basic building blocks for learning objects.

   * DITA maps arrange DITA topic type files into a sequence as learning objects and organize such content for delivery as lessons, modules, and courses.

   * DITA specialization provides the mechanism for creating learning-based topic types needed for instructional and information object content requirements.


Finally, for a picture that shows the basic DITA approach, and how it applies to learning content, see Phase 4 - Processing and delivery targets.



This picture describes the basic building blocks that DITA provides and how they get used for specialized learning content:

- A specialized learning map to structure topic-based content as learning objects
- A set of specialized DITA topic types specific to learning

- Specialized processing to take the topics and maps and produce learning deliverables, built on the foundation provided by the DITA Open Toolkit.
- The Phased Design plan specifically targets SCORMŽ and IEEE LOM as primary processing and delivery targets.  

To be clear: The relationship to SCORM, IEEE LOM, and IMS is that these are all learning deliverables that result from processing of source content from DITA topics and maps.

The only place currently under where we have considered using non-DITA content as source is the use of QTI lite for the assessment interactions. In that case, we have the option of incorporating QTI lite as a DITA foreign domain specialization, and making that available for use in the learningAssessment interactions.

Status - We are we now?
1) The sub-committee has approved this design plan, and it was in turn approved by the DITA TC for inclusion in the next round of updates to the DITA standard, targeted at DITA 1.2 in April, 2008.
2) We have completed draft designs for the five learning topic types.
Of these, learningOverview, learningSummary, and learningAssessment appear solid and complete.
We have pending need for more discussion and review about the learningContent and learningDesign types.
3) We have completed a draft design for a learning map domain.
4) We have working DTDs and schemas for the learning topic types and map domain, including sample content, available as a DITA Open Toolkit demo plug-in. See http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/dita-learningspec/download.php/24612/learningsc_plugin.zip.
5) We have had good discussion about IEEE LOM. Scott Hudson has agreed to draft a proposed design.
6) We need to complete our discussion about the assessment interactions, and draft a design. I'll look to work with Reuben Tozman and John Accardi on drafting that, including the necessary DTD and schema support and samples.

Targets
To keep on track with our phased design plan, I propose these targets for September and October.
1) Complete draft specs for topic types, map domain, metadata, and interactions in September
2) Start discussion about processing to basic SCORM and any secondary targets.
3) Complete a draft processing spec and provide working processing extensions to the demo plug-in.

I'll be in contact with as many of the SC members as possible in the next week, to solicit your input on our status. If you don't hear from me and would like to discuss, please let me know.

Thanks.

John
___________________________________
John Hunt
Lotus Education Development
Chair, OASIS DITA learning and training content sub-committee
IBM Software Group/Lotus Software
john_hunt@us.ibm.com


[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]