Re: [dita-learningspec] Design of Learning Map Topicrefs: Why NoSubordinate Refs?

[Eliot Kimber <ekimber@reallysi.com>]

Just noticed this is in the current draft of the 1.2 Arch Spec, under
"Chunking"/"Examples of use":

Identification of a set of topics as a unit

    A curriculum developer wants to compose a lesson for a SCORM LMS
(Learning Management System) from a set of topics without constraining reuse
of those topics. The LMS can save and restore the learner's progress through
the lesson if the lesson is identified as a referenceable unit. The
curriculum developer defines the collection of topics with a DITA map, using
the chunk attribute to identify the learning module as a unit before
generating the SCORM manifest.

So MP was way ahead of us.

Cheers,

E.


On 6/29/09 7:39 AM, "john_hunt@us.ibm.com" <john_hunt@us.ibm.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Thanks to both Eliot and Reuben for the good comments and exchange.
> 
> I have a couple of replies and a proposal.
> 
> Eliot asks:
>>> if I don't use learning map domain topicrefs to
> construct my learning content (but do using learning domain topic types,
> assessments, etc.) will the out-of-the-box SCORM generation work, assuming
> I've met any necessary constraints, such as specifying chunking so that
> the
> HTML result conforms to SCORM constraints?
> <<
> 
> The map2scorm.xsl available with the current set of sample content only
> processes content that uses the specialized learning map topic references
> of learningGroup, learningObject, etc. It won't work with general
> topicrefs. 
> 
> Those samples are here -
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/32666/dita12learningsamples.
> zip%3Cbr%20/%3E
> .
> 
> It would be possible, I would think, to develop generalized map2scorm
> processing that could accommodate topicrefs in an unconstrained map, but
> you would need to make some assumptions about things like where in the map
> structure the SCO's begin and end.
> 
> Eliot suggests:
>>> 
> One thing that might be interesting would be to set a default value of
> "to-content" for @chunk on the learningContentRef topicref and then allow
> subordinate topicrefs (e.g. %topicref;). That would have the effect of
> producing the SCORM-required output structure by default.
> <<
> 
> I like this a lot.
> 
> However, I'd suggest restricting the subordinate topicrefs to
> learningContentRef.
> 
> Opening them to %topicref; would make all of the specialized learning map
> references available, since they're defined as domain specializations of
> topicref. That could become quite messy, even (or perhaps more so) if the
> chunk="to-content" collapses them all to a single output file.
> 
> So, if I understand correctly, the proposal is to keep the same design for
> learningObject:
>  
> * learningObject 
>    * learningPlanRef (zero or one)
>    * learningOverviewRef or learningPreAssessmentRef (zero or more)
>    * learningContentRef (one or more)
>    * learningPostAssessmentRef or learningSummaryRef (zero or more)
> 
> 
> And then I suggest amending Eliot's suggestion and propose extending the
> design for learningContentRef to
> 
> a) set default of chunk="to-content" and
> 
> b) allow zero or more child learningContentref elements,
> 
> as follows:
> 
>       <!ELEMENT learningContentRef    ((%topicmeta;)?,
> (%learningContentRef;)*) >
> 
> 
> I'm eager for comments.
> 
> Let's do plan on developing a formal proposal for this to bring to the
> July 16 meeting.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> John
> _________________________________
> John Hunt
> Chair, OASIS DITA Learning and Training Content Specialization
> Sub-Committee
> Structured Content Architect / Lotus Information Development Center
> IBM Software Group/Lotus Software
> john_hunt@us.ibm.com

----
Eliot Kimber | Senior Solutions Architect | Really Strategies, Inc.
email:  ekimber@reallysi.com <mailto:ekimber@reallysi.com>
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