Learning and Training Proposal: New Base Type for Interactions

[Eliot Kimber <ekimber@reallysi.com>]

The L&T design includes a set of interaction types representing typical
assessment questions (single-select, true-false, matching, etc.). Currently
these types specialize directly from topic/fig. This means that there is no
unambiguous indicator that a given interaction element is in fact an
interaction. Likewise, there is nothing that a local specialization to use
to indicate that it is a new type of interaction that is intended to follow
the L&T interaction model and be handled in similar ways. This means it is
impossible to have generic code that can, for example, delegate handling of
interactions using an invariant check. Rather such code must explicitly list
each of the interaction types and would need to be updated to reflect any
locally-defined interaction types.

The proposed solution is to define a new base type from which all
interactions derive, both L&T-defined and locally specialized. This new base
type would enable recognition of interaction elements with an invariant
check.

Content model change:

1. Declare new domain module, learningInteractionBase, that defines one
element type, learningInteractionBase:

<!ENTITY % lcInteractionBase.content
                       "((%title;)?,
                         (%lcQuestion;),
                         (%fig.cnt;)*)"
>
<!ENTITY % lcInteractionBase.attributes
             "id
                        NMTOKEN
                                  #REQUIRED
              %conref-atts;
              %select-atts;
              %localization-atts;
              outputclass
                        CDATA
                                  #IMPLIED"
>
<!ELEMENT lcInteractionBase    %lcInteractionBase.content;>
<!ATTLIST lcInteractionBase    %lcInteractionBase.attributes;>
<!ATTLIST lcInteractionBase %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase ">

2. Update @class attributes for lcTrueFalse, lcSingleSelect, lcSingleSelect,
lcSequencing, lcMatching, lcHotspot, lcOpenQuestion to use
learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase as their base type:

<!ATTLIST lcTrueFalse %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcTrueFalse ">
<!ATTLIST lcSingleSelect %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcSingleSelect ">
<!ATTLIST lcSingleSelect %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcMultipleSelect ">
<!ATTLIST lcSequencing %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcSequencing ">
<!ATTLIST lcMatching %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcMatching ">
<!ATTLIST lcHotspot %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learning-d/lcHotspot ">
<!ATTLIST lcOpenQuestion %global-atts;
    class CDATA "+ topic/fig learningInteractionBase-d/lcInteractionBase
learning-d/lcOpenQuestion ">


Specification changes:

- Document new domain module and element type learningInteractionBase

- Update documentation for lcTrueFalse, lcSingleSelect, lcSingleSelect,
lcSequencing, lcMatching, lcHotspot, lcOpenQuestion to reflect new @class
hierarchy

Processor changes:

- None required. Processors that match on existing interaction types or
topic/fig will continue to work as before. Processors may choose to use new
lcInteractionBase type to apply appropriate processing.

----
Eliot Kimber | Senior Solutions Architect | Really Strategies, Inc.
email:  ekimber@reallysi.com <mailto:ekimber@reallysi.com>
office: 610.631.6770 | cell: 512.554.9368
2570 Boulevard of the Generals | Suite 213 | Audubon, PA 19403
www.reallysi.com <http://www.reallysi.com>  | http://blog.reallysi.com
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