CopperCore

An Open Source Learning Design Engine

Hubert Vogten, 20 September 2004

Contents

Introduction Technical overview CopperCore in more detail A demonstration of CopperCore What next?

CopperCore Introduction not to build another e-learning system but take a more modular

approach and build an engine it should be very simple to integrate this engine into other

products. So connectivity was essential. Developers should be shielded from all the IMS LD

complexities and be able to integrate LD quickly not to build any real user interface for the engine to save

resources start with level A and continue with level B and C later on provide all code under the GNU General Public License as

Open Source the engine should be installable using only other Open Source

products This engine was has seen the light under the name

CopperCore at http://sourceforge.net/projects/coppercore/

Time-line and Milestones

July 2003 Start of the developmentSeptember 2003 Start coding level ANovember 2003 First release of CopperCore for AlfanetJanuary 2004 CopperCore on SourceForgeFebruary 2004 Integration within AlfanetMarch 2004 Start of development of level BApril 2004 Participation in JISC frameworkJuly 2004 CopperCore level B for AlfanetSeptember 2004 Start with development of level CNovember 2004 Level C + SOAP for JISC project

(Service Based Leaning Design System)

Technical choices

due to many unknowns proven technology was chosen where possible

Java version 2 programming language we decided to build CopperCore on a full fletched J2EE

application server advantages:

scalability and robustness and maintainability different types of interfaces are available in potential database independency (we didn’t use this to

the max) -largely externally configurable

disadvantages slightly more complex installation steep learning curve p2p not as obvious anymore

Technical choices

JBoss Open Source application server (no proprietary extensions used)

JBuilder 9/X development environment (no proprietary extensions used)

Very simple relational database through JDBC (supported DBMS SQL server and PostgreSQL)

use of Open Source libraries only

CopperCore Technical View

Based on ideas described in article(‘Implementing a learning design engine as a collection of finite state machines’:

http://hdl.handle.net/1820/96 )

Provides three Application Programming Interface dealing with administrative processes like

publishing, enrolment and run management dealing with run-time delivery of learning

materials dealing with time dependent events

All API’s make extensively use of XML

CopperCore base features

Full support for IMS LD level A and B. Level C in progress

Encapsulation of the complex LD rules Multi platform support Extensive technical and semantical validation Flexible republication Late property binding Full HTML/XHTML pass-through Low system requirements, high performance Freely available from http://coppercore.org

CopperCore add-ons

Clicc (Command Line Interface CopperCore) very basic access to the administrative API

Simple publication service including validation routines a basic web interface allowing the validation

and publication of IMS LD manifests Example LD player fully supporting Level A and B

very simple LD player showing off the use of the run-time delivery API

CopperCore Integration

CopperCore

authentication

authorization

conferencing

QTI

LIP

searching

policy management

user management

CopperCore Integration in Alfanet

AdministrationModule

J2EE Application Server

Security Layer Presentation Layer

Dispatcher

IMS-LD Interpreter

Tracker

InteractionModule

ContentsServer

User Manager

AuditModule

Server

CoursesManager

Services

Data

CommonRepositories

WebDAV Serv er

Authoring Tool

WebDAV Client

Object Model

System Manager

IMS-QTIInterpreter

Adaptat.Module MAPM

CopperCore

CopperCore integration in JISC Framework

Service Based Learning Design

What next?

Things are brewing right now around LD Editors that produce LD this year:

Reload editor will have support for LD level A Chronotech Editor already produces level A eLive LD Alfanet LD Editor (currently level B) Canadian activities (MOT+, LORNET, …)

Projects UNFOLD, ALFANET, TELCERT, JISC, RELOAD,

LORNET, eLive, CarlosIII, … TDP programme OTEC/OUNL PhD projects in Germany, France, Spain, China, … …

Demonstration