Frans Van Assche European Schoolnet Oegstgeest 26 February 2009 Intro to ASPECT Adopting Standards and Specifications for Educational Content Frans Van

Frans Van Assche European Schoolnet

Oegstgeest26 February 2009

Intro to ASPECTAdopting Standards and

Specifications for Educational Content

Frans Van AsscheEUN Senior Advisor



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A project co-funded by the European Union, through the eContentplus A project co-funded by the European Union, through the eContentplus programmeprogramme

http://ec.europa.eu/econtenplushttp://ec.europa.eu/econtenplus



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Implementations of Implementations of Standards and Standards and

Specs exist Specs exist already todayalready today



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The LRE Network• Ministries of education

– Austria– Estonia– Finland– Flanders (Belgium)– France– Hungary– Iceland– Israel– Ireland– Italy– Lithuania– Norway– Poland– Portugal– Region of Catalonia– Slovenia– Spain– Sweden

• Publishers– FWU– Cambridge-Hitachi– Cambridge University Press– Skolavefurinn– Contento– Promethean– Young Digital Planet– Siveco – Dunlem e-Learning

• Others– The European Schoolnet– ARIADNE Foundation– KULeuven– OERcommons– Cité des Sciences– Open University (UK)



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Why raising awareness of Why raising awareness of standards and specifications is standards and specifications is

not enough?not enough?



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We are convinced that, if properly We are convinced that, if properly structured and managed, new best structured and managed, new best practice networks (BPN) frameworks practice networks (BPN) frameworks can help redress the ‘disconnect’ can help redress the ‘disconnect’ between standards’ organisations and between standards’ organisations and the educational community by: the educational community by:

focussing on implementing standards focussing on implementing standards as well as raising awareness, and as well as raising awareness, and

supporting emerging standards and supporting emerging standards and specifications that map to and are specifications that map to and are influenced by best practice related influenced by best practice related to the use of ICT in schools. to the use of ICT in schools.

The ASPECT projectThe ASPECT project



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Key interoperability questions

What is the use of Educational Content • if it is too hard to integrate it in my own technical

environment or I can’t use it in my LMS?• if it is too hard to adapt it (although I’m allowed to).

What travels well?• if it is too hard to get it• if I don’t know whether and how I could use it• if I have no means to evaluate it• if I can’t find it• if I can’t share it and expose it even if I wan’t to



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Crux of ASPECT

Interoperability Issues

Standards

Interoperability of StandardsAnd BEST PRACTICE



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Create

DiscoverySearch

Soc. Recommend.Agent based

Integrate

EvaluateChoose

GetReference

or LOAdapt & ReuseDisaggregate

Aggregate

Modify the contentModify the sequence

Use/PlayIntegrate

LocalDelete

Retract

Expose

Describe Resolution



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Best Practices

ContentDiscovery

ContentUse

Dissemination, creating impact

EvaluationQuality Assurance

Implementationof best

practices

SchoolPilots

• Metadata: IEEE LOM, Dublin Core• Query Language: CQL, PLQL, LRE=QL• Vocabulary: XVD, VDEX, ZTHES, SKOS• Protocol: SQI, SPI, SRU/SRW, OAI=PMH• Registry: CORDRA, ADL Registry

• Format: IMS Content PackagingSCORM, IMS Common Cartridge, IMS QTI

• Identifier: Handle System, DOI• Digital Rights Management:

Creative Commons, IMS Common Cartridge, LRE DRM

WP3

WP4

WP5 WP6

WP7

WP2



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Best Practice on Different Levels of Interoperability

Technical Semantic

Political



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Standards & Specifications• IEEE LOM, Dublin Core• IEEE LOM and DC are well adopted. DC is for content in

general while LOM is designed for educational content. The major need is to be able to transform metadata instances from one format into another. While solutions for mapping the default specifications exist, good solutions are lacking for specific application profiles of IEEE LOM and DC.

• The ASPECT partners will make all their content available through the LOM. This is part of WP5.



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Standards & Specifications• XVD, VDEX, ZTHES, SKOS, CEF• ZThes has a wide adoption and the latest version has improved features for

internationalisation. VDEX has a wide adoption as well. XVD is the most advanced specification supporting mappings between vocabularies and alternative structures but it has very little adoption at this stage. SKOS has currently the best approach to the mapping of vocabularies. Hence transformers between the formats should be offered to the wider audience of vocabulary developers. However, this is not sufficient. All too often it is the case that Application Profile developers invent vocabularies again and again. Apart from being inefficient, it harms the semantic interoperability of different application profiles. Given this situation, adoption can be best supported by providing a registry for vocabularies and mappings between vocabularies that allows for uploading and downloading in different formats.

• The ASPECT project will evaluate all specifications and adopt one or more as an input and/or output format of the European Vocabulary Bank (part of the ASPECT service centre). In addition the ASPECT will investigate to what extent mappings between these different specifications are possible. This work will be performed as part of WP2. Results will feed into WP5.



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Standards & Specifications• SQI, SPI, SRU/SRW, OAI-PMH, SWORD• SRU/SRW are well adopted in the library world. SQI has a good adoption in the

European Learning Technology world and many MoEs have adopted it for exchanging LOM instances in the LRE. SQI has been developed in order to support more advanced features such as asynchronous communication and different query languages in federated LOR networks. It is our conclusion that SQI could be profiled to support SRU/SRW such that both specifications could be used in a federated search scenario. OAI-PMH is well adopted also in the European LT world. As it is dealing with a different scenario (harvesting), it can co-exist with the other specifications. SPI is at the specification stage. It is work planned under CEN/ISSS contract.

• The ASPECT project will evaluate all specifications and adopt one or more as for exchanging metadata and content. As a minimum all content providers will adopt SQI and/or OAI-PMH. In addition it will be investigated to what extend these specifications can be made interoperable through for example profiling or a run-time gateway. Finally ASPECT will co-operate with CEN/ISSS in order to test the new SPI specification. This work will be performed as part of WP2. Results will feed into WP5.



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Standards & Specifications• CQL, PLQL, LRE-QL• These are all abstract query languages that operate on a

conceptual model instead of, for instance, relational tables. They have been developed by different parties involved in federating LO repositories and are used to interrogate metadata following the IEEE LOM. In the end it would be better to have a single well thought through query language.

• ASPECT will thus first investigate this route and, if this is not possible, try to establish translation mechanisms. LRE-QL is already an application profile of PLQL. This work will be performed as part of WP2. Results will feed into WP5.



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Standards & Specifications• SCORM, IMS Common Cartridge, IMS Content packaging• SCORM is in Europe well adopted in the military world in a NATO context, and to a

large extent by commercial publishers, especially for training purposes. However, the adoption in the school sector is limited. Cited barriers include the limited pedagogical models (primarily instructional design) SCORM supports, as well as the steep learning curve demanded if one would like to repurpose a SCO, a situation that occurs much more frequently in the school sector.

• IMS Common Cartridge is a specification under development. Content Packaging, Question/Test Interoperability (QTI) and Metadata, with the IMS Tools Interoperability Protocol. Partners in the consortium being part of IMS, will release the first player in Q2 2008. As such, it is at the beginning of the adoption life cycle and adoption support measures will therefore be in terms of awareness raising, and demonstrators.

• The ASPECT project will not address the barriers to SCORM, as it will involve a long-term effort within the LT research and pedagogical communities.

• The ASPECT project will however help content providers to use SCORM as well as Common Cartridge to content. As part of establishing best practice, it will be investigated what barriers exist for content providers in using these two specifications. This work will be performed as part of WP5 with the help of WP3.



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Standards & Specifications• IMS-QTI• IMS-QTI is reasonably well adopted and works well for

what it is supposed to do. While the consortium recognizes that the educational world needs more advanced specifications to fully support assessment, this is not retained as an objective

• The ASPECT project will help content providers to use IMS-QTI as part of the new IMS Common Cartridge specification. This work will be performed as part of WP5 with the help of WP3.



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Standards & Specifications• CORDRA• CORDRA is a model that is not really adopted in Europe.

One of the barriers is the confusion between the general model and its specific implementation and deployment within the US DoD in the ADL-Registry. Nevertheless it is an important specification. Specific elements, such as the Handle System for identifiers, is of particular interest.

• Hence, ASPECT will analyse and compare the technological options offered and set-up a demonstrator implementation to be used by content and metadata providers. This work will be performed as part of WP3.



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Standards & Specifications• Creative Commons• Creative Commons is by now well adopted. There are however

some problems that hamper its adoption. First, as content providers are creating variants, interoperability of those variants becomes a problem. In addition there is a usability problem. EUN’s two and a half year experience with the implementation is that, although Creative Commons is very simple, end-users such as teachers and learners make regular mistakes (about 30%) when uploading material.

• Therefore, the ASPECT project will investigate these usability issues in order to improve the adoption and practice of Creative Commons. This work will be performed as part of WP5 with the help of WP2 & WP3.



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Standards & Specifications• ISO/IEC 19796-x• This quality standard, based on European pre-work in the

CEN/ISSS workshop learning technologies will be adapted to the project’s needs. By nature, the process-oriented standard ISO/IEC 19796-1 is adaptable to different organizational contexts. The other parts of the standards series will also be used: ISO/IEC 19796-3 (reference methods and metrics) will be used to derive quality measures, ISO/IEC 19796-4 (good practice guide) will be input for the guidelines

• Therefore, the ASPECT project will implement those standards and provide feedback on the further development of those standards. This work will be performed as part of WP5 with the help of WP7



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Expected resultsExpected resultsExpected resultsExpected results



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Facilitate the adoption of Facilitate the adoption of learning technology learning technology

standards and specifications standards and specifications with a specific focus on the with a specific focus on the

school sectorschool sector



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Take into account teachers’ Take into account teachers’ views as well as those of views as well as those of

technical experts during the technical experts during the pre-standardisation processpre-standardisation process



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Assess standards and Assess standards and specifications through their specifications through their implementation on a critical implementation on a critical mass of educational contentmass of educational content



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Make recommendations on the Make recommendations on the combination of a number of combination of a number of standards to ensure more standards to ensure more transparent interoperabilitytransparent interoperability



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More specificallyMore specifically



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ASPECT will be actively ASPECT will be actively working with more than 200 working with more than 200 leading European experts, leading European experts,

professional and policy makers professional and policy makers in Ministries of education...in Ministries of education...



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...as well as with pre-...as well as with pre-standardisation and standardisation and

standardisation bodiesstandardisation bodies



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Impact at least Impact at least one IMS one IMS

SpecificationSpecification



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ASPECT is also ASPECT is also committed to produce committed to produce

at leastat leastTwo CEN Workshop Two CEN Workshop AgreementTwo ENs created AgreementTwo ENs created by TC353by TC353— Information and — Information and Communication Technologies Communication Technologies for learning education and for learning education and trainingtraining



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One of the main outcomes will One of the main outcomes will be be

the creation of thethe creation of the

ASPECT Service ASPECT Service CentreCentre



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LOR registryLOR registry

Vocabulary bank for educationVocabulary bank for education

Application profile registryApplication profile registry

Automatic translation service for metadataAutomatic translation service for metadata

Compliance testingCompliance testing

Transformer service: Transformer service:

turn metadata & vocabularies into another formatturn metadata & vocabularies into another format

Access to known interoperability issuesAccess to known interoperability issues

Learning Technology ObservatoryLearning Technology ObservatoryASPECT Service

ASPECT Service

Centre

Centre

ASPECT Service

ASPECT Service

Centre

Centre



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EUN Registry& Brokerage

system

EUN portal

SpanishMoE portal

ARIADNERegistry &

Knowledge pool

LEA repository

SwedishRegistry &

Brok. System

School VLE

LORNETRegistry &

Brok. System

CollectionProviders & Consumers

Collection RegistryProviders



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Information For Learning Object eXchange (ILOX)



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FRBR Is an Example of Materialization



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Learning Object Copies



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Issue

• When I discover a learning resource (work or expression)

• I should be able to request a copy (item) in a given format (manifestation)



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Manifestation Names & <Parameters>

• Preview (will require best practice)

• Thumbnail of <Mime Type image/xxxx>

• Metadata in <URI of the schema>

• Experience (as rendered in my user interface – “remote play”)

• Package in <format>



43Indicators



44Indicators



45Indicators



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Indicators



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How can you How can you benefit frombenefit from

ASPECT?ASPECT?

How can you How can you benefit frombenefit from

ASPECT?ASPECT?



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Join the ASPECT communityJoin the ASPECT community



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Access ASPECT resourcesAccess ASPECT resources



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Access ASPECT resourcesAccess ASPECT resources



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Join us at one of the 20 ASPECT Join us at one of the 20 ASPECT eventsevents



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EUN Events

• Developer Workshop on the ASPECT approach to Federated Search and Harvesting, March 10-11, 2009 Leuven, Belgiumhttp://www.cs.kuleuven.be/~hmdb/SqiOaiAspect/

• ASPECT Workshop at IMS Learning Impact 2009, Barcelona, 14-15 May 2009. Further details will be posted on the ASPECT web site shortly



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Apply to the ASPECT Awards!Apply to the ASPECT Awards!



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22 Partners from 15 22 Partners from 15 CountriesCountries

• 99 Ministries of Education Ministries of Education• 44 Commercial content developers and Commercial content developers and

leading technology providersleading technology providers• 22 European associations European associations• Experts from international standardisation Experts from international standardisation

bodies and consortia active in eLearning: bodies and consortia active in eLearning: CEN/ISSS, IMS, IEEE, ISO, ADL...CEN/ISSS, IMS, IEEE, ISO, ADL...



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Ministries of EducationMinistries of Education

• Denmark – UNI-CDenmark – UNI-C• Belgium (Flemish community) - EduC Belgium (Flemish community) - EduC

• France – CNDPFrance – CNDP• Germany – FWUGermany – FWU

• Hungary – EDUCATIOHungary – EDUCATIO• Italy – INDIREItaly – INDIRE• Lithuania – ITCLithuania – ITC

• Portugal – DGIDCPortugal – DGIDC• Slovenia – UL Slovenia – UL



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Commercial Content & Commercial Content & Technology providersTechnology providers

• Siveco Romania SASiveco Romania SA• Cambridge University Cambridge University

Press Ltd.Press Ltd.• IcodeonIcodeon

• Young Digital Planet SAYoung Digital Planet SA

European AssociationsEuropean Associations

European SchoolnetEuropean SchoolnetEIfELEIfEL



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Time & BudgetTime & Budget

ASPECT is a Best Practice Network supported by ASPECT is a Best Practice Network supported by the European Commission's eContentthe European Commission's eContentplus plus

ProgrammeProgrammeStart 1 September 2008Start 1 September 2008

End 28 February 2011End 28 February 2011

€ € 4.625 M. budget4.625 M. budget

€ € 3.7 M. funding3.7 M. funding



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Contact and InformationContact and Information

ASPECT: ASPECT: http://aspect-project.org/

• LRE: LRE: http://lre.eun.org/http://lre.eun.org/

• LRE: LRE: http://lreforschools.eun.orgs.eun.org

• European Schoolnet: European Schoolnet: http://www.eun.org/

• eContentPlus: eContentPlus: http://ec.europa.eu/econtentplushttp://ec.europa.eu/econtentplus

Documents

Frans Van Assche European Schoolnet Oegstgeest 26 February 2009 Intro to ASPECT Adopting Standards and Specifications for Educational Content Frans Van