SCORM Developments: Context, courses, and repositories.

Stashing this here until I can get around to commenting. -- BB

CETIS Report about ADL Project. I'm passing along this OLDaily citation from CETIS about new developments underway at ADL. "In ADL technical director Phil Dodds' words, the forthcoming reference model is motivated by an identified need for contextualised learning object discovery. The ideal is that learners would be able to discover and identify relevant material from within the context of a particular learning activity. There's to be no need to leave a familiar environment, and the results should be 'more precise for our environment' than what can be done using web search engines or other discovery technologies." Of course the most prevalent device for contextualised learning discovery in higher education is the course and it may be that courses may prove to be the fundatmental units for contextualizing and locating learning objects. JH
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ADL to make a 'repository SCORM'. As reported in OLDaily in January, ADL is planning a 'repository SCORM' known as the "lovely named" CORDRA. This article describes the proposal, outlined at the ADL plugfest in Zurich, Switzerland. "The ideal is that learners would be able to discover and identify relevant material from within the context of a particular learning activity." Good coverage, many links. By Wilbert Kraan, CETIS, February 19, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] [OLDaily] [EduResources Weblog--Higher Education Resources Online]

3:48:47 PM    

Moodle LMS.

Parking this here temporarily until I can sort out some thoughts about this post and the previous one. -- BB

Is This the Best Way to Produce and Manage Online Training. Quote: "During this project, we learned that the free open-source Moodle LMS had all of the capabilities we needed from an LMS, and allowed us to easily add the additional capabilities we wanted. We learned how to embed DVD control and tracking capabilities, and that such DVD integration into an online training system can be a cost-effective solution when high-quality full-screen video playback is needed. We also learned how to further customize the LMS for fully bilingual courseware. Finally, we learned that converting PowerPoint presentations to Flash via PowerConverter is a great way to quickly and easily develop online lessons with the interactive and multimedia features sufficient for many, if not most, courses"

Comment: via Stephen Downes (OLDaily).  I think that Moodle may be reaching the point where it needs a corporation to "sell" it.  There's a model in the way Zope is handled. [Serious Instructional Technology]

12:50:43 PM    

Overlaps and gaps between KM and e-Learning.

Parking this here temporarily. Comments later, when I have more time. -- BB

Knowledge management and elearning.

Both elearning and knowledge management feed off the same root: learning, improved capacity to perform work tasks, ability to make effective decisions, and positively impact the world around us. The difference between KM and elearning is a function of time.. Knowledge management is dynamic. Elearning is static.

As a medium, elearning allows for the sharing of knowledge that has been tested, researched and organized. For example, an instructional designer relies on subject matter experts to provide an understanding/best practices/knowledge of a certain field. The information used to create an elearning course has typically been tested and is generally accepted by practitioners of the field. As such, elearning is delayed (but tested), organized knowledge.

Knowledge management, however, is much livelier. Conversations and sharing understanding happens in real time. Through KM, tacit understanding can be communicated, problems can be jointly solved, and serendipitous connections are formed. KM is chaotic, current (but structurally weak) knowledge.

Unfortunately, KM is overwhelming to many because it sometimes lacks the structure of an organized course. KM is an ecology...elearning an architecture.

Many people who first approach blogs and wikis as learning environments are confused by the lack of structure...and soon "drop out" as a result of the overwhelming information (participating in high activity knowledge ecologies requires a mindset of suspended judgment about incoming information (i.e. don't over-evaluate each item of information as an end) - and focuses instead on synthesizing and pattern searching the entire domain).

Elearning courses become outdated, while KM environments are continually fresh and reflective of current activity in a field. Somehow, the strengths of the two fields need to be brought together. KM should feed into elearning (in order for the content of the "course" to remain fresh and to tap learners into a sustained knowledge environment after the course is done). Elearning should feed into the KM environment and provide easy mechanisms for organizing information in the manner that 80% of people function (not the current 20% who are in love with blogs, wikis, and all things new).

12:47:03 PM