e-Learning Frameworks and Tools programme
JISC has made a considerable contribution to the development of the MLE concept and supporting interoperability standards. However, there is still a need to produce a coherent vision of how to integrate systems to support institutional processes such as effective e-learning. Research in current MLE development indicates that it is expanding rapidly but that there is still a lack of pedagogical flexibility and innovation in the design of e-learning tools, environments and architectures. JISC intends to address this issue and will focus on four themes: e-learning and pedagogy; technical framework and tools for e-learning; innovation and distributed e-learning.
Research into e-Learning systems and the JISC/CETIS active involvement in the development of international learning technology standards and specifications, have highlighted the potential of technical frameworks to provide a common basis for designing e-Learning architectures. It was proposed that a generic technical framework for e-Learning systems could be produced and this would enable:
- FE and HE institutions to create MLE architectures to support their particular e-Learning strategies
- production of architectures based on standards which enable interoperability
- provision of a common basis (understanding) for future developments
- JISC to identify gaps or major barriers to progress (pain points) on which to focus development activity
What is the e-Learning framework
Background papers
Programme structure
Outputs from Technical Framework and Tools
What is the e-Learning Framework?
The e-Learning Framework is a service-oriented factoring of the core services required to support e-Learning applications, portals and other user agents. Each service defined by the Framework is envisaged as being provided as a networked service within an organisation, typically using either Web Services or a REST-style HTTP protocol.
The ultimate aim of the Framework is, for each identified service, to be able to reference an open specification or standard that can be used to implement the service, and also to be able to provide open-source implementation toolkits such as Java and C# code libraries to assist developers.
The intention is not to provide a blueprint for an open-source solution, but rather to facilitate the integration of commercial, home-grown, and open source components and applications within institutions and regional federations, by agreeing common service definitions, data models, and protocols. For the current state, see the e-Learning Framework (ELF) website.
Background papers
The e-Learning Framework (ELF)– Summary [Word] (June 2004)
This paper provides a quick overview of the services identified within the e-Learning Framework activity, identify where there are open standards that can support service implementation, and highlights the areas covered by the current set of technical development projects funded under this strand (for more details see the technical development projects)
Alt-I-Lab papers (July 2004)
JISC/CETIS, DEST (Australia), and Industry Canada prepared a number of state of the art review and case studies for Alt-I-lab (Advanced Learning Technology Interoperability) 2004 conference.Those most relevent to ELF are:
Techincal framework to support e-Learning [Word] (Feb 2004)
This paper provides the background and case for e-Learning Framework (ELF). The paper first discusses the rationale for developing a service oriented framework for managed learning environments (MLE) and e-Learning, and then proposes a framework with a brief description of each service.
It is intended as a starting point. The service definitions will need refinement and expansion and many of the details have to be worked out. Additional services will almost certainly be identified and some of the existing ones may be merged or dropped. It is also likely that the standards and specifications listed will not be completely correct, with new ones emerging from time to time. This document is therefore offered to help open discussion. ELF has already moved on from the version presented in this paper.
Current version of the e-Learning Framework
The latest version can be found on the e-Learning Framework website.
Programme structure
Development activity for e-Learning framework will primarily be concentrated on providing software libraries that enable developers (from commercial as well as open-source communities) to create applications that ‘Provide Services ’ and ‘Consume Services’ defined within the framework. Demonstrator projects are aimed at testing the service definitions and toolkits in actual use.
Technical development projects
These will primarily concentrate on providing software libraries that enable developers to create applications that provide and consume services defined within the framework. The service integration components developed during this activity will be made available to the community in the form of open source toolkits.
There is no expectation that projects funded under this phase will be implementing or embedding applications in their institution. They could, however, be regarded as a feasibility and evaluation phase to inform institutional e-Learning and MLE technical development strategies. There will be an iterative cycle of technical development calls throughout the programmes lifecycle.
Demonstrator projects These will be aimed at testing the service definitions and toolkits in actual use within or between institutions. Institutions will be invited to test and pilot linking applications using the web services toolkit provided by the frameworks programme.
This phase of activity will commence when the first round of technical projects have produced their deliverables (toolkits) in autumn 2004. This aspect of development activity will total eighteen months. Projects from the technical phase will be eligible to participate in the demonstrator phase and FE/HE partnership and Vendor participation would be welcome and encouraged in this strand of the development activities.
Supporting studies Funding has been allocated for up to five supporting studies to run along side development actives. These studies will either perform a review and evaluation function which will inform programme activity. For example, review and map current e-Learning frameworks and architecture initiatives. Or they will explore issues arising from the programme development activities and will make recommendation on programmes future direction. For example ‘Review Implementation and on-going Support models for an SOA and Open Source integration toolkits’.
Current projects
Outputs from Technical Framework and Tools
The intended outputs are:
- e-Learning technical framework which will consist of:
- a list of services identified within the framework and for each service
- an agreed definition of the scope and purpose of the service
- a list of applicable standards and specifications
- open-source toolkits developed by the programmes and other relevant initiatives
- a list of prior work of value, such as projects and case studies, or demonstration projects using the service
- information on shared services offered on an ASP (application service provider ) basis, for example relevant JISC IE services
- general guidance on creating, exposing, and consuming services
See an overview of the the current (June 2004 ) services identified within the e-Learning Framework (ELF) activity: ELF summary.
See the current state of the e-Learning Framework (ELF), and look at the details of the service definitions.
- e-Learning framework distribution kit. It is envisioned that this would consist of the service integration toolkits developed during this programme, open source applications, and supporting documentation, that would be capable of being easily installed and implemented as the basic structure of an e-Learning system or MLE.
- e-Learning website and information resource The objective of the website will be to collect, collate and synthesises material as an on-going process throughout programme lifecycle. This will included the synthesises and presentation of output from projects and supporting studies promptly . The information will be developing a ‘story’ from which to hang results and information (see Creating MLE infoKit as example of the approach to be taken).