Implications of IMS Learning Design for eXe

If LD becomes a more widely implemented can the eXe be used to author for systems that implement a LD runtime engine? Probably not as content like the eXe generates is more likely to be SCOs within a larger system; but if LD does become popularized (ie. implemented in more systems) the the need to generate small, quick, agile SCOs will increase. eXe could become a great way to generate SCOs. Also the SCOs will probably need to carry other specifications (within the Submanifests?) to add functionality to systems that understand, metatada, simple sequencing, or eventualy IMS-LD.

One thing that has always been desirable is to have the inclusion of a 'discussion iDevice'. LD suggests that if a runtime engine for LD was available this would be possible, and may open up the possibilities of a range of new iDevices. The implementation of LD will generate a whole bunch of potentially new iDevices.

At the moment the more 'sophisticated' iDevices rely on the eXe to implement some of the 'interactivity' but this logic could be returned to the LMS and triggered by content packages. Perhaps we should take a look at Coppercore and see whether there is a way to enhance eXe with LD; increasingly there will be more attention to Coppercore and I suspect that Moodle will also get a php version of LD. Coppercore/Reload? editor is currently all there is in this sphere. Does eXe need to be able to run LearningDesign sequences in order be able to author them, or can we just provide a "representation" of LD? Is this similiar to QTI? - i.e. we don't need to implement QTI to author multichoice questions --- DJM

BAS --- No, I don't think so. I've revised the above to represent a little more how I see the eXe integrating with more sophisticated systems that do implement things like LD. Complex systems will probably require more granular SCOs - eXe could find quite a niche in generating these. I think that we need to keep an eye on LD and ways to integrate more specifications into SCORM packages so that eXe SCOs are easily imported into Learning Object repositories, etc....

WGM --- LD is a very important space that we need to consider carefully. That said, from a pedagocial perspective - it is a complicated challenge. Good learning design is based on a delicate balance between what to teach (content) and how to teach it (form). Moreover, learning is always contextual. For example, a learning design that worked with a student group last year, will not necessarily work with this year's students. Also, reusability of a digital learning object is inversely related to the amount of embedded pedagogy. One way to enhance the contextual relevance of a SCO suggests the inclusion of more "discussion type" iDevices to improve interaction around "static" objects. In this regard it is worthwhile to consider Michael Moore's theory of transactional distance (explained briefly in Vandergrift's paper). Briefly - "pedagogical distance" (or contextual relevance)is determined by the interaction of two variables: (1) structure (pre-designed learning sequence) and (2) dialogue (interaction). However, this cannot be divorsed from the contextual demands of a learning task (e.g. philosophy has different learning demands from the discipline of physics) or the unique characteristics of individual learners (eg preknowledge, ability or preferences). When we are thinking about dialogue - we must also remember that there are different forms of interaction. These include (1) student-content interaction (which can take the form of simulated dialogue in the case where a teacher includes preplanned feedback like our javascript feedback in a multi-choice idevice), student-student interaction (e.g. discussing an assignment in the pub)or student-lecturer interaction (e.g an asynchronous discussion forum). OK, what does this mean for eXe.

• Smaller discrete SCO's would conceivably make it easier to build more responsive sequences with LD;
• However, this does not necessarily overcome the challenge of contextualisation (learning task and student characteristics);
• I suspect that a good LD-type SCO would need to have some semantic intelligence in terms of how it relates to a learning situation and sits within a multi-dimensional knowledge ontology and mult-dimensional epistemology;

The strategic advantage of eXe as an auhtoring environment would lie in is capabilities for an author or student to recontextualise/ reconfigure a digital object. Because eXe iDevices contain both content and form aspects in a structured environment - it should theoretically be easier to recontextualise. In my view this is a dimension worth researching a little more.