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LALO . What�s that? Some history behind current Learning Standards Innitiatives and some updates!
WOW! What a busy time it has been on the Learning Architecture & Learning Objects (LALO) front! Earlier in the year Wayne said, �... and it looks like 1998 will be the year LALO will truly get real!� He sure predicted that one correctly! The short story is that after several years of working on LALO and seeing great progress, we are now finally seeing our work show up in some very real and tangible forms. The most notable result is that we saw the release of the first draft document of the Learning Object Metadata specifications from the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC).
If you are interested in any of this information, the time for YOU and your organizations to act is NOW! The primary action necessary is that of developing a strategy for these standards and their consequences so that you will be prepared for their imminent arrival. Standards in the areas of LALO are definitely coming! It is no longer a question of �if,� but of �when.� The question you need to ask is, �Will you be ready?� Will you know how to use these standards for maximum competitive advantage? Will you know what to tell your customers? What will YOUR strategy by for learning standards? Please read on for information on how to start to develop or update your strategy to take maximum advantage of these coming standards for Learning Architectures & Learning Objects (aka LALO).
LALO 101: A quick history for newcomers
If you are new to talk about LALO or still not sure what the heck it is, here is a quick description and then links to other resources.
In addition to being the acronym for Learning Architectures and Learning Objects, LALO is a Computer Education Management Association (CEdMA) Task Force that was formed back in 1995 out of the growing awareness of the critical role that these topics were going to have for both our companies and our learning & training industry. As a result, a number of CEdMA members joined Wayne Hodgins to form a CEdMA task force to further explore these topics and come back to CEdMA with a set of recommendations. After about a year of our due diligence work they came back to CEdMA membership with the conclusions that the LALO topics were very real and in all our futures, they were very real challenges and ones that could be solved. So they received a mandate from the membership to continue the LALO task force and develop some actionable plans. A primary objective was to take the LALO visions and observations above and beyond CEdMA to involve other companies, organizations and groups that would need to play a role in developing such solutions. In short, LALO was much bigger than CEdMA and real solutions would require a significantly larger effort involving a much larger community of those concerned. In 1997 they set out to do just this and broaden LALO�s horizons.
The VISION of the LALO task force is to enable new and existing learning content to be created as independent Learning Objects, such that they can be assembled in any combinations to meet an individual's learning needs, resulting in increased personal productivity. The primary GOAL of this task force was to �Facilitate development of industry standards for learning architectures & learning objects.�
The `Bilities
Perhaps the best way to summarize the key points of LALO is to have standards that will maximize the following `bilities:
- Interoperability
- Accessibility
- Reusability
- Discoverability
- Extensibility
- Affordability
- Manageability
Still want more history and overview? Check out the LALO introduction from January 1998.
What�s new? A quick update.
From a very long list, here are the three most significant developments since the last update:
- The release of the first draft specification for Learning Object Metadata by the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC).
- The Federal Learning Initiatives & Role of Standards meeting in Washington DC
- The Metadata for Multimedia (MMI) workshop
Learning Object Metadata specification draft developed and released!
The work of the IEEE LTSC was amongst the most significant to LALO and a true milestone event in our work on standards. Metadata is one of the most critical areas requiring standards and one that stands in the way of most everything else falling into place. A simple term for a powerful concept, metadata is most easily defined as information about information. One of the most common examples is that of the information that you find on library cards in the card catalogues of libraries. The information on the card is metadata. Another good example is the information you find on any packaged food item that tells you everything from what is inside, to who makes it, to a full breakdown of every constituent part of the contents. What we need standards for are the names of each of these categories or �elements� so that all items would have metadata for a standard set of information or metadata elements. Sounds simple enough, but think about both having all the information you would want for every �learning object� or content out there and having an agreed upon standard set of metadata elements for this, you can begin to appreciate the magnitude of the undertaking!
After some very serious tries, a draft specification for Learning Object Metadata (LOM) has been developed by a diverse group who working together on the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC) Learning Object Metadata working group. Wayne Hodgins is the group�s chair. On the IEEE LTSC website you can find the LOM specification document itself and additional information for the ten other working groups of the LTSC who are working on related LALO areas such as Computer Managed Instruction (CMI), Learner Models, Glossary, and much more. A summary of these groups can be found here, too.
Federal Learning Initiatives & Standards
The US Federal Government is the world�s largest training organization, so it has a critical role to play in the learning and training industry both in terms of being the biggest �customer� and in terms of the initiatives and directions they take. It is no surprise then that many CEdMA member companies and individuals have been working with various federal learning initiatives in LALO related areas. The Summer�98 Masie Center TechLearn Live! Satellite broadcast had top officials from the White House, the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor to name a few, who are working in this area. Wayne, as a panelist representing CEdMA and the LTSC took advantage of the opportunity after the broadcast to discuss with the federal people the need for some common understanding and directions relative to their mutual interests in LALO. Elliott Masie and Wayne subsequently met with them to organize a meeting for top level US Federal Government officials to drive a common understanding of the work being done in this area and how they can all work best to move forward.
The meeting took place in Washington DC on June 23rd, 1998 and it sparked incredible interest. Literally EVERY seat available was taken by the federal people who were invited. You can see and hear what happened at this meeting with the help of the Internet and RealVideo from http://www.techlearn.com/fli/ Elliott Masie moderated the meeting, kindly offered to broadcast the entire event, and archive it for future retrieval. Viewing does require you download browser plug in.
Metadata for Multimedia Information (MMI)
In an ongoing efforts to work in a global community and develop standards accordingly, we are working closely with many other efforts around the world. Metadata for Multimedia Information (MMI) in Europe is focusing on the issues surrounding the implementation of metadata standards, especially as they pertain to multiple media information. In MMI�s definition, this includes just about all information. MMI is organized under the European Commission�s ICT standards body. Wayne is the official liaison on the MMI committee for both CEdMA LALO and for the IEEE. He has attended their first two meetings in Brussels in February and May 1998. While still early, this group will likely have a critical impact as we explore what it means to take metadata standards and put them into practical application. Different individuals on this MMI committee and their work on different government and private projects in this area represent most countries in Europe. You can find more information about MMI http://www.cenorm.be/isss/Workshop/MMI/
Where to from here?
So don�t you want to know how to learn more, how you can get involved? Well there are many ways to help.
- If the IEEE LTSC Learning Object Metadata or any of the LTSC committees interest you, please go to the IEEE LTSC website to either subscribe to the listserv for LOM and/or any of the other working groups you are interested in. These working groups are also open and actively seeking more people get involved. You can participate in meetings, online discussions and vote on the issues shaping this important work.
- If you are interested in the US Federal government work in this area, check out the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) site at http://www.adlnet.org.
- Last and most important, start to discuss this in your company and with your peers NOW! Then get busy with the development of the strategy that YOU and YOUR company are going to use to take maximum advantage of these standards as they come out. The Learning Object Metadata specification is already available in draft form. Do you know what it is? Do you know how to use it in your company? Do you know how your customers are going to want and use it? Will you figure it out first or will your competition?
Please consider how you too can get involved and contribute to this effort.
References: What are those URLs again?
Is all of this a bit overwhelming? Don�t know where to start? Well don�t feel too badly you have lots of company and even better you have solutions to this challenge. The references below will help you get to some of the best background information and ways to get more involved in whatever aspects of LALO interest you most.
- http://www.cedma.org for information about the Computer Education Management Association
- http://ltsc.ieee.org for information and access to all the working groups of the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee such as the Learning Object Metadata and learn how to join related discussion lists, etc.
- http://www.adlnet.org for more information on the US Federal government�s initiative known as Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL)
- http://www.alx.org/news/ for more details on another significant US Federal government initiative, the �Americas Learning Exchange�
LALO Update from updated January 1998
In 1995, the Computer Education Management Association (CEdMA) formed a Task Force focused on Learning Architecture and Learning Objects (LALO) [pronounced �lay low�] to help the IT industry drive a set of standards that could be used throughout training programs and products to help people become more productive. The standard would be a set of API-like tags or meta-categories that could be used in any way with any topic, technology, or technique. The initial vision statement that the LALO Task Force developed continues to ring true.
"Enable new and existing learning content to be created as independent Learning Objects, such that they can be assembled and disassembled in any combinations to meet an individual's learning needs, resulting in increased personal productivity."
Any number of independent sources can create these Learning Objects at any time, in any location. These sources could include, but would not be limited to:
- CEdMA member companies or their partners
- Author and publisher community at large
- Academic institutions
- Individual contributors
- Public Sector
- Individuals and departments within any company, association, or institution.
This project grew out of the knowledge that member companies� internal and external customers are primarily interested in productivity gains and that these gains can no longer come from acquiring and applying technology in known and traditional processes. Increasingly innovative technologies will need to be applied in equally new and innovative ways. As a result, the ability to learn how to apply technology within innovative process (with increasingly productive results) is critical to the assimilation of the technology by users.
These solutions could best be met if there were Learning Objects that could be assembled in any order and grouping to meet the unique needs of individual learners and thus directly address the skills and competencies required to increase productivity. Doing so will require that these Learning Objects follow a set of guidelines detailing the technical and andragogical standards ensuring these Learning Objects fit and work together in any combination. The API-like set of guidelines is as conceptual as it is technical.
The LALO Task Force concluded its first phase at the end of 1996 by determining:
- This is an important, high-priority issue for many organization
- The problem is shared by the majority of CEdMA member companies
- The problem is solvable
- CEdMA has an appropriate role to play in the solution.
The challenges surrounding LALO are much larger than CEdMA members alone could address and any solutions require involvement from many different organizations.
Since then, the LALO team has been branching out, �spreading the word�, gaining momentum, and finding supporters in an effort to develop learning content standards. Specific activities have included presentations and meetings at the On-line Learning Conference sponsored by the Masie Center, active participation in the Learning-Objects discussion list on the Internet and subsequent participation in the IEEE P1484.X Learning Objects Study Group.
[Top of Page] [back to November 1998 update]
Who�s involved? Where do I go for more information?
In 1997, LALO transitioned from an CEdMA-only Task Force, to an open model welcoming all stakeholders. Since taking LALO outside of CEdMA, momentum and excitement have continued to grow. One of the best examples of interest is the increasing number of complimentary efforts that we have found or influenced. There are many groups actively looking at ways to enhance individual and organizational learning through some common terminology or objects. These include significant efforts at Universities around the world, as well as standards bodies such as the W3C, ISO and IEEE.
IEEE, P1484 Task Forces for Learning
One of the most promising of these groups is the IEEE as they are acting to converge the many different efforts around the world into common and complimentary efforts. In particular, the IEEE project know as �P1484 Working & Study Groups Developing Standard for Learning Technology� is a collection of nine (at last count) highly complimentary working and study groups that are hard at work in the areas of Learning Objects, Environments and Ontology's. Several people from the LALO Task Force, including Wayne Hodgins and Marcia Conner are actively participating in these groups on behalf of LALO and CEdMA by attending meetings and fostering conversation on their discussion list. If you are interested in getting more in-depth information about how you can participate, look through the P1484 web sites which has more details, white papers and news on upcoming meetings http://ltsc.ieee.org
Another step closer to the CEdMA vision
In the continuous quest of our vision to �be the vendor force shaping excellence in education, training & learning�, we are very pleased to inform you that in January, Wayne Hodgins was elected as Chair of the IEEE P1484 Working Group for Learning Objects and Metadata. Wayne ran on the CEdMA �platform� offering to represent the collective perspective and interests of the hardware and software vendor community globally and was elected unanimously! The Metadata group was chosen as this appears to be the initial �critical mass� needed to get significant efforts started within both CEdMA member companies, institutions So you may want to pay particular attention to the http://ltsc.ieee.org site as things develop. In particular, Wayne would be VERY interested in hearing any of your questions, concerns or other input to assist him in accurately representing your needs.
WGU, Western Govenor�s University
In addition, Wayne Hodgins was invited in the summer of 1997 to speak to the Western Governors University (http://www.westgov.org/smart/vu/vu.html) Advisory Board when they met along with the Economic Summit of the Eight in Denver, Colorado. He learned that WGU, and most of the officials from the eight countries attending the E8 Summit, are also seeing a need for a universal set of content standards to help their constituencies become more productive. Wayne has been asked to meet with the WGU Advisory Board as well as the National Governors Council to present more information on LALO and how our groups can best work together for mutual benefit.
LOMG, Learning Objects Metadata Group
In July, Marcia Conner attended on LALO and CEdMA�s behalf, the first meeting of the Learning Objects Metadata Group (LOMG). The group is made up of many different organizations also interested in personal productivity through learning objects. Because of the wealth of information and perspective represented in the group, the meeting attendees were able to draft a Learning Object Metadata Framework (LOMF) that is extensible, learning methodology independent, and provides for dynamic object class updating with repository integration. Attendees for at least some of the overview portions of the meeting came from organizations as far reaching as the DoD/Office of Science and Technology Task Force for Learning Objects, ISO, IEEE, NIST, private industry, academia (both higher-Ed and K-12), learning tool vendors, software vendors, Big 6 consulting firms, and even a venture capital who saw the benefits of keeping up with the trends in Learning Objects. A core team was formed to help flesh out some of the specifics with technical staffs from Apple, Netscape, @Learning, Educom-IMS and the Digital Library Project. Additional information on this group can be found at http://sdct-ntsrv2.ncsl.nist.gov/metadata/
LALO Links & References Galore!
In addition to the links noted above, the following references will provide you with a very comprehensive tour of other sites related to LALO topics. To get you warmed up and for a good quick overview on this whole area, go to http://www.eoe.org. This site is the home of the Education Objects Economy (EOE) and several outstanding papers. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can view a paper by Steve Ritter & Dan Suthers (9-8-97) entitled, "Technical Standards for Education."
Next, take a look at http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue7/mcf/ which has a good overview of specifics relating to Metadata and the Dublin Core. The ARIADNE group is a European effort working on efforts complimentary to LALO. They are now working closely with us on the IEEE P1484 effort helping ensure only one centralized standard effort.
Next stop is the Instructional Management Systems (IMS) at http://www.imsproject.org, which is a program of Educom (http//www.educom.org). They have done some significant work in the area of Metadata for Learning Objects that will be included within the IEEE P1484 standards.
Finally, though these are not really in any order, certainly not of importance, you should look at http://sdct-ntsrv2.ncsl.nist.gov/metadata/. This is the online home of a combined effort of many groups, companies and institutions for Metadata standards for multimedia objects in the learning domain.
How can you participate?
There are MANY ways for YOU to become active in these dialogs and planning sessions. If you are interested in helping people learn, the results of these efforts will effect you. If you are interested in participating in meetings, panels, focus group, planning sessions, or helping us write a few whitepapers, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] who can assist you in finding the best fit for your contributions and interests.
WOW! What a busy time it has been on the Learning Architecture & Learning Objects (LALO) front! In the last update in the previous edition of this CEdMA �Connections� newsletter I told said: ��.. and it looks like 1998 will be the year LALO will truly get �real!� and boy did I ever predict that one correctly! The short story is that after several years of working on LALO and seeing great progress, we are now finally seeing this progress show up in some very real and tangible forms. I'm sure most of you have had similar situations in your work so you know that this is a very welcomed outcome to your efforts. The most notable of these results is that we saw the release of the first draft document of the Learning Object Metadata specifications from the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee. More on this and where to find the document can be found later in this article.