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Summary of IEEE P1484 Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC)
This document is an unofficial summary of information available at the P1484 web site. It was prepared by Byron Davies as a means to learn about the activities of the Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC), and made available as a contribution to the LTSC community. For an introduction to the IEEE Computer Society Standards process, see the Orientation Handbook for Standards Volunteers.
IEEE P1484.1 Architecture & Reference Model Working Group
Scope: specify architecture/reference model for CAI, specifically ILE and ITS, including (1) framework and vocabulary for describing CAI architectures, (2) information interchange, (3) external interfaces, (4) expectations for component behavior, (5) external services and facilities. (6) documentation/configuration guidelines.
Purpose: Need more than just a learner model; also need to specify common architecture for CAI systems. Goal: OMG-like results for learning technology. Benefits: easier maintenance/upgrading, reuse of components for new applications, access to distributed object computing, interoperation with commercial software products, component marketplace.
IEEE P1484.2 Learner Model Working Group
Scope: syntax and semantics of a learner model, including knowledge, skills, abilities, learning styles, records, and personal information -- at multiple levels of granularity.
Purpose: (1) enable learner to build lifelong personal learner model, (2) enable personalized instruction, (3) provide researchers with data, (4) developed new reality-based educational standards, (5) provide architectural guidance to system developers.
IEEE P1484.3 Learning Technology Glossary Working Group
Scope: list and define terms used in other LTSC standards
Purpose: enable consistent use of terminology, enable LTSC standards users to understand terms used in standards documents, and enable others in LT field to understand and use standard terminology.
IEEE P1484.4 Task Model Working Group
Scope: specify syntax and semantics of a static task model, including task description, member prerequisites, member roles, schedule, resources, learning objectives, deliverable, and assessment. Multidimensional: school/work, individual/team, verbal/complex written assignments, young to old, recruiting to assessment, physical/virtual.
Purpose: (1) enable employer guidance to students, (2) enable student to meet employer requirements, (3) facilitate job search/evaluation/application, (4) facilitate employee search/evaluation/recruitment/selection/orientation, (5) facilitate matching students with intern assignments.
IEEE P1484.6 Session Management Working Group
Scope: specification language and environment for managing sessions in learning technology systems, including (1) concepts, semantics, and syntax, (2) session execution/control mechanisms, (3) data exchange, (4) encoding for interactive lesson plans.
Purpose: support individualized instruction by adapting lessons according to student progress. The key object is the "lesson plan". Benefits: standard lesson plan format for courseware developers, better info for purchasers and students.
IEEE P1484.7 Tool/Agent Communication Working Group
Scope: standard for interaction between non-tutorial applications ("tools") and instructional agents designed to facilitate/teach the use of the tools. Standard specifies communication from the tool to the agent, from the agent to the tool, and between multiple instructional agents.
Purpose: to establish protocol to govern interaction between tools and agents. Benefits: guidance for tool standards, so tutorial designers can, e.g., design spreadsheet tutors independent of specific spreadsheet implementations (building on something like Visual Basic or Applescript/Apple events).
IEEE P1484.10 CBT Interchange Language Working Group
Scope: define major media components (audio, video, animations, graphics), reference existing standards, define scripting language for linking components.
Purpose: enable cross-platform use of media data components, enable creation of content-independent courseware delivery systems.
IEEE P1484.11 Computer Managed Instruction Working Group
Scope: describing course content, organizing lessons into a course, assigning course units at particular times, communicating between CMI software and courseware, describing course objectives and relating them to course content, reporting student performance and relating performance to objectives. Out of scope: curriculum design, lesson content, behavior/structure of a lesson, analysis of student performance data.
Purpose: to facilitate the integration of heterogeneous lessons into a cohesive course by standardizing the description and sequencing of lessons in a course. Also course/lesson interchangeability/interoperability, course modification/expansion, easy analysis of student data from different lessons.
IEEE P1484.12 Learning Objects And Metadata Study Group
Scope: learning object metadata, including multimedia content, instructional content, learning objectives, instructional software/tools, persons, organizations, events. Also pedagogical attributes such as teaching/interaction style, grade level, mastery level, prerequisites.
Purpose: (a) enable learners or instructors to search, evaluate, acquire, and utilize learning objects, (b) sharing and exchange of learning objects, (c) decomposability of learning objects, (d) automated composition of personalized lessons, (e) to complement distributed object computing standards, (f) to capture milestone completion, (g) to support a learning object economy, (h) to enable expression of educational content and performance standards in a standardized format, (i) to support collection and sharing of applicability/ effectiveness data, (j) simplicity and extensibility, (k) security and authentication for distribution and use.
IEEE P1484.13 Student Identifier Study Group
Scope: specify syntax and other properties of unique student identifiers, suitable for students at all levels and organizations with limited computer expertise.
Purpose: to provide an easy-to-remember student ID for uniquely identifying learners to computer-based learning systems. No meetings held yet.
Thanks to Byron Davies, Ph.D. for originally putting together this summary. http://members.home.net/daviesaz/ltsc-summaries.html.