Canadian <Metadata> Forum

Implementing e-Learning Standards in Explor@ and eduSource

Dr Gilbert Paquette
z Centre de recherche CIRTA (LICEF) and Cogigraph Technologies
Télé-université, Montréal
http://www.licef.teluq.uquebec.ca/gp/

Available also in [PDF 1,915 KB]

Road Map

Organizations

• 1972 TELUQ - Québec's Distance University
• 1984 Canal Savoir  -  Broadcasting Consortium
• 1992 LICEF  -  TELUQ's Research Centre
• 1999 Cogigraph  -  Transfer Company of LICEF
• 2000 CIRTA  -  LICEF Based Research Network

R&D Projects

• 1992-1995 AGD and Telecom multimédia
• 1995-1998 HyperGuide. TL-NCE, Advisor Systems
• 1999-2001 Explor@-1 and ADISA
• 2001-2003 SavoirNet and Explor@-2
• 2002-2004 eduSource Canada
• 2003-2008 LORNET  -  NSERC Research Network

Main Focus on Instructional Engineering

Tech Transfert to Universities and Organizations

Positioning our Work

eduSource Deliverables

Exciting Megatrends

1. Third Wave, Semantic, Progammable Web
2. Knowledge Management
3. Object-based Learning Environments
4. Interoperability Standards

New Potential To Renew Pedagogy ?
What are the conditions ?

Internet's Third Wave

First wave: STATIC TEXT and DATA EXCHANGE

• Primarily static HTML pages: text and data services
• Email, FTP, forum (asychronous communication)

Second wave: DYNAMIC MULTIMEDIA

• Dynamic pages, ASP, JSP
• Facilitated transfer of images, sound and video
• Desktop audio/video conference

Third wave: SEMANTIC and PROGRAMMABLE

• Integration of applications, API enabled by web services
• Ex: Google Alerts, Amazon's API
• Distributed computing, P2P, and mobile networking
• Semantic web and knowledege-based technologies
• Open source, sharing of objects and applications
• New generation of Distributed Learning Environments

Use Cases - 1

Use Cases - 2

eduSource Infrastructure

eduSource Prototype

Building LO Repositories in Explor@

Referencing Learning Objects: describing properties and types

Searching for Objects

Value-added Service: Aggregation

Learning Design Aggregation

Environment Aggregation

Environment Construction

Obstacles and Challenges

Technical Challenges

• Generic Software
  • Separated tools
  • Integrated Suite
  • Interoperability at the OS level

• DL System
  • Separated Tools
  • LMS, LCMS
  • Web services interoperability

Pedagogical Challenges

• The object paradigm is economical, flexible and forces pedagogical re- evaluation
• Attach more importance to communication and learning activities than medias, documents or content
• Separate content object from use scenarios and learning environments
• Reusability must protect good quality learning scenarios
• Reuse of learning models can bring more than just recycling content.

Cultural Obstacles

• Lecturing instead of facilitating learning
• The library "course"
• Lack of pedagogical training of the majority of teachers
• Reproduce the way we have been taught
• IP vs Open Source
• Collaboration between content creator and institutions