A highly modular and extensible architecture for an integrated IMS‐based authoring system: the <e‐Aula> experience

Abstract

The <e-Aula> platform is a new experimental e-learning environment that adheres closely to IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc. e-learning standards in order to facilitate their applicability in different learning scenarios. <e-Aula> is equipped with an integrated modular and extensible architecture for the authoring of IMS-compliant learning materials focused on the IMS manifest. This manifest-driven architecture facilitates maintenance and promotes the evolution of the authoring system in <e-Aula>, both of which are mandatory requirements in the successful production and maintenance of content for many different specialized learning domains. In this paper, we describe this authoring system, its manifest-driven architecture and its implementation using well-known and robust Java-based Web technologies. Copyright to introduce E-learning facilities by using e-learning platforms. These platforms enhance instruction by allowing teachers to manage learner data, offering personalized learning material, and tracking learner activity inside the environment [1]. Nevertheless, such approaches are frequently exposed to specific and recurring obstacles that are clearly identified but not always carefully confronted [2,3]. One of these obstacles is the obsolescence of the material. It is common to see that excellent material, obtained at an enormous cost by employing multidisciplinary groups of experts, quickly becomes obsolete upon the appearance of new technology on the market (e.g. the transition from videodisc or CD-ROM to a Web-based environment). Another recurrent obstacle is the lack of support for reuse. While teachers will often use material already prepared for other subjects to their advantage (e.g. figures or examples proposed in books and even material borrowed from other teachers), the platform often does not provide them with specific facilities to aid this reuse of the contents in the creation of new courses. These obstacles can be adequately addressed with the use of e-learning standards.Several initiatives on recommendations and standards covering the needs of e-learning environments that allow a high durability and reusability of the contents have been proposed (e.g. IMS [4], ADL-SCORM [5], AICC [6] and IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC) [7]). Among these initiatives, we have focused our attention on the proposals of the IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc., since they are the most comprehensive collection of specifications and are becoming the most solid basis for industrial standards in the field. IMS is an international consortium which brings together experts from the different fields involved (directly or indirectly) in e-learning technologies. The main concern of IMS is the interoperability between e-learning systems, and for this purpose the consortium has delivered several specifications covering different aspects of the interoperability process. The core of the IMS specifications is IMS Content Packaging (IMS CP) [8], which defines how to aggregate educational contents into packag...

A documental approach to adventure game development

“…As described in [21], we are working on the integration of <e-Game> with different e-learning platforms, including our <e-Aula> experimental Leaning Management System [38,41]. Nevertheless, we also would like to apply <e-Game> to alternative environments besides the educational domain of our case studies.…”

Language engineering techniques for the development of e-learning applications

“…We have followed this approach in the work reported by Sierra et al (2007b), and . The first of these papers describes an agenda-based importation system for IMS Content Packaging.…”

“…We have successfully tested these language-driven principles in the development of several e-learning systems and applications (Ferná ndez-Manjó n and Ferná ndez-Valmayor, 1997; MorenoGer et al, 2007;Sierra et al, 2006cSierra et al, , 2007bSierra et al, , 2008c), where we have tested the importance of using domain-specific languages to orchestrate the collaboration needed between instructors and developers. In these experiences we have also realized the feasibility of a complementary approach to the interoperabilityoriented standardization efforts when adopting a language-driven process model.…”

A language-driven approach for the design of interactive applications

“…In this experience we put special emphasis on involving domain experts, archaeologists, ethnologists and historians in the design of such languages from the beginning. -The <e-Aula> platform, a highly customizable research e-learning platform (Sierra et al, 2007c). This platform, which is also doted with an MVC architecture, is fully compliant with the e-learning specifications proposed by the IMS consortium (visit www.imsglobal.org).…”