IMS Content Packaging

Definition

IMS Content Packaging has the following objectives:

• allow transfert of e-learning contents from one system to an other (interoperability)
• allow to import/export contents into/from a [learning management system]. Therefore also be able to use an indepenant editing tool.

• IMS Content Packaging is also part of ADL/SCORM 1.2 and 1.3 (2004)

Package architecture

1. A zip file that contains various elements, e.g. HTML pages, pictures, Flash Animations, PPT (whatever, the idea is that you take formats that your client can handle)
2. A special file in the zip is the "manifest" containing:
   • a meta-data section
   • a resource list (i.e. all the other files plus resources on the Net (URLs)
   • an organizational section that describes the structure of how the elements can sequence.

• The manifest can contain IMS Simple Sequencing instructions.

• In more technical terms: The IMS Simple Sequencing binding defines a unique namespace for sequencing elements in such a way as to permit these elements to be embedded within an IMS Content Packaging manifest file. Elements in the Simple Sequencing namespace can be considered as extending the functionality of Content Packaging to included additional sequencing information. Simple Sequencing elements are intended to be included in the >organization&lt element of Content Packaging, which contains items that may be recursively included to create hierarchical trees of items. This tree corresponds to the activity tree that drives sequencing.

Tools

Editors:

• http://www.reload.ac.uk/tools.html
• http://exelearning.org/

See also: Learning management systems.

Links

• [IMS Global Learning Consortium]

References

• [Content Packaging Specification]
• Simple Sequencing Specification