IMS Global Learning Consortium
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Definition
IMS Global Learning Consortium is probably the major player in the world of e-learning standards.
Here is a quote from their WebSite (Feb 2006): "The mission of the IMS Global Learning Consortium is to support the adoption and use of learning technology worldwide. IMS is a non-profit organization that includes more than 50 Contributing Members and affiliates" ... "MS develops and promotes the adoption of open technical specifications for interoperable learning technology. Several IMS specifications have become worldwide de facto standards for delivering learning products and services. IMS specifications and related publications are made available to the public at no charge."
The role of IMS
(this section needs rewriting. It's a bit confusing and it's not complete - DSchneider 12:27, 14 December 2006 (MET))
Until recently IMS was (in my opinion) the champion of promoting e_learning as a form of computer-based training, i.e. web-based training or e-instruction.
Some of their major contributions to standardization are:
- IMS Content Packaging
- IMS Simple Sequencing (ignored standard)
- Learning Object Metadata Standard (LOM, which is now a IEEE standard)
- IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI), a test and testing data standard
These standards also have been adopted by the influential SCORM "standards".
More recently, in the mid and end-2000's, there were several interesting additions:
- IMS Learning Design which is a specification that supports sophisticated instructional designs.
- IMS General Web Services to allow for interoperability of various systems. E.g. in some future you may be able to play a content hosted a learning management system within some more creative plateform (like this Wiki).
- IMS Common Cartridge (IMS CC). This is an effort that, like IMS SS or IMS LD, can be defined as extension of IMS Content Packaging, i.e. it provides for the inclusion of question and test formats (e.g. IMS QTI), interfaces to external tools and inclusion of tools internal to the LMS like Forums. It also includes a simple basic version of IMS Learning tools interoperability
- IMS Learning Tools Interoperability (IMS LTI)
IMS LTI and IMS CC may be in competition with the latest SCORM initiatives. E.g. we believe that IMS CC is roughly equivalent to SCORM 2004 and that SCORM's "Tin Can" API is more powerful than IMS LTI. But we didn't test any of these, partly because implementors of most LMSs in use of higher education are hopelessly behind and sort of more or less recent standard.