Learning object standard

Definition

There exist a certain number of standards to define various parts of learning objects. Most of these standards define a learning object in terms of IMS Content Packaging. I.e. There is a widely accepted common data structure withing which Learning Object Metadata Standard and educational "organizations" can be defined.

Assembly and data description

• IMS Content Packaging, a standard for assembly of resources, metadata and sequencing information into a learning object
• IEEE Learning Object Metadata Standard (LOM), a standard to describe artifacts

Modeling languages (see educational modeling language)

• IMS Learning Design and IMS Simple Sequencing, to describe pedagogical scenarios
• IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI), a test and testing data standard
• There are many more "local" initiatives, a lot "just" research.

Combined profiles

• The SCORM 1.2 profile extends IMS Content Packaging with more sophisticated sequencing and Contents-to-LMS communication
• The SCORM 2004 profile includes IMS Simple Sequencing

More stuff

• There are more IMS Global Learning Consortium standards, e.g. some related to student data.

Overview table standardized learning objects

The following overview table attempts to provide a summary of the most common specifications and standards used to define learning objects, mostly things that one could put inside an IMS Content Packaging. For more information you'd have to click on various links ...

this table needs some additions and fixes. Please don't fully trust this, I am just trying to summarize information and by no means I feel passionate about e-learning standards

- DSchneider 12:39, 21 December 2006 (MET)

Name	Version	Description	Status	Origin	Standards Body	Part of / adopted by	Integrates with
Comments/ explanations	Not all are shown	Contents are more or less copied from relevant web sites	Is it really used ? and where	Who worked on the spec.	Who is the final authority	Is it part of a collection / profile ?	Can it contain others or is it containable ?
Content Packaging (overall structure of a reusable learning object, e.g. metadata, resources and minimal sequencing)
IMS Content Packaging (CP)	1.1.2 (8/2001)	The IMS Content Packaging Specification provides the functionality to describe and package learning materials, such as an individual course or a collection of courses, into interoperable, distributable packages. Content Packaging addresses the description, structure, and location of online learning materials and the definition of some particular content types. IMS CP can be extented		Ariadne and others	IMS	SCORM 1.2	Can contain: IMS Learning Resource Meta Data (almost IEEE LOM)
	1.1.3 (7/2003)	Minor change of 1.1.2		IMS	IMS
	1.1.4 (2004)	A maintenance release of 1.1.2 (17 precisions meaning that badly written 1.1.3 files should be fixed)	Imports in most LMS (if it can handle the organizations part ...)	IMS	IMS	SCORM 1.4	Can contain: IEEE LOM IMS LD IMS SS IMS QTI Is extended by the SCORM CAM Model
1.2 (end 2006)	No idea		IMS	IMS	SCORM 1.4
Content / Course Structure models (these include content packaging + specifications for more sophisticated resources & sequences)
AICC Course Structure Format		(see below)		AICC	AICC
SCORM Content Structure Format (CSF)			This format is deprecated (replaced by IMS CP + Scorm CAM extensions that integrate CFS functionality)	AICC	ADL	SCORM 1.1
SCORM Sharable Content Objects (SCOs)		A single launchable resource that can communicate with an LMS using the SCORM RTE. Scorm opposes SCO to assets (i.e. simple electronic representations of media, such as text, images, sound, web pages or other pieces of data that can be delivered using web technologies.)				SCORM 1.2 SCORM 2004
SCORM Content Aggregation Model (CAM)	SCORM 1.2	The CAM specifies how you should package your content so that it can be imported into an LMS (Assembling, labeling and packaging of learning content)			ADL	SCORM 1.2	IMS CP IEEE LOM SCORM CP extensions (assets vs. SCOs, Sequencing and navigation info)
	SCORM 2004				ADL	SCORM 2004	IMS CP IEEE LOM SCORM CP extensions
Meta Data (description of an overall learning object or parts of it)
IMS Meta-Data (MD)	1.2 (2001) 1.2.1 (2001) 1.2.2 (draft) 1.2.4 (2001)	Outdated now, but older "profiles" require one of these versions. Differences among subversions are minor		Elements from Ariadne, Dublin Core, AICC	IMS
Learning Object Metadata Standard (LOM)	IEEE Std 1484.12.1 - 2002 (IMS 1.3)	A slightly cleaned up version of IMS Meta Data 1.2	Part of Content Profiles; Used by some learning object repository	IMS	IEEE	IMS Meta-Data 1.3; SCORM 1.2 SCORM 2004; Many repositories	Usually part of an IMS CP (or extensions)
Dublin Core			Very popular with digital library, e.g. DSPACE
Pedagogical contents and activities (see Educational modelling languages)
IMS Content Packaging (CP) (default organization)		By default, IMS CP allows to define a tree-based organization of learning items. Each item can refer to resources (assets) that the learner can access through a player (lms).				SCORM 1.2 SCORM 2004	IMS CP 1.1.x
IMS Simple Sequencing (SS)						SCORM 2004
IMS Learning Design (LD)						not in any SCORM profile
IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI)	1.2 1.2 Lite 1.2.1	The IMS Question & Test Interoperability (QTI) specification describes a data model for the representation of question (assessmentItem) and test (assessmentTest) data and their corresponding results reports					IMS CP
	2.0 2.1	This version adds many features.					IMS CP IMS LD IMS SS SCORM 2004
Run-Time environment specifications and data models
Scorm Run-Time Environment (RTE)	1.3 1.3.1	The RTE specifies how content should behave once it has been launched by the LMS. Includes: API, API Instance, Launch, Session methods, Data Transfer Methods, Support Methods, Temporal Model, Run-Time Data Model.			ADL	SCORM 1.2
	1.0 (more recent !)					SCORM 2004
Scorm Sequencing and Navigation (SN)	1.3 1.3.1	Activity Tree, Learning Activities, Sequencing Information, Navigation Information, Navigation Data Model. See also: The SCORM CAM				SCORM 2004 1st/2nd (Scorm 1.3)	IMS SS Sequencing Rules and Behaviors
	1.0					SCORM 2004 3rd ed.
AICC CMI Data Model		This data model makes sure that a defined set of information about SCOs can be tracked by different LMS environments			AICC (also IEEE?)	SCORM 1.2 (RTE); AICC Computer Managed Instruction (CMI)
IEEE ECMAScript Application Programming Interface for Content to Runtime Services Communication					IEEE	SCORM 2004
IEEE Data Model For Content Object Communication					IEEE	SCORM 2004
Profiles (collections of one or more specifications / standards)
AICC Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) specifications							Contains: ICC Course Structure Format; AICC CMI Data Model;
SCORM Content Aggregation Model (CAM)		The CAM specifies how you should package your content so that it can be imported into an LMS			ADL	SCORM 1.2	IMS CP IMS MD SCORM CP extensions
SCORM	1.0		Rarely used		ADL
	1.1		Not well supported (most systems support 1.2)		ADL
	1.2		This is still the most popular profile (2006)On dec 18 2006, there were 71 certified systems.	Elements from IMS, AICC, ARIADNE, IEEE LTSC	ADL		IMS CP IMS MD SCORM RTE SCORM CAM
	2004 1st & 2nd edition (alias SCORM 1.3 / 1.3.1)						IEEE LOM IMS CP Sequencing and Navigation SN (includes IMS SS) SCORM Conttent Aggregation Model (CAM)
	2004 (1st, 2nd, 3rd edition)		On dec 18, 2006 there were 32 certified products, but no major players.		ADL		IEEE LOM IMS CP Sequencing and Navigation SN (includes IMS SS) IEEE ECMAScript API IEEE Data Model for Content Object Communication