OpenGLM

Draft

Open Graphical Learning Modeller (OpenGLM) is an open-source learning design authoring tool which supports IMS Learning Design at levels A and B. The tool was conceived to facilitate non-experts in IMS Learning Design in creating, sharing and reusing units of learning. To achieve this, OpenGLM focuses on two features that differentiate it from most other IMS LD authoring tools. First, it adopts a visual modelling metaphor that conceals the complex and unintuitive elements and structures of IMS LD from the graphical user interface. Second, it provides built-in search, import and export access to an open repository which hosts more than 80,000 educational resources ranging from single learning objects to full online courses.

Introduction

The Open Graphical Learning Modeller (OpenGLM) is a learning design authoring toolkit that supports the authoring of IMS Learning Design (LD) units of learning at levels A and B. OpenGLM was developed in the context of the ICOPER project; it is open source software, available for download from SourceForge at [1]. There are platform specific binaries available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It is a cross-platform Java application based on Graphical Learning Modeller (GLM), which was developed on top of the Reload Learning Design Editor’s Java code base in the EU project Prolix. Reload LD Editor was developed at the University of Bolton as part of a project that focused on the development of tools incorporating emerging learning technology interoperability specifications. OpenGLM thus builds on a stack of existing code developed in previous R&D projects. OpenGLM’s main add-ons to the original GLM include enhancements for supporting communities of practice in sharing IMS LD units of learning along with standardised learning outcome definitions by providing built-in features for search, import from and export to a large online repository––the Open ICOPER Content Space (OICS). The OICS is a repository for different types of educational resources containing about 80,000 openly accessible objects contributed by content providers from all over the world, including OU’s OpenLearn, OER Commons, MIT OpenCourseWare, to name a few.

The main goal of developing OpenGLM was to provide comprehensive and intuitive IMS LD modelling software, which reduces the complexity of the IMS LD specification to a degree where teaching practitioners are enabled to build IMS LD conformant units of learning. A subsidiary goal thus was to create translation mechanisms that interpret a graphical representation of a learning design and convert it to the required XML format as specified in the IMS LD information model. These goals were achieved by viewing the activities of learners and instructors as the modelling core around which to build other aspects covered by the IMS LD specification. The activities are graphically displayed and may be freely defined and arranged by the learning designer.

Using OpenGLM, teaching practitioners are enabled to intuitively create units of learning to be played in IMS LD enabled learning management systems. A new educational opportunity is created as the barrier for access is lowered, and thus the number of learning designers that produce IMS LD conformant units of learning may be increased; more units of learning may then be produced, exchanged, and evaluated as was one of the original goals of the IMS LD specification.