The JISC Information Environment and VLEs Andy Powell [email_address] UKOLN, University of Bath IE Joint Programme Meeting, Nottingham October/November 2002

Contents summary of the technical architecture of the JISC Information Environment relationship to eLearning standards (IMS) snapshot of new JISC DiVLE programme simple example of link between JISC IE, a Learning Management System (LMS) and a backend Learning Object (LO) repository http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc-ie/

summary of the technical architecture of the JISC Information Environment

relationship to eLearning standards (IMS)

snapshot of new JISC DiVLE programme

simple example of link between JISC IE, a Learning Management System (LMS) and a backend Learning Object (LO) repository

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc-ie/

Simple scenario consider a lecturer searching for materials for a course module covering the development of business in China the aim is to construct a ‘hybrid’ reading list that can be given to students to support their coursework he or she searches for ‘business china’ using: the RDN, to discover Internet resources ZETOC, to discover recent journal articles

consider a lecturer searching for materials for a course module covering the development of business in China

the aim is to construct a ‘hybrid’ reading list that can be given to students to support their coursework

he or she searches for ‘business china’ using:

the RDN, to discover Internet resources

ZETOC, to discover recent journal articles

Issues different user interfaces look-and-feel subject classification, metadata usage everything is HTML – human-oriented difficult to merge results, e.g. combine into reading lists difficult to build a reading list to pass on to students need to manually copy-and-paste search results into HTML page, then upload into VLE

different user interfaces

look-and-feel

subject classification, metadata usage

everything is HTML – human-oriented

difficult to merge results, e.g. combine into reading lists

difficult to build a reading list to pass on to students

need to manually copy-and-paste search results into HTML page, then upload into VLE

Issues (2) difficult to move from discovering journal article to having copy in hand (or on desktop) users need to manually join services together problem with hardwired links to books and journal articles, e.g. lecturer links to university library OPAC but student is distance learner and prefers to buy online at Amazon lecturer links to IngentaJournals but student prefers paper copy in library

difficult to move from discovering journal article to having copy in hand (or on desktop)

users need to manually join services together

problem with hardwired links to books and journal articles, e.g.

lecturer links to university library OPAC but student is distance learner and prefers to buy online at Amazon

lecturer links to IngentaJournals but student prefers paper copy in library

The problem space… from perspective of ‘data consumer’ need to interact with multiple collections of stuff - bibliographic, full-text, data, image, video, etc. delivered thru multiple Web sites few cross-collection discovery services (with exception of big search engines like Google, but lots of stuff is not available to Google, i.e. it is part of the ‘invisible Web’) from perspective of ‘data provider’ few agreed mechanisms for disclosing availability of content

from perspective of ‘data consumer’

need to interact with multiple collections of stuff - bibliographic, full-text, data, image, video, etc.

delivered thru multiple Web sites

few cross-collection discovery services (with exception of big search engines like Google, but lots of stuff is not available to Google, i.e. it is part of the ‘invisible Web’)

from perspective of ‘data provider’

few agreed mechanisms for disclosing availability of content

UK JISC IE context… 206 collections and counting… (Hazel Woodward, e-ICOLC, Helsinki, Nov 2001) Books: 10,000 + Journals: 5,000 + Images: 250,000 + Discovery tools: 50 + A & I databases, COPAC, RDN, … National mapping data & satellite imagery plus institutional content (e-prints, research data, library content, learning resources, etc.) plus content made available thru projects – 5/99, FAIR, X4L, … plus …

206 collections and counting… (Hazel Woodward, e-ICOLC, Helsinki, Nov 2001)

Books: 10,000 +

Journals: 5,000 +

Images: 250,000 +

Discovery tools: 50 +

A & I databases, COPAC, RDN, …

National mapping data & satellite imagery

plus institutional content (e-prints, research data, library content, learning resources, etc.)

plus content made available thru projects – 5/99, FAIR, X4L, …

plus …

The problem(s)… portal problem how to provide seamless discovery across multiple content providers appropriate-copy problem how to provide access to the most appropriate copy of a resource (given access rights, preferences, cost, speed of delivery, etc.)

portal problem

how to provide seamless discovery across multiple content providers

appropriate-copy problem

how to provide access to the most appropriate copy of a resource (given access rights, preferences, cost, speed of delivery, etc.)

A solution… an information environment framework of machine-oriented services allowing the end-user to discover , access , use , publish resources across a range of content providers move away from lots of stand-alone Web sites... ...towards more coherent whole remove need for use to interact with multiple content providers note: ‘remove need’ rather than ‘prevent’

an information environment

framework of machine-oriented services allowing the end-user to

discover , access , use , publish resources across a range of content providers

move away from lots of stand-alone Web sites...

...towards more coherent whole

remove need for use to interact with multiple content providers

note: ‘remove need’ rather than ‘prevent’

JISC Information Env. discover finding stuff across multiple content providers access streamlining access to appropriate copy content providers expose metadata about their content for searching harvesting alerting develop services that bring stuff together portals (subject portals, media-specific portals, geospatial portals, institutional portals, VLEs, …)

discover

finding stuff across multiple content providers

access

streamlining access to appropriate copy

content providers expose metadata about their content for

searching

harvesting

alerting

develop services that bring stuff together

portals (subject portals, media-specific portals, geospatial portals, institutional portals, VLEs, …)

A note about ‘portals’ ‘ portal’ word possibly slightly misleading presentation layer will contain lots of user-focused services… subject portal reading list and other tools in VLE commercial ‘portals’ (ISI Web of Knowledge, ingenta, Bb Resource Center, etc.) library ‘portal’ (e.g. Zportal or MetaLib) SFX service component personal desktop reference manager (e.g. Endnote)

‘ portal’ word possibly slightly misleading

presentation layer will contain lots of user-focused services…

subject portal

reading list and other tools in VLE

commercial ‘portals’ (ISI Web of Knowledge, ingenta, Bb Resource Center, etc.)

library ‘portal’ (e.g. Zportal or MetaLib)

SFX service component

personal desktop reference manager (e.g. Endnote)

Discovery technologies that allow providers to disclose metadata to portals searching - Z39.50 (Bath Profile) harvesting - OAI-PMH alerting - RDF Site Summary (RSS) fusion services may sit between provider and portal broker (searching) aggregator (harvesting and alerting)

technologies that allow providers to disclose metadata to portals

searching - Z39.50 (Bath Profile)

harvesting - OAI-PMH

alerting - RDF Site Summary (RSS)

fusion services may sit between provider and portal

broker (searching)

aggregator (harvesting and alerting)

Access in the case of books, journals, journal articles, end-user wants access to the most appropriate copy need to join up discovery services with access/delivery services (local library OPAC, ingentaJournals, Amazon, etc.) need localised view of available services discovery service uses the OpenURL to pass metadata about the resource to an ‘OpenURL resolver’ the ‘OpenURL resolver’ provides pointers to the most appropriate copy of the resource, given: user and institutional preferences, cost, access rights, location, etc.

in the case of books, journals, journal articles, end-user wants access to the most appropriate copy

need to join up discovery services with access/delivery services (local library OPAC, ingentaJournals, Amazon, etc.)

need localised view of available services

discovery service uses the OpenURL to pass metadata about the resource to an ‘OpenURL resolver’

the ‘OpenURL resolver’ provides pointers to the most appropriate copy of the resource, given:

user and institutional preferences, cost, access rights, location, etc.

Shared services collection/service description service information about collections (content) and services (protocol) that make that content available authentication and authorisation resolver services user preferences and institutional profiles terminology services metadata registries ...

collection/service description service

information about collections (content) and services (protocol) that make that content available

authentication and authorisation

resolver services

user preferences and institutional profiles

terminology services

metadata registries

...

JISC Information Env. Broker/Aggregator Portal Portal Content providers End-user Portal Broker/Aggregator Authentication Authorisation Collect’n Desc Service Desc Resolver Inst’n Profile Shared services Provision layer Fusion layer Presentation layer

Summary Z39.50 (Bath Profile), OAI, RSS are key ‘discovery’ technologies... … and by implication, XML and simple/unqualified Dublin Core IEEE LOM doesn’t feature – but anticipate delivery of rich metadata as part of content packages access to resources via OpenURL and resolvers where appropriate Z39.50 and OAI not mutually exclusive general need for all services to know what other services are available to them

Z39.50 (Bath Profile), OAI, RSS are key ‘discovery’ technologies...

… and by implication, XML and simple/unqualified Dublin Core

IEEE LOM doesn’t feature – but anticipate delivery of rich metadata as part of content packages

access to resources via OpenURL and resolvers where appropriate

Z39.50 and OAI not mutually exclusive

general need for all services to know what other services are available to them

Common sense Z, OAI and RSS based on metadata ‘fusion’ - merging metadata records from multiple content providers need shared understanding and metadata practice across DNER need to agree ‘cataloguing guidelines’ and terminology 4 key areas subject classification - what is this resource about? audience level - who is this resource aimed at? resource type - what kind of resource is this? certification - who has created this resource?

Z, OAI and RSS based on metadata ‘fusion’ - merging metadata records from multiple content providers

need shared understanding and metadata practice across DNER

need to agree ‘cataloguing guidelines’ and terminology

4 key areas

subject classification - what is this resource about?

audience level - who is this resource aimed at?

resource type - what kind of resource is this?

certification - who has created this resource?

A couple of trends… move towards Web services small units of functionality b2b (m2m) remote procedure call (RPC) key technologies XML, HTTP, SOAP, WSDL, UDDI increased awareness of need to manage intellectual output of institutions… E-print archive (JISC FAIR programme) MIT Dspace project LO repositories (e.g. Intrallect IntraLibrary) Grid and Grid services

move towards Web services

small units of functionality

b2b (m2m) remote procedure call (RPC)

key technologies

XML, HTTP, SOAP, WSDL, UDDI

increased awareness of need to manage intellectual output of institutions…

E-print archive (JISC FAIR programme)

MIT Dspace project

LO repositories (e.g. Intrallect IntraLibrary)

Grid and Grid services

IBM Web services model service registry service provider service requestor Find Publish Bind WSDL UDDI WSDL SOAP WSDL UDDI

WSDL, UDDI and SOAP Web Service Description Language XML descriptions of Web services note: limited scope for describing content of collections Universal Discovery, Description and Integration technology for building distributed registry of Web services Simple Object Access Protocol remote procedure calls based on XML and HTTP

Web Service Description Language

XML descriptions of Web services

note: limited scope for describing content of collections

Universal Discovery, Description and Integration

technology for building distributed registry of Web services

Simple Object Access Protocol

remote procedure calls based on XML and HTTP

JISC IE - Web services service registry service provider service requestor Find Publish Bind Collection and Service description service JISC Inf. Env. Service registry Content providers, aggregators, brokers, shared services Portals, aggregators, brokers

JISC Information Env. Broker/Aggregator Portal Portal Content providers End-user Portal Broker/Aggregator Authentication Authorisation Collect’n Desc Service Desc Resolver Inst’n Profile Shared services Provision layer Fusion layer Presentation layer

JISC Information Env. Broker/Aggregator Portal Portal Content providers End-user Portal Broker/Aggregator Authentication Authorisation Resolver Inst’n Profile Shared services Provision layer Fusion layer Presentation layer Service provider Service requestor Service provider Service requestor Service registry

Likely impact… increased use of SOAP as carrier protocol move distributed search from Z39.50 to something based on SOAP (SRW possibly?) potential use of WSDL and UDDI to provide ‘collection’ and ‘service’ discovery services pilot JISC IE Service Registry at MIMAS

increased use of SOAP as carrier protocol

move distributed search from Z39.50 to something based on SOAP (SRW possibly?)

potential use of WSDL and UDDI to provide ‘collection’ and ‘service’ discovery services

pilot JISC IE Service Registry at MIMAS

A shared problem space problems faced by end-users are shared across sectors and communities student looking for information from variety of bibliographic sources lecturer searching for e-learning resources from multiple repositories researcher working across multiple data-sets and compute servers on the Grid researcher looking for e-prints in multiple e-print archives school child searching local museums/libraries for homework project a.n.other looking to buy or sell a second-hand car…

problems faced by end-users are shared across sectors and communities

student looking for information from variety of bibliographic sources

lecturer searching for e-learning resources from multiple repositories

researcher working across multiple data-sets and compute servers on the Grid

researcher looking for e-prints in multiple e-print archives

school child searching local museums/libraries for homework project

a.n.other looking to buy or sell a second-hand car…

IMS global consortium defining open standards for delivery of online distributed learning activities: Accessibility Competency Definitions Content Packaging Digital Repositories Enterprise Learner Information Package Meta-data Question & Test Simple Sequencing http://www.imsproject.org/

global consortium defining open standards for delivery of online distributed learning activities:

Accessibility

Competency Definitions

Content Packaging

Digital Repositories

Enterprise

Learner Information Package

Meta-data

Question & Test

Simple Sequencing

http://www.imsproject.org/

IMS Digital Repositories interoperability between VLE and repository repository of information objects learning object repository (LOR) ‘metadata only’ and ‘metadata and full-content’ repositories integration of VLE with backend LOR seamless access to information resources from within VLE Note: IMS uses Learning Management System (LMS) rather than VLE

interoperability between VLE and repository

repository of information objects

learning object repository (LOR)

‘metadata only’ and ‘metadata and full-content’ repositories

integration of VLE with backend LOR

seamless access to information resources from within VLE

Note: IMS uses Learning Management System (LMS) rather than VLE

IMS Digital Repositories Repositories Resource Utilizers Directories Vocabulary Competency Metadata Repositories Organizations Traders Access Management MANAGE RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS CONTROL ACCESS AUTHENTICATE AUTHORISE AUDIT Procurement NEGOTIATE TRADE MAKE PAYMENT SEARCH Learner Creator Infoseeker Assets Metadata DISCOVER REQUEST USE Presentation Mediation Provision People Agent RESOLVE Registries STORE STORE EXPOSE MANAGE STORE EXPOSE MANAGE DELIVER (Query, Browse, Follow Path) ACCESS GATHER PUBLISH MANAGE ALERT EXPOSE

Search/Expose 2 protocols supported… XQuery over SOAP (for native Learning Object Repositories) Z39.50 (for ‘legacy’ information object repositories) both return IEEE LOM metadata records ‘ IMS’ Z39.50 profile under development

2 protocols supported…

XQuery over SOAP (for native Learning Object Repositories)

Z39.50 (for ‘legacy’ information object repositories)

both return IEEE LOM metadata records

‘ IMS’ Z39.50 profile under development

Gather/Expose OAI-PMH carrying simple DC records (mandated by OAI) or IEEE LOM metadata need to agree details for how to carry IEE LOM records in OAI-PMH

OAI-PMH

carrying simple DC records (mandated by OAI) or IEEE LOM metadata

need to agree details for how to carry IEE LOM records in OAI-PMH

Alert/Expose no recommendations currently considering use of RSS (but concerns about conflicts between versions 0.9, 1.0 and 2.0)

no recommendations currently

considering use of RSS (but concerns about conflicts between versions 0.9, 1.0 and 2.0)

Request/Deliver HTTP (and FTP) use of DOIs and PURLs for persistent naming use of OpenURLs to resolve to ‘appropriate copy’ of information (bibliographic) resources

HTTP (and FTP)

use of DOIs and PURLs for persistent naming

use of OpenURLs to resolve to ‘appropriate copy’ of information (bibliographic) resources

Publish/Store FTP to upload IMS content packages to Learning Object Repositories

FTP

to upload IMS content packages to Learning Object Repositories

JISC IE and eLearning learning technologist creating learning object containing embedded links to hybrid external resources (books, journals, Web sites) lecturer searching for learning object to add to existing course material learning technologist searching for complete existing course to add to their LMS lecturer creating reading list containing hybrid resources (books, journals, Web sites) lecturer creating EML content package with embedded links to external resources student undertaking background research to support learning task

learning technologist creating learning object containing embedded links to hybrid external resources (books, journals, Web sites)

lecturer searching for learning object to add to existing course material

learning technologist searching for complete existing course to add to their LMS

lecturer creating reading list containing hybrid resources (books, journals, Web sites)

lecturer creating EML content package with embedded links to external resources

student undertaking background research to support learning task

JISC DiVLE Programme short projects (10 months) Theme A: Practical Exploration of Linking Digital Libraries and VLEs Theme B: Learning and Teaching Implementation Pilots Theme C: Evaluation and Review (technical, pedagogical and organisational issues) use of IE technologies within VLEs involvement of commercial partners

short projects (10 months)

Theme A: Practical Exploration of Linking Digital Libraries and VLEs

Theme B: Learning and Teaching Implementation Pilots

Theme C: Evaluation and Review (technical, pedagogical and organisational issues)

use of IE technologies within VLEs

involvement of commercial partners

VLEs and Z39.50 Talking Systems Lead Partner: University of Wales College, Newport. Partners: IBM, Lancaster University, SIRSI, Percussion integrating learning objects and information objects in library catalogues using Z39.50 Bath Profile PORTOLE Lead Partner: University of Leeds. Partners: University of Oxford, Resource Discovery Network integrated searching of library catalogue, RDN and local Leeds gateway cross-searching information and learning objects using Z39.50

Talking Systems

Lead Partner: University of Wales College, Newport. Partners: IBM, Lancaster University, SIRSI, Percussion

integrating learning objects and information objects in library catalogues using Z39.50 Bath Profile

PORTOLE

Lead Partner: University of Leeds. Partners: University of Oxford, Resource Discovery Network

integrated searching of library catalogue, RDN and local Leeds gateway

cross-searching information and learning objects using Z39.50

VLEs and OpenURLs EnCoRe - Enriching Courses with Resources Lead Partner: University of Derby. Partners: Openly Informatics OpenURLs, 1Cate, HERON OLIVE - Open Linking Implementation in a Virtual Learning Environment Lead Partner: Royal Holloway, University of London. Partners: University of Westminster, Ex Libris, Granada Learning, Blackboard OpenURLs for learning objects context-sensitive linking to resources from VLEs

EnCoRe - Enriching Courses with Resources

Lead Partner: University of Derby. Partners: Openly Informatics

OpenURLs, 1Cate, HERON

OLIVE - Open Linking Implementation in a Virtual Learning Environment

Lead Partner: Royal Holloway, University of London. Partners: University of Westminster, Ex Libris, Granada Learning, Blackboard

OpenURLs for learning objects

context-sensitive linking to resources from VLEs

VLEs and OpenURLs (2) DELIVER - Digital Electronic Library Integration within Virtual EnviRonments Lead Partner: London School of Economics. Partners: De Montfort University, WebCT, Blackboard, Sirsi (UK) Ltd, Talis management of links within learning objects central storage, distributed maintenance OpenURLs as one technology

DELIVER - Digital Electronic Library Integration within Virtual EnviRonments

Lead Partner: London School of Economics. Partners: De Montfort University, WebCT, Blackboard, Sirsi (UK) Ltd, Talis

management of links within learning objects

central storage, distributed maintenance

OpenURLs as one technology

Reading list example (1) lecturer creates reading list using Endnote – Z search of bibliographic services… RDN Resource Centre OPAC Ingenta Journals Amazon EndNote/ Reference Manager OpenURL resolver ZETOC Student Lecturer Librarian RDN Blackboard VLE

lecturer creates reading list using Endnote – Z search of bibliographic services…

Reading list example (2) lecturer uploads reading list thru LMS to backend learning object repository (RDN resource centre)… RDN Resource Centre OPAC Ingenta Journals Amazon EndNote/ Reference Manager OpenURL resolver ZETOC Student Lecturer Librarian RDN Blackboard VLE

lecturer uploads reading list thru LMS to backend learning object repository (RDN resource centre)…

Reading list example (3) student accesses reading list from learning object repository through LMS… links in reading list use OpenURLs RDN Resource Centre OPAC Ingenta Journals Amazon EndNote/ Reference Manager OpenURL resolver ZETOC Student Lecturer Librarian RDN Blackboard VLE

student accesses reading list from learning object repository through LMS…

links in reading list use OpenURLs

Reading list example (4) clicking on OpenURL links in reading list takes student to appropriate copies of resources via OpenURL resolver (e.g. SFX)… RDN Resource Centre OPAC Ingenta Journals Amazon EndNote/ Reference Manager OpenURL resolver ZETOC Student Lecturer Librarian RDN Blackboard VLE

clicking on OpenURL links in reading list takes student to appropriate copies of resources via OpenURL resolver (e.g. SFX)…

Reading list example (5) librarian maintains OpenURL resolver configuration to provide access to appropriate copy based on University licensing arrangements… RDN Resource Centre OPAC Ingenta Journals Amazon EndNote/ Reference Manager OpenURL resolver ZETOC Student Lecturer Librarian RDN Blackboard VLE

librarian maintains OpenURL resolver configuration to provide access to appropriate copy based on University licensing arrangements…

Questions…