2012 04-19 (educon2012) emadrid uned challenges of applying online learning tools in distance learning courses

1. Challenges of Applying
Online Learning Tools in
Distance Learning Courses
Elio San Cristóbal Ruiz
UNED (Spanish University for Distance Education)
Elio@ieec.uned.es

2. Main Ideas
Online learning tools, such as courseware, learning
management system, assessment tools, virtual, and
remote laboratories are used in blended and
distance learning
This paper describes some online learning tools
and the challenges to apply them in distance
learning.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

3. Some E-learning Systems
• Courseware: a set of e-learning resources (e-learning
content, test, other materials) in an established order.
• Learning management systems or LMS are a set of services
that allow displaying theoretical content in an organized
and controlled way.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

4. Some E-learning Systems
• Virtual labs are software of simulation that allows
students can carry out experiments from their
home.
Student
Internet
Web
Server
Student
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

5. Some E-learning Systems
• Remote labs are applications that allow students
to work with real instruments. In the case of
remote web labs, students hand the instruments
through Internet.
Audio
and video Server
Student
Internet ?
Controller ?
Web Instruments
Server
Student
Databse
Server
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

6. Current Situation
• Each of these online learning tools is designed
and implemented, using different software
architectures.
• Many universities create new online learning
tools and do not use the existing.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

7. Current Situation
Other Learning
Systems
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

8. Current Situation
• These learning tools provide learning services
and learning material such as, web pages,
videos, assessments, etc. Normally, these
contents do not fulfill with learning standards.
• The navigation and sequencing for all the
learning systems that make up the learning
environment is a complicate task. Professors
have not to know about programming;
therefore, an editor should be able to allow
professors to create sequences of learning,
using the different learning systems.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

9. Solutions and Initiatives
• To make easier the searching of educational
resources.
IEEE LOM -> Set of Metadata to describe
learning Resources
Dublin Core……
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

10. Initiatives
• Lab2go is a Web portal that aims at bringing
online lab developers, researchers, professors
and students.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

11. Solutions and Initiatives
• To make easier the reuse of educational
resources.
IMS Content Packaging (IMS-CP) 
specification describes data structures
that can be used to exchange data
between systems.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

12. Solutions and Initiatives
• To make easier the reuse of educational
resources.
Sharable Content Object Reference Model
(SCORM)  is a collection and
harmonization of specifications and
standards that defines the
interrelationship of content objects, data
models and protocols
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

13. Solutions and Initiatives
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

14. Solutions and Initiatives
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

15. Initiatives
• LiLa (stands for Library of Labs), a European
eContentPlus project that promotes a portal of
Online Labs resources and fosters exchanges
on experiments between institutions.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

16. Initiatives
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

17. Initiatives
• CORE SCORM. This project adds to SCORM a
Web Service Runtime Communication Profile
Standard (based on a Web Service binding of
the IEEE 1484.11.2 functionality and on IEEE
1484.11.3) to exchange data between SCORM
package and LMS.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

18. Solutions and Initiatives
IMS Global Learning Consortium Common Cartridge
(IMS-CC) defines a new package interchange
format for learning content, able to run on any
compliant LMS platform.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

19. Initiatives
• IMS Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) v1.0
provides a single framework or standard way of
integrating rich learning applications.
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

20. Initiatives
• OCELOT (Open and Collaborative Environment
for the Leverage of Online insTrumentation) is
an open source and collaborative Online
Laboratory framework and middleware. It uses
W3C Widgets-based Graphic User Interface for
delivering to the learner.
• Creating web architecture to exchange
information (tracking users, result experiments,
etc.) among remote laboratories and learning
systems LMS, LCMS .
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

21. Initiatives
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

22. Initiatives
• The Global Online Laboratory Consortium. This is focused
on promoting the development and sharing of, and research
into remotely accessible laboratories for educational use.
Some of the universities, which are in this consortium, are:
• University of Technology, Sydney
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Deusto
• University of Stuttgart
• Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
• Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
• Makerere University
• Technische Universität Graz
• The University of Queensland
• TU Dortmund University
• School of Engineering - Polytechnic of Porto
• Universidad EAFIT
• College of the North Atlantic Qatar
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

23. Initiatives
A long way is being walked to create learning
scenarios:
- New e-learning standards
- And new technologies such as ESB and services
architectures are being developed
Marrakesh EDUCON, 2012-04-16

24. Thank you for your attention!
Elio San Cristóbal Ruiz
UNED (Spanish University for Distance Education)
Elio@ieec.uned.es