Mahara:
portability & interoperability
Simon Grant
JISC Centre for Educational Technology and
Interoperability Standards (CETIS)
London
2009-07-15
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Brief history of the field
 2001: IMS LIP
 “Learner Information Package”
 sort of extended CV; not widely adopted
 2004: UKLeaP: tied to IMS LIP
 was to have been BS 8788; later abandoned
 2005: IMS ePortfolio:
 added extra features to IMS LIP; thus even more complex
 2006: LEAP 2.0 community-motivated initiative
 2007-08: JISC funding for interoperability projects
 2008-09: LEAP2A developed with further JISC funding
 This is where Mahara became involved
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LEAP2A principles
 Cover what is actually used in e-portfolio practice
 not more, which would introduce unnecessary complexity
 Keep as simple as reasonably possible
 Different levels of implementation possible
 if system doesn't recognise it, treat it as something simpler
 Should work with systems as simple as blogs
 Developer-friendly
 Specification developed alongside implementation
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What does LEAP2A cover?
 Entries, like blog entries  Commonly recognised
 the default category relationships between
 Ability these items
 Achievement  Includes:
 reflects on
 Activity
 has part
 Meeting  evidence of
 Organization  (and their inverses)
 Person  some more general
 Plan  some more specific
 Resource
 as required for clarifying
“parent-child” structures
 Selection
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A demonstration
 We hope ...
 Thanks to James Ballard, ULCC
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Exercise
 Pair up – or threes if necessary
 introduce yourselves
 Tell each other what information your students put in
 How else might they use that information?
 brainstorm about this for two minutes
 agree what is most interesting, realistic, useful, motivating
 When I say, join up with nearest other group
 share what you have agreed so far
 agree what is most interesting and useful
 Repeat as needed...
 Each group share top ideas for reuse with everyone
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Thanks!
 Thanks for your attention and participation
 Introduction to LEAP2A in the ALT Newsletter (ALT-N)
 http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/e_article001402921.cfm
 More about LEAP2A at
 http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/2009-03/LEAP2A_specification
 More about the interoperability projects at
 http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Portfolio_interoperability_projects
 Or find me through my home page
 Google for me, “Simon Grant”
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