This document introduces Learning Information Services (LIS) and Course and Program Scheduling (CPS), which are specifications that allow different systems like student information systems and learning management systems to exchange student data like courses, grades, and schedules in a standard way. LIS defines web services that use XML and SOAP to exchange this data. CPS builds on LIS to specifically handle scheduling of courses, classes, rooms, and students. Conformance testing is available to check that systems properly implement the LIS and CPS standards. The standards are overseen by an open governance group that considers updates and issues.

1. Phil Nicholls
pjn@psydev.com
@psydevuk
Introduction to LIS and CPS

2. Introduction: Phil Nicholls
• Software Developer since ’95 (mostly
standards)
• “LIS Guy” / Tech Facilitator for IMS Global
• Psydev: consultants specialising in
interoperability standards; has products to
aid LIS adoption
• www.linkedin.com/in/philnicholls
• @psydevuk

3. What is LIS for?
• Different systems take different views of
the same data.
• LIS is a specification that allows systems
to exchange information about people,
courses, groups, memberships and
outcomes in a standard way
• Commonly it is used to integrate Student
Information Systems (SISs) with LMSs…

4. LIS Scenarios

5. Why use a standard like LIS?
• Built by a wider community
• Removes need for people to code to many
individual APIs across lots of systems.
• Conformance Test support
• Avoids lots of “pairwise” integrations
• Easier migration path
• Opens opportunities with partners

6. What is CPS?
• Course Planning and Scheduling
• Timetabling is hard, so specialised
planning systems do it:
– Avoid rooms being too far away
– Common classes between different courses
– People change courses
– Timetabling also for rooms and equipment

7. What is CPS?
• CPS provides a standard for scheduling
systems to send and receive data about
people and the courses that they wish to
do.
• Scheduling system works out the
timetable…
• … informing the SIS of which classes to
create

8. How
• CPS uses LIS, with some extensions.
• Bulk Data Exchange for the big data loads
• Updates via the “live” services.
• Approach allows SIS and Scheduling
System to make changes and inform the
other.

9. LIS - Technical View
• LIS defines services in WSDL, and
implementations use SOAP for the
message transport
• Data Model is therefore bound in XML
• Good tool support for WSDL->Language
• Controlled, extensible vocabularies used
where possible to aid interoperability
• Application space is typically SIS->LMS-
>SIS, in reality much wider.

11. Conformance
• IMS has software to check conformance
for:
– Sending LIS Live Data (typically SIS)
– Receiving LIS Live Data (typically LMS)
– Sending / Receiving LIS Live Grades (SIS and
LMS)
– Sending / Receiving Bulk Data (SIS and LMS)
– Sending / Receiving CPS Data (SIS and
Timetabling System)

12. APMG
• Membership of LIS APMG open to IMS
associates and CMs.
– Oversee spec development
– CMs get to vote
– Currently looking at Privacy (via the taskforce)
– Also considering a RESTful binding

13. Q & A