The service integration framework: integrating non-generic learning services into IMS LD

Abstract

The IMS LD specification provides a standard notation for encoding the pedagogical structure of lesson plans. It enables instructors to create lesson plans that are interoperable documents that can be reused. However, this standard has several limitations that must be addressed before it can become fully accepted by the e-learning community. One of these limitations is the lack of pedagogical expressiveness, that is, the ability to express any learning process in a lesson plan using the specification. The Service Integration Framework (SIF) has been developed to address this limitation. It provides a framework to integrate new non-generic learning services that are not defined in the specification in a way that does not break the specification. It thus adds to the learning services available which can be used to describe a learning process. Through SIF, the pedagogical expressiveness of IMS LD can be improved by increasing its ability to express all learning situations and thus encouraging reuse and increased adoption by educators.