ibm software group august, 2006 | © 2006 ibm corporation designing and delivering reusable learning...
TRANSCRIPT
IBM Software Group
August, 2006 | © 2006 IBM Corporation
Designing and Delivering Reusable Learning Content with DITA
John P. Hunt, IBM® CorporationFor discussion with the OASIS DITA TC subcommittee on Learning and training contentAugust 31, 2006
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation2
• Reusable Learning Objects - RLOs
• Shorter course development cycles
• Need to deliver training more quickly• Learning Content Management System - LCMS
• To support and manage the above
• Collaborative authoring• Dynamic Learning
• “Just in time”
• Learning delivery to fit the task, the time
• Targeted learning – knows your skill level, history (ePortfolio)• Embedded learning
• In workflows, team spaces, ISV applications
Industry context: Smaller, faster, leaner
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation3
Industry context: Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs)
Concept developed at Cisco in the 1990s• All the content needed to support a particular learning objective.
• Follow a consistent structure.
• Available for reuse and repurposing in multiple learning contexts.
RLO: Using an address book
Learning Module:Team scheduling
Learning Module:Effective e-Meetings
Learning Module:Using a messaging system
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation4
Industry context: RLOs and topic-based DITA
Learning content as discrete, reusable information units
Individual learning objects assume no specific context, making them available for reuse in multiple deliverables
RLO constructs typed for learning –concepts, facts, procedures
Individual RLOs aggregated and sequenced to form larger units of instruction, according to identified learning objectives
DITA content stored as topic-based units of information
Context-free topics that can stand on their own for use in map-driven output contexts
Extensible topic types structure content for different purposes
Maps group topics by goals and organize them for delivery by sequence or relationship to other topics
RLO characteristic… Topic- based DITA…
DITA topics and maps provide the basis for a “unifying XML content model” for designing, creating, and delivering reusable learning content.
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation5
1. Specialized learning maps Structure sets of DITA topics as learning objects
2. Specialized learning topicsLesson objectives, lesson content, summaries, exercises, assessments
Opportunity: Learning content design, creation, and delivery through DITA specialization
4. Specialized processingGenerate learning deliverables
3. Build maps and relationship tablesOrganize learning objects into lessons and courses and manage relationships and interactions among them
Tutorials
Courseware & e-learning
- ILTs
- CBTs
- WBTs
- SCORMs
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation6
Extending DITA to support learning content
DITA topic types for learning• Describe lesson overviews and objectives, summaries,
exercises, assessments DITA map domain for learning
• Organizes collections of DITA topics for assembly and delivery as a learning course
DITA content domain for learning• Describes specific content vocabularies that support learning,
such as an instructor note. DITA process model for learning
• Puts together all the pieces for designing, developing, and delivering learning content with DITA.
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation7
DITA topic types for learning
referencetaskconcept
topic
learningOverview
learningSummary
learningBase
learningTopic
learningPractice
learningAssessment
• Specialize from DITA base topic type
• Basic content for reusable learning objects
• Directly reuse DITA concept, task, and reference content
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation8
The DITA topic types for learning
learningOverview• Introduces and identifies the learning objectives for a course, module, or
lesson learningTopic
• Task, reference, and conceptual information that provide procedures, background, and other details that support a learning objective
learningSummary• Recaps the learning objectives
learningPractice• Provide labs and practice exercises that reinforce a learning objective
learningAssessment• Graded items to measure progress against the identified objectives
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation9
DITA map domain for a learning object
Learning object
Overview
Summary
Practice
Supporting TaskConcept, andReference topics
Assessment
learningOverview
learningSummary
learningTopic
learningPractice
learningAssessment
Map domain Supporting topic types
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation10
Tutorials
Courseware & e-learning
- ILTs
- CBTs
- WBTs
- SCORMs
Maps:Model goals
and objectives
Maps:Structure
topics for a deliverable
Topics:Content to
design
Deliverables:XML-based
processing of maps and topics
Design Develop Deliver
A DITA process model for learning content
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation11
Phases in the process model for learning
1. Identify and model learning objectives and goals
2. Organize objectives into lessons and modules
3. Develop topic-based content that supports the objectives
From existing or new topics
4. Develop topic content for labs and exercises
5. Design and develop appropriate assessments
6. Write overviews and summaries
For each objective and the overall course
7. Structure topics for delivery with a map
8. Process the map and topics to produce the particular deliverable
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation12
Worked with Bob Bernard and team of DB2 course developers Goal: Take apart an existing DB2 course and put it back together again, using
DITA• Course for the Pilot: Using IBM DB2 Query Monitor for z/OS - A simple, yet
complete, current course
• Identify learning information types and develop DITA specializations to support them
• Map topics according to learning best practices Challenges:
• Learn the DITA nomenclature
• Learn to use the tools available
• Chunk content and create topic-based courseware
DITA and learning at IBM:The DB2 pilot and DITA learning specializations
Course
Unit Unit
Module Module Module Module
Topic Topic Topic Topic Topic Topic Topic Topic
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation13
DITA and learning at IBM:DB2 pilot results
Successfully produced a complete training course using DITA.• Developed DITA content types for labs and exercises, learning objectives, lesson
summaries, and other structures common to a classroom-based instructor-led training course.
Published results of the pilot on developerWorks and in conference presentations.
• Kicked off some of the “buzz” around DITA and learning. Identified key challenges teams face when making a move to topic-based DITA
for learning content• Thinking in topics
• Structuring the content with information types
• Minding the context
• Styling for presentation and delivery
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation14
Original course outline: DB2 Query Monitor
Front matter Course introduction Module 1 – Using Query Monitor Module 2 – Using Filters and Profiles Course Summary Appendix – Installing Query Monitor
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation15
Original Page from the Pilot Course
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation16
Example: Mapping topic-based lesson content
…
3. Module 2: Using Filters and Profiles
3.1 Overview and Objectives (learningOverview)
3.2 Using Filters and Profiles
3.2.1 Creating or Inserting Filter Lines (learningTopic)
3.2.2 Working With Defined Filters (learningTopic)
3.2.3 Using IBM DB2 QM for z/OS (learningTopic)
3.2.4 Range Filters (learningTopic)
3.3 Working With Monitoring Profiles
3.3.1 Monitoring a Profiles Panel (learningTopic)
3.3.2 Creating a Monitoring Profile (learningTopic)
3.3.3 Managing Profile Lines (learningTopic)
3.3.4 Comparisons for a Dropped Index (learningTopic)
3.4 Module Summary (learningSummary)
3.5 Lab Exercises (learningPractice)
3.6 Assessment (learningAssessment)
…
ModuleModule OverviewTopic 1Topic 2Topic 3Topic 4Topic nModule SummaryModule PracticeModule Assessment
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation17
Sample learning overview topic<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><learningover id="DB2QM201" xml:lang="en" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="learningover_shell.xsd"><title>Using Query Monitor</title> <learningoverbody> <mainpoints> <p>In this module, you'll learn about:</p><ul> <li>The Query Monitor ISPF interface</li> <li>ISPF commands</li></ul> </mainpoints> <duration><title>Duration</title><p>2 hours</p></duration> <objectives> <title>Objectives</title> <ul><li>Describe and navigate the Query Monitor ISPF interface</li> <li>Understand and use ISPF commands</li> <li>Interpret ISPF query results and reports</li></ul> </objectives> </learningoverbody></learningover>
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation18
Sample map for a learning object
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><!DOCTYPE map PUBLIC "-//IBM//DTD DITA Map//EN" "../../dtd/map.dtd"><map title="DB2 Query Monitor Course - Using Query Monitor"> <topicref href=“querymonitor_over.xml"> <topicref href=“ispf_nav_ref.xml"/> <topicref href=“main_panel_ref.xml"/> <topicref href=“qm_discovery_task.xml"/> <topicref href=“planview_concept.xml"/> <topicref href=“dbrmview_concept.xml"/> <topicref href=“activate_task.xml"/> <topicref href=“deactivate_task.xml"/> <topicref href="DB2QMLAB201_practice.xml"/> <topicref href="DB2QM201_Summary.xml"/> </topicref></map>
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation19
Sample HTML Output
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation20
Sample PDF Output
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation21
The challenges from the pilot
Thinking in topics• Mindset shift to thinking of the content as discrete chunks of
information, rather than as one single long-flowing narrative
Structuring content with information types• Each topic-based chunk of content conveys knowledge about
one specific piece of content without directly overlapping with information in other topic-based chunks.
Minding the context• Develop content that supports the overall context of the
learning objective.
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation22
Summary: Opportunity for DITA
DITA is a leading-edge solution for content reuse and processing
• DITA topics – basic level of reuse structured, semantic content organized for deliverables with maps and transformed into deliverables using standards-based XSLT & XSL-FO
DITA supports well-known methodologies for technical content
• Topic-oriented, task-based
DITA provides the basis for a “unifying XML content model” for designing, creating, and delivering reusable learning content
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation23
Some issues for DITA and learning content Content aggregation and granularity
• What is a topic? • How does topic relate to a reusable learning object (RLO)? • How does RLO differ from shareable content object (SCO), and how do both relate to topic?• Where does hierarchical task analysis fit here?• Can we directly reuse/repurpose content from core DITA types, such as task, concept, reference, for
learning?• How can DITA topics and maps address the aggregation/dis-aggregation of content for learning delivery?
Non-text objects• What level of DITA support do we need for non-text objects?
Information Types for Learning• What are the specific set of types needed for learning? • The CISCO "Reusable Learning Object Authoring Guidlines" white paper is a must-see on this topic. • Also, the SCORM spec on sequencing has good information about information types used for learning
content - http://www.adlnet.org/screens/shares/dsp_displayfile.cfm?fileid=998.
Sequencing• Maps provide the obvious place to handle sequencing and relationships. How do we develop this out for
learning content?• SCORM sequencing spec suggests a very rich set of altnernatives; we need an understanding for how
this relates to maps or map specializations. See http://www.adlnet.org/screens/shares/dsp_displayfile.cfm?fileid=998.
• Also, good info at Carnegie Mellon's Learning Systems Architecture Lab - http://www.lsal.cmu.edu/lsal/expertise/projects.
IBM Software Group
A DITA design pilot for learning content| © 2006 IBM Corporation24
Some relevant standards
SCORM = Shareable Content Object Reference Model• An XML-based presentation for structuring & sequencing
content for learning delivery
• A run-time environment for learning
• A metadata model to associate with learning content
IMS Question-Test Interoperability (QTI) Specification• Assessments and test questions
DITA = Darwin Information Typing Architecture• XML-based content reuse