Making Tracks – Bridging the Chasm

Partnership betweenUniversity of Hull ( Robert Sherratt and Steve Jeyes)

Icodeon Ltd (Warwick Bailey)

NRICH Maths at Cambridge University

(Mike Pearson and Charlie Gilderdale mainly)

ELF demonstrator using the ADL coLab/ ISIS/ ASSIS Simple Sequencing outputs and NRICH’s wealth of developing Maths learning activities / problems etc

Why did we do it ?

Easy creation of standards conformant sequenced learning trails incorporating resources from NRICH

Introduce explorative games-based educational environments

Use Simple Sequencing creatively to help a learner capture pedagogical strategies for problem solving

(Systematics teaching) develop thoughtful play leading to useful reflective

insights and methods of solution

Technical Overview

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Demo and Fallback

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Challenges and Problem Areas

Substantial development was needed to deliver reusable sequenced resources

On its own Simple Sequencing can only realistically be used for sequences that truly are simple

Additional technologies may be needed for complex developments such as games based learning

Can these limitations be overcome with better authoring tools?

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V Card Trail

Teaching Systematics the structure and tools for problems

Capturing Teacher / Learner dialogue Charlie Gilderdale storyboarding with 138 ppts

with problems , hints, directions etc Converted to active simulation (Flash) and

relevant docs (XHTML etc) Being sequenced to mimic the appropriate

Teacher intervention

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Card 1

Length of arms 3

Start no. 1

Increment 1

No. of solutions 3

Timed No

Time allowed n/a

Start Number Range n/a

Increment range n/a

Hint text: Try all the different possible numbers at the bottom.

Objective: Find all solutions

Submit sequence:Finished if learner has found all solutions and thinks so.

Suggested Level: 1

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10Planet Vogsphere

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Planets unavailable grey

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14www.brantacan.co.uk for these and many more great bridges

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How to bridge the chasm ??

Tough challenge – ok for savvy developers with plenty of glue and string

Definitely needs meta-tools to allow for widespread adoption

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Rules decide entry

visibility and exit

Initial room

Other rooms appear depending on behaviour

Other floors accessed depending on behaviour and roll up

elevation

plan

Basic views for structure

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Tutor

Tutorial

Learning

Learner

Designs Learning

Interacts

Reflects

Creates Model & Narrative

ActivitiesTasksGoals

Experience / Pilots

(Monitors)

Advises/Stimulates

Tracks(Objectives)

(Rules/Rollup)

Builds concepts

Adapts

Actively Engages

Controls Activities Directs Learning

Adapts(Rules/Visibility)

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Prototype authoring tool

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Extra Technical slides

Not to be talked through End now !!!

How ? (technical stuff )

Services• SSRun (ISIS output)• CMIRun (a prototype adapter developed for this

project providing the SCORM 2004 CMI services)

Standards• SCORM 2004 packaging• IMS Content Packaging, IMS Simple Sequencing as

used by SCORM 2004 Sequencing and Navigation book, and SCORM 2004 run time environment.

Technologies• Java, Javascript (Ajax), Flash Actionscript

Successes

ISIS SSRun service works well and has improved with refactoring

The LMS webapp demonstrates how a server can use SSRun to create adaptive navigation

The SSRun unit test framework has proved very useful in verifying the behaviour of sequencing manifests.

Automated creation of courses containing dumb resources which use simple choice or flow sequencing is achievable.

The Future

Use the Making Tracks LMS to create a portable pick and mix application so teachers can select, annotate and sequence resources from NRICH

What should JISC/CETIS do next Lobby for improved standards for reusable

learning resources that are less didactic We have identified some simple extensions that

would help see the Final Report for more details

Simple Sequencing problems

It’s extremely time consuming to create and test manifests where there is interaction with intelligent SCOs.

Opaque documentation. Nothing for users. With intelligent SCOs, sequencing

exceptions are handled at the wrong level. Conformance tests are incomplete. In practice it is limited to sequencing

dumb or templated resources.

SCORM CMI problems

For SCOs, the CMI database is essentially write-only.

Inter-SCO communication is limited to passing information via objectives.

Attempt limits can not be reset. These factors bias the standard

towards assessment rather than learning.