Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Joining Up: Virtual Learning Environments Digital Libraries and Interoperability Issues Santy Chumbe
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) • • • • •
students Internet
content pages, discussion forums, chat, quizzes and exercises, etc.
Web server teacher
* Perhaps “A Virtual Environment of Learning” ?
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
• •
Commercial, e.g. Blackboard Open Source, e.g. Moodle
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Digital Library (DL) ”scientific academic scholar“ The digital library vision: "Universal Access to Human Knowledge"
A digital library (DL) is a unified, coherent, organized collection of learning and teaching resources, usually accessible via the Internet.
Wait a minute! www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Digital Library (DL) • Is there really such a Digital Library (DL)? • Have you used one before?
No and Yes (Hybrid DLs) • Unified (a single point access) • Coherent (always valid metadata) • Organized (e-journals, books, theses, etc.) • Internet
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Digital Library (DL) • Is DL just about search ("can I find it?") and access ("can I get it?“)?
That is basic and important, but DL is also about: • Long term preservation • Institutional Repositories • Interoperability (VLEs) • Community (knowledge exchange )
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
"googlization" of digital libraries ?
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
VLE – DL Integration Scenario : a lecturer wants to provide some background reading for her students by making a list of some relevant reading resources
VLE without embedded DL (the ‘traditional’ way?)
File Upload Catalogue Library
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
VLE – DL Integration Scenario : a lecturer wants to provide some background reading for her students by making a list of some relevant reading resources
VLE with embedded DL DL middleware
VLE system
VLE
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
DL -OPAC -Google -Scirus -e-Jurnals -etc
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
What are the big challenges for effective VLE-DL integration? • VLEs are still monolithic and closed enterpriselevel-applications, making difficult the integration of their native functionality with external services such as a DL • We do need open and effective DL implementations (“first operability, then interoperability” )
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
MG XPower SV
Normandy Fort, France, which was an almost immediate white elephant when it was built, because the Napoleonic wars ended before it was completed.
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
“Rigid computer systems played a big part in the decline of the British motor industry and the eventual collapse of Rovers” Prof. Matthias Holweg, author of “Who Killed MG Rover?”
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
How integration is possible in life?
Standards and Norms
Plug and Play !
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
VLE – DL Integration are both partners ready for marriage? • VLE : Content created using standard e-Learning Objects (EEE LOM, SCORM, IMS CP)
• DL : Software developed using DL reference models (5Ss)
• DL : Content created using metadata standards for harvesting, retrieving and searching (OAI, Z39.50, SRU)
• Ideally both, VLE and DL, are SOA-compliant.
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
VLE – DL Integration are both partners ready for marriage? • DL : e-Publishing identification and retrieving (DOI, openURL, crossRef)
• VLE : Full (client) Web Services support (SOAP / REST (XML, HTTP))
• DL : Full (server) Web Services support (SOAP / REST (XML, HTTP))
• Middleware : SOA compliant with full XML support.
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
VLE – DL Integration SRU server
SOA middleware
SRU client
PHP/Apache
Java/Tomcat
PerX and Blackboard VLE Integration Diagram
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Technical joined up-ness? • Availability of standards, models and specifications for DLs and VLEs • VLE-DL integration using WS and SOA is a "future-proof“ solution.
• Proprietary solutions are now beginning to appear (Building Blocks (Blackboard), PowerLinks (WebCT)) • Search and access e-learning objects directly from and within VLE’s modules • See the library status of items on reading lists without going into the library catalogue • Read around in the ‘research’ literature (inter-linking) • Connect to third-party databases and full-text services without inputting my ID and password
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
References A little bit "old" but still a good book to understand the principles of DL http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=863700
DL study at Master and Phd Levels: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1141787
An early experience of VLE-DL integration in the UK: http://library.ulster.ac.uk/4i/deliverables/outputs/Uhomoibhi%20Informatica.pdf
Practical experiences: Creating VLE content with standards http://www.reload.ac.uk/interop.html
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Standards and Specifications • Metadata standards Digital objects: EEE LOM, SCORM, IMS CP Interoperability: OAI-PMH, Z39,50, SRU
• SOA (Service-oriented architecture) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service-oriented_architecture
• Web Services (SOAP, REST (SRU/SRW)) http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=991449
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue40/morgan/
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
Interoperability with virtual learning environments - The Digital Library – VLE integration case -
Thank you
[email protected] •
Please tell us what you think of VLE-DL integration http://www.techxtra.ac.uk/index.html?action=feedback (http://business.scotsman.com/ebusiness.cfm?id=207612007 )
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These slides are available at: http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/~santiago/vle-dl/
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A pilot for VLE-DL integration at HWU, is here: http://vleap2.hw.ac.uk
www.icbl.hw.ac.uk
