[AISWorld] ToC JITSR - The Int. J. on IT Standards & Standardisation Research Vol. 8 Issue 2

Fri Nov 26 07:06:26 EST 2010

On the Status of Learning Technology Specifications and Standards

International Journal of IT Standards and Standardization Research (IJITSR) 
Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association
Volume 8, Issue 2, July-September 2010
Published: Semi-Annually in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1539-3062 EISSN: 1539-3054
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/ijitsr

Editor-in-Chief: Kai Jakobs, Aachen University, Germany

GUEST EDITORIAL PREFACE

Tore Hoel, Oslo University College, Norway
Paul A. Hollins, University of Bolton, UK
Jan M. Pawlowski, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

To view the editorial preface, please click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/TitleDetails.aspx?TitleId=45992

PAPER ONE

Analysis and Validation of Learning Technology Models, Standards and
Specifications: The Reference Model Analysis Grid (RMAG)

Jan Pawlowski, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Denis Kozlov, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

The paper presents a model for the analysis, comparison and validation
of standards, specifications and in particular reference models in the
field of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). The Reference Model
Analysis Grid (RMAG) establishes categories of reference models and
standards. Based on those categories, a set of criteria for the analysis
and validation of standards was elaborated as a part of the ICOPER
project that aims at interoperable open content for competency-based
TEL. The analysis of standards in this context is targeted at developing
a set of validated approaches that lead to a new reference model. Four
standards were investigated, taking into account a broad range of
aspects like practical and semantic interoperability and integration
issues. In the case study, the authors analyzed both, the standards and
specifications and the usefulness of the RMAG. The results of this case
study can be used for further analyses of TEL standards as well as for
reference models targeted at interoperability.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46109

PAPER TWO

Key Challenges in the Design of Learning Technology Standards:
Observations and Proposals

Adam Cooper, University of Bolton, UK

This paper considers key challenges that learning technology standards
must take into account: the inherent connectedness of the information
and complexity as a cause of emergent behavior. Some of the limitations
of historical approaches to information systems and standards
development are briefly considered with generic strategies to tackle
complexity and system adaptivity. A consideration of the facets of
interoperability--organizational, syntactic and semantic--leads to an
outline of a strategy for dealing with environmental complexity in the
learning technology standards domain.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46110

PAPER THREE

Concepts and Standardization in Areas Relating to Competence

Simon Grant, JISC CETIS, UK
Rowin Young, JISC CETIS, UK

This paper reviews terminology, motivation, history and current work in
areas relating to skill or competence. Many useful services, clarifying
pathways within and from education to employment, self-assessment, and
selection would be facilitated by better standardization of the format
in which related definitions are represented, and also by a standard
approach to representing the structured sets often called frameworks. To
be effective, information models underlying interoperability
specifications must be based on common conceptual models; the authors
propose one such model as a work in progress. The authors see the way
forward as reaching greater consensus about the components of
competence, including intended learning outcomes, agreement on a model
for frameworks allowing reuse of and comparison between components in
and between frameworks, and investigation of how requirements and claims
for skill and competence can be coordinated in the light of common
practice in recruitment.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46111

PAPER FOUR

Virtual Worlds, Standards and Interoperability

Daniel Livingstone, University of West Scotland, UK
Paul Hollins, University of Bolton, UK

It is well documented that virtual worlds today are applied in both
educational and commercial teaching and learning contexts. Where virtual
worlds were once the reserve of entertainment, they have now taken on a
variety of roles as platforms for business meetings, simulation, and
training and education. In this context, the integration and
interoperability with both online and offline resources and technologies
is important. In this paper, the authors review progress toward
increased integration and interoperability from the first virtual world
games to today's virtual world platforms. This paper highlights
opportunities that will arise from further improvements in the ability
to create virtual world platforms, content and activities that are truly
interoperable, as well as more significant challenges along the way.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46112

PAPER FIVE

Application Profiles and Tailor-Made Conformance Test Systems

Ingo Dahn, University Koblenz-Landau, Germany
Sascha Zimmermann, University Koblenz-Landau, Germany

This article examines the potential of application profiles and domain
profiles as means to adapt technical specifications of data structures
to particular needs. The authors argue that application profiling is
better suited to increase the use of formal specifications than the
creation of new specifications. The authors also describe a method to
generate specific conformance test systems for machine-readable
application profiles. The authors describe the respective tool set of
the SchemaProf Application Profiling Tool and the Generic Test System
and report on the experience of their usage in developing and
introducing the IMS Common Cartridge domain profile.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46113

PAPER SIX

Community-Driven Specifications: XCRI, SWORD, and LEAP2A

Scott Wilson, University of Bolton, UK

This paper explores the issues and opportunities for specifications that
develop outside of the traditional governance processes of industry
consortia or formal standards organisations through a discussion and
comparison of three specifications developed in the education sector:
XCRI (eXchanging Course-Related Information), SWORD (Simple Web service
Offering Repository Deposit), and LEAP2.0 (Learner Portfolios 2.0). In
each case study, there are challenges, opportunities, and
accomplishments, and the experiences of each project are compared to
identify commonalities and differences. Based on these case studies, the
paper applies the framework developed by Wilson and Velayutham (2009) to
position the specifications against similar specifications from
established consortia and formal standards. Finally, the topic of
incubating specifications is discussed, with implications for funding
agencies with an interest in supporting interoperability.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46114

PAPER SEVEN

A Data Model for Describing and Exchanging Personal Achieved Learning
Outcomes (PALO)

Jad Najjar, WU Vienna, Austria
Michael Derntl, University of Vienna, Austria
Tomaz? Klobucar, Institut "Joz?ef Stefan", Slovenia
Bernd Simon, WU Vienna, Austria
Michael Totschnig, WU Vienna, Austria
Simon Grant, JISC CETIS, UK
Jan Pawlowski, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Employers seek people that match particular qualifications and graduates
seek jobs that match their qualifications. This market is currently
managed primarily using paper certificates and heterogeneous university
management systems that capture achieved learning outcomes as well as
corporate information systems that capture required qualifications. In
light of trends toward increased student mobility, employability and
lifelong learning, this situation is less than satisfactory. Therefore,
in this paper, the authors propose a schema that facilitates
interoperable storage and management of Personal Achieved Learning
Outcomes (PALO) based on a common data model. This paper presents use
case scenarios and implementations addressing these challenges and
demonstrating the added value of using such a common model.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=46115

*****************************************************
For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the
International Journal of IT Standards and Standardization Research
(IJITSR) in your institution's library.  This journal is also included
in the IGI Global aggregated "InfoSci-Journals" database: http://www.igi-
global.com/EResources/InfoSciJournals.aspx.
*****************************************************

CALL FOR PAPERS

Mission of IJITSR:

The primary mission of the International Journal of IT Standards and
Standardization Research (IJITSR) is to publish research findings to
advance knowledge and research in all aspects of IT standards and
standardization in modern organizations. IJITSR is considered an
authoritative source and information outlet for the diverse community of
IT standards researchers. JITSR is targeted towards researchers,
scholars, policymakers, IT managers and IT standards associations and
organizations.

Coverage of IJITSR:

Topics to be discussed in this journal include (but are not limite to)
the following:
Conformity assessment
Economics of standardization
Emerging roles of formal standards organizations and consortia
Intellectual property rights
National, regional, international, and corporate standards strategies
Open source and standardization
Standardization and economic development
Standardization and regulation
Standardization in public policy
Standardization in the public sphere
Standards for information infrastructures
Technological innovation and standardization
Tools and services related to standardization
and all other topics related related to the areas of IT standards and
standardization research.

Interested authors should consult the journal's manuscript submission
guidelines at www.igi-global.com/ijitsr

All inquiries and submissions should be sent to:
Editor-in-Chief: Kai Jakobs at kai.jakobs at cs.rwth-aachen.de

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Kai Jakobs

RWTH Aachen University
Computer Science Department
Informatik 4 (Communication and Distributed Systems)
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