Forum .LRN Q&A: Re: SCORM runtime environment and IMS Simple Sequencing

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13: Re: SCORM runtime environment and IMS Simple Sequencing (response to 11)
Posted by Ernie Ghiglione on 06/12/04 10:29 AM
Hi Ola,

Let me see if I can explain in simple terms what I mean about implementing IMS SS as an open API.

If you would implement an open API, then other packages could do this (LORSm for instance)

A professor uploads a course.

LORSm: "Hey, I just got a course and comes with IMS SS information, I can't quite read it, but I know that Polyxena-SS implementation can."

LORSm: "Hey Polyxena-SS, here's a bunch of XML with the definition for the sequencing course_id 102"

Polyxena-SS: "G'day LORSm, nice to talk to you again -how are the kids?. Yeah, thanks for that sequencing info. No worries. I'll take it from here."

LORSm: "Kids are good, thank you, but it's the steroids that are killing me these days 😉. Thanks for taking care of that. I give you a buzz when I need to render the sequence. Take care"

Then a student (random striker) request the course.

LORSm: "Hey Polyxena-SS, do you remember I gave you the sequence for course 102?, Well, Random Striker wants it so would you mind sending me the correct sequence I need to render?"

Polyxena-SS "LORSm, yeah, I got it right here. For user Random Stiker, all you got to do is to render the following sequence

    1.- Activity1
    2.- Activity2.

At the end of Act2 (which is a question), let me know what he answer since according it we will decide the following sequence"

LORSm: "What would I do without you Polyxena-SS mate?... You really simplify my life so much... really appreciate it. BTW, I heard that you are heading for Texas shortly"

Polyxena-SS "No worries mate, just buy me a beer next time. About Texas,  yeah I'll bring you back a cowboy hat"

Random striker finishes "Act2".

LORSm: "Random striker is done with Act2 and the score was 10. So what's next?"

Polyxena-SS: "Well, according to the score, Random Striker has to take the Act1 and Act 2 again. However, if he would have gotten 50 or more, we would have continue with Act3 and Act4... but oh well, maybe next time"

Same thing could happen with the Assessment package (since IMS SS and IMS QTI can be -but not always- used together).

Assessment: "Polyxena-SS, I need the sequencing for Section 1 of Test for User Random Striker"

Polyxena-SS "Well, Random Striker has already taken Section 1 and can't take it again, so the next sequence is Section 2 and here's the sequence of questions... let me know the answer of q23 as based on it we'll have a different sequencing"

So the implementation of IMS SS could definitely be used by other packages and not just Curriculum. LORSm for instance, won't require from IMS SS to deliver the content, but just specify how content (grouped in activities) is meant to be sequenced for delivery. Therefore LORSm, takes care of the rest.

And this is not only one way, since most likely the IMS SS would require to open IMS content packages. Using the LORS libraries, you can manage CP to extract the sequencing information you need, without having to implement the IMS CP again.

Additionally, it makes sense to implement IMS specifications as libraries because they tend to get updated quite quickly -as demand for new features and functionality increases. If each package has implemented different version of the specifications, then it will be nightmare.

Hopefully, this message explained in simple terms how IMS SS could be implemented and also ease up the tension a bit. I know it can be done, the paper mentioned above from the CM fellows has specs on how they have managed to implement IMS SS as web service, so therefore it should be very difficult to have a look at their experience to implement something  similar for OpenACS/.LRN.

Having said that though, I acknowledge that it is not easy to do so, but if .LRN is willing to fund this, an IMS SS implementation that can be used as a service will be much more beneficial for all.

Ernie