Some thoughts :
There are many advantages, but also a flip side to database backed nature of dotLRN content - while transfering content it is whole database or nothing. Hence the
round trip data transfer service, to and from dotLRN. I have been playing with this idea for quite some time. It is similar to what Sloan is planning to do for OCW - dotLRN integration ( OCW ). I think, there is opportunity to reuse same work for the following areas :
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Archiving : Transferring all ( or selected ) content from a dotLRN community to html. That becomes startic site for later reference. Use XML + XSLT instead of HTML and you can use this archived, 'externalized' content to import it back to dotLRN. This is basic round-trip data transfer.
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Content Exchange : If content can be exported /imported on basis of community, it becomes very easy to transfer a class instance from one server to another, or one database platform to another ( say Oracle to PostgreSQL). But even more wide-spread application might be sharing of courseware / mirroring of it between dotLRN fraternity in spirit of OCW.
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Content Management : 'No html knowledge required' to prepare web-based course content is really appealing to many.Let's say there is a small course where collaboration is not a requirement to start with but just an OCW style static site. dotLRN + Archiving feature can be used to prepare the content, among the courseware-design team members. When it is finalized, just 'publish' it ! 'Publishing' here would mean archiving or externalizing the community content. This can be then placed under any web server such as IIS or Apache.
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IMS : While we 'externalize' the content, we have to do some form of packaging. If we adhere to IMS standards for this, it will bring added advantage of interoperability with other compliant platforms.
Ok, when I visited again the OCW news item above before posting this, I realized that Sloan's work would already include XML and IMS portions. That makes remaining things a lot more easier !
