IMS Learning Design
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IMS Learning Design (IMS LD) is a specification for a metalanguage which enables the modelling of learning processes. The specification is maintained by IMS Global Learning Consortium.
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[edit] Background
IMS LD has its origins in the Educational Modelling Language developed at the Open University of the Netherlands, with the IMS LD specification being released by the IMS Technical Board in February 2003.
[edit] Description
IMS Learning Design is a metalanguage for describing learning designs that claims to be pedagogically neutral (according to their authors, it does not mandate a specific pedagogical approach). The specification can be likened to a stage-play:
- People act in different roles
- Roles work towards specific objectives by performing learning and/or support activities
- Activities are conducted within an environment consisting of learning objects and services
IMS LD is made up of three levels (A, B and C), with each level extending and encorporating the previous:
- Level A contains the core elements of the meta language
- Level B enables the use of generic properties and conditions
- Level C provides the ablility to use notifications (enables activities to be set dynamically)
[edit] Use
The specification is a method for describing teaching strategies (pedagogical models) and educational goals. The language is represented in XML which makes it machine readable; an IMS LD-aware tool is able to "play" a unit of learning.
Although it is a relatively new specification (published in 2003), IMS LD has an active support base with a wide range of research and experimentation being conducted around its application, particularly in Europe.
[edit] Support
The Open University of the Netherlands has developed an IMS LD engine for playing LD called CopperCore[1], and a number of tools have been developed which support LD such as the Reload[2] editor.
The University Carlos III of Madrid[3] has developed an IMS LD player into the .LRN[4] Learning platform. It is the first player that has been built completely embedded into an LMS. This player is opensource and available from CVS [5].
The LAMS Foundation offers a usable alternative for IMS Learning Design in its Learning Activity Management System (LAMS)[6]. LAMS v2.0 offers IMS Learning Design Level A support.
Moodle[7] is also planning to change its current course export format to follow the IMS Learning Design specification in Moodle v2.0.
