E-Learning Standards

For the first time ever, clear, comprehensive information about the major e-learning standards has been brought together in a single resource. No more confusing patchworks of information gleaned from scattered Web sites and periodicals. No more frustrating searches through hundreds of pages of technical specifications to find the twenty pages that apply to you. No more sorting through the alphabet soup of acronyms trying to discern which of them you need. Written by the developers of the first Learning Management System (LMS) to be AICC-certified for Web-based interoperability, E-Learning Standards: A Guide to Purchasing, Developing, and Deploying Standards-Conformant E-Learning thoroughly covers this complex topic. The authors focus on those standards that are being successfully implemented such as the AICC and SCORM specifications for interoperable data tracking, searchable meta-data, and interchangeable course structures and the QTI specification for interoperable tests and test questions. They clearly explain the purpose of each standard and its application to the various components of e-learning such as learning management systems and learning content management systems, assessment systems, and courseware. The book provides practical advice on choosing and purchasing standards-based e-learning components and gives guidance on developing interoperable, interchangeable courseware that will work in any standards-based e-learning environment. Learning technology standards are still very new to the Web-based training world, leaving room for many potential pitfalls. There are distinct sets of standards available for Internet-delivered learning that enable all components of an e-learning system to communicate with each other. However, choosing which set of standards would best suit the system's needs, then understanding and following those specifications, can be a daunting task. E-Learning Standards: A Guide to Purchasing, Developing, and Deploying Standards-Conformant E-Learning provides a road map for anyone involved in the development of components for e-learning environments and a guide buyers can use to make well-informed decisions about their e-learning purchases.

Carol Fallon, Sharon Brown