Assis – facilitating next generation learning experiences

The recent eLearning developments from the JISC have considered the provision of a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), with the vision of enabling the aggregation of a number of discrete services in to a coherent whole for the end user. The Assis project, funded by the JISC and completed in March 2005, looked technically and pedagogically at how learning materials including formative assessment could be delivered by integrating simple sequencing and assessment. It is envisaged that the approach developed by the project can be used as the first steps in a move towards explorative and games-based learning. In order to translate this technical architecture into a concept both teachers and learners can engage with, it has become apparent that a higher level design paradigm is required. Assis explored the creation and development of a Floor-Corridor-Room model. The generation of such learning experiences also requires an interface allowing the searching, previewing and downloading of assessment items from a question bank. Assis created a common interface to Web Services based search services for two different assessment systems with item banks (TOIA and Samigo). At the core of Assis technical developments is the Player, a micro integration of discrete services to produce a service oriented tool. By communicating with a number of external services, the Player delivers structured dynamic packages of content to the user by the rendering and response processing of assessment items, processing the sequencing rules and providing additional, context sensitive resources. The presentation will include a demonstration of a simple adaptive sequence of content using the Player tool in conjunction with sequencing and assessment services. An intended future demonstrator in the field of archaeology, more closely aligned with the intention to create more explorative environments, will also be presented. To conclude, an examination of the effectiveness of the SOA approach will be considered, both in terms of creating and developing tools and the implications for potential future work by the JISC and others in the community.