Portfolio interoperability progress in the UK

1. Portfolio interoperability progress in the UK Simon Grant JISC CETIS IMS Quarterly ePortfolio session Birmingham 2008-09-16

2. History IMS LIP (2001)‏ UKLeaP allowed for PDP (drafted 2004)‏ IMS ePortfolio took on PDP structures (2005)‏ Perceived need for a simpler basis (2004? onwards)‏ PIOP project (2008); LEAP2A is an emerging Atom-based specification that is being developed and agreed with e-portfolio system developers LEAP 2.0 (from 2007) comprises a broader, forward-looking, exploratory set of possibilities, based on Semantic Web concepts, for extending LEAP2A or similar, all based on same general ideas as LIP

3. Rationale Base on Semantic Web & Dublin Core to give the simplest possible structures to reuse established practice to link to many current and future developments but need to shield from developers Use familiar formats LEAP2A based on Atom, but could be others not necessarily fixed to any one XML schema information model similar to IMS LIP etc. Able to merge readily with other information in other related schemas

4. The LEAP 2.0 vision From CETIS Portfolio SIG meeting, December 2006 No hierarchical structures for learner information Relationships basic, not peripheral Modular and extensible now "... aims to provide a sound basis for practical interoperability between portfolio tools, and other tools dealing with the same kinds of information." http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/LEAP_2.0

5. Simplicity in LEAP 2.0 LEAP 2.0 uses a very simple representation of portfolio information Semantic Web RDF blobs and arrows (“triples”)‏ A very few examples: achievement – has evidence – resource (dissertation)‏ activity (course) – supports – achievement (good grade)‏ achievement – is evidence of – assertion (my statement)‏ assertion – claims – ability (learning outcome of course)‏ meeting – attended by – person Does not build them into fixed complex structures because the patterns are changeable

6. A small corner ofblobs and arrows personally defined resource (essay)‏ course (activity)‏ supports has evidence achievement (good grade)‏ has outcome is evidence of claims outcome (ability)‏ assertion (entry)‏

7. LEAP2A – from December 2007 Portfolio InterOperability Prototyping (PIOP) project Wanted something that was definitely developer-friendly uptake means everything for a standard developers are vital for implementation & uptake involve developers centrally from the outset Chose to work with the Atom Syndication Format XML chosen by several others as an exchange format designed for blog feeds, but works for other things in Atom, everything is an entry suggested by several people for portfolio transfer http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/LEAP2A_specification is the specification to date, still under development

8. These are the Blobs Based on established usage within partner portfolio systems More have been sketched out in LEAP 2.0 for future consideration Entry is used as itself for any general pieces of writing Graceful degradation “plan” includes goal LEAP2A types of information • entry • ability • achievement • activity • meeting • person • resource • selection • plan

9. LEAP2A relationships & inverses relation reflects on has part has ordered part supports has evidence has agenda has outcome attended by has reply author (no inverse)‏ (inverse ones)‏ reflected on by is part of is ordered part of supported by is evidence of is agenda of is outcome of attends in reply to more in LEAP 2.0 for future consideration

10. Information about entries Entries have authors Atom allows plain text name, e-mail, URI in LEAP2A, URI can relate to separate person entry but we haven't yet decided how to cover personal details Records created, modified at certain times Achievements each have one date of achievement Plans each have one target date of completion Activities, meetings have start and end dates Things happen in locations These things are recorded “literally” rather than by a relationship to another item “blob”

11. Abilities are of great interest (skill, competence, learning outcome, etc.)‏ People aim to acquire them through learning They are assessed People claim to have them Qualifications may be evidence of them An ability itself needs to be an impersonal definition can be subject of goals can be subject of claims or assertions can be built up into skills frameworks Ability is representable in LEAP ideally as an external definition, with just a link to it also possible to define within the portfolio information itself

12. PIOP project achievements 3 initial partners University of Newcastle Pebble Learning (ex Wolverhampton)‏ University of Nottingham first version... agreed the LEAP2A spec to cover most existing needs demonstrated export of information (and import soon)‏ project now being extended to others carefully add in whatever else is necessary for them maintaining agreement of all who have been involved

13. LEAP future LEAP2A widening to encompass any portfolio tools Related systems are welcome to join in as well Develop LEAP2A transform to LEAP RDF RDF will be the higher level of interoperability Invite other specifications to develop transforms these to become alternatives to LEAP2A all still within the overall LEAP 2.0 vision e.g. might get small subset of HR-XML Greater interoperability without coercion people can keep their own way of doing things

14. IMS ePortfolio possibilities Could keep separate, and do transform from IMS eP Coordination with IMS eP Allow as alternative to IMS LIP within IMS eP Create complete mapping between IMS eP and LEAP2A this may involve extending or modifying either then define transforms both ways at which point which is used no longer matters Use LEAP 2.0 as basis of RDF version of IMS eP which would imply harmony at RDF even if not complete mapping Collaborate with mapping both to HR-XML

15. Summary LEAP 2.0 offers a simple, powerful interoperability framework based on Semantic Web concepts The PIOP project grounds it in well-used systems LEAP2A is its first developer-friendly XML specification, based on Atom There is potential for coordination with IMS eP Thanks for your attention If there is time, questions and discussion?