173 - A Giant Step Forward for e-Learning Standards!

1. A Giant Step Forward for e-Learning Standards! The world of learning
took a giant step forward this week at the Department of Defense's ADL
(Advanced Distributed Learning) Plugfest. The goal was crisp and they
succeeded. Put forward a specification for the reuse, redeployment and
interchangeability of learning content. The "specification" was the SCORM
model (www.adlnet.org). During the Plugfest, attended by a wide range of
industry e-Learning providers, the SCORM (Sharable Courseware Object
Reference Model), was tested, experimented with and shown to allow for one
set of content to move to and from a variety of Learning Management Systems.

The heart of this giant leap forward is a shared vision that organizations
will have highly valuable collections or repositories of learning content in
object formats. These objects would be used in both e-Learning and
instructor led training. Learning Management Systems would hold the
sequence and formats for the use of these objects, so that the same content
could be used for an on-line tutorial, a virtual classroom and an in-house
class. SCORM was incorporated into a wide range of both content collections
and Learning Management Systems in attendance at the Plugfest. In addition,
there are a wider set of providers that are working on SCORM integration,
who could not fit into the limited space for this thinktank meeting.

We will see Learning Standards in this calendar year! The first steps were
taken by groups such as IMS, AICC and IEEE. The SCORM focus moves us
forward another big step. At TechLearn 2000's World e-Learning Congress, we
will ask the major corporations in the U.S. and internationally, to provide
support for these standards. Their support, leveraged with the support of
the Pentagon and the Federal Government, will rapidly accelerate the road to
effective and innovation-ready standards.

A small warning. You will hear a large number of SCORM "ready" claims. The
process of being "certified" is still ahead of us. What is critical right
now is for organizations to get involved in the discussion and for vendors
to work with the SCORM model and test software to move this process forward.
Ultimately, being compliant with standards will not provide a competitive
advantage, but will be assumed! A big thanks goes to the gang at ADL, with
special acknowledgement to Paul Jesukiewicz, Director, ADL Co-Lab; Philip
Dodds, SCORM Technical Chair; Wayne Hodgins, Chair IEEE, Learning Object
Metadata [LOM] Subcommittee; and Mike Parmentier, Head of ADL.

You can read the details and view the streamed video at www.adlnet.org
(select Plugfest). And, the TechLearn 2000' World e-Learning Congress
information is at http://www.techlearn.com

2. PC Expo - TechLearn 2000 Pre-Conference Briefing Scheduled: One of the
benefits that all REGISTERED ATTENDEES of our upcoming TechLearn 2000 (World
e-Learning CONGRESS) event receives is access to a series streamed video
briefing by Elliott Masie and the MASIE Center staff prior to the event. We
are producing the first briefing on Wednesday, when we will be heading to PC
Expo (huge technology conference in New York City) and we will ask the
question: What technologies will impact Learning in the next 12 months?
If you are already registered for TechLearn 2000, you will receive a link
and password next week to view this briefing....starting next week (and
participate in an interactive dialogue on the topic)

So, head to our website at http://www.techlearn.com and register for
TechLearn 2000 now! You can pay later, but you will then be able to
participate in a wide range of pre-conference activities. Join the almost
1,000 folks already registered. Dates: November 12 to 15, 2000!