17.4: Why Standards for E-Learning?
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“The nicest thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from”. – Andres S. Tannenbaum (ThinkExist.com, 2007a)
Standards clarify roles and responsibilities for instructors, learners, and others responsible for the outcomes of the learning. Standards also provide a framework to assist in the selection of a course or program. For governments, educational institutions and corporate authorities, standards inform policy and the allocation of resources or funding. The development of standards reduces risk for organizations making investments in technologies and e-learning content. Standards compliance assures data systems will be able to work together and that investment in intellectual capital is not lost.
At a minimum e-learning standards should ensure content is interoperable on any learning system. Standards should make life simpler by building consistency and predictability. Some would argue that in the world of e-learning the opposite is true, as the drive for standards has increased complexity and created more confusion. There are standards and specifications for learning objects, metadata, learning architecture, and instructional design, which most end-users find far too technical for their needs. What e-learning standards do have in common is the intention to assist both the development and delivery of online learning that, in the end, supports the end-user’s learning needs and the organization’s requirement to account for that learning.
Standards seem to come in two flavours: complex technical standards and specifications that define everything from minute details for multiple contingencies, to more user-driven general standards that enable content to be adapted for local consumption and use. Standards should fit within current practice and support learning—not promote a particular technical point of view or approach. Adoption of SCORM (shareable courseware object reference model) as a standard for online courses could be counterproductive for some organizations as it may conflict with instructional delivery methodology and approaches, whereas adoption of a subset of SCORM might prove more appropriate. For example, an institution or corporation may have invested in an HR database or learning system that does not meet all of the SCORM specifications for managing online content. Does this mean that new systems are required? To make matters more complex, SCORM is constantly undergoing update. So which level of SCORM compliance should be the standard? Should the standard of accessibility for all be required? If so, the adoption of this standard could limit the use of engaging media that would enhance learning for the majority of online learners.
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The development of accredited standards reduces risk for organizations making investments in e-learning technologies and content. At a minimum the adoption of a set of standards should ensure that data systems work together and that investment in time and intellectual capital in existing content is not lost. The standards any organization adopts should ensure that content is interoperable on any learning system, enabling its reuse and re-purposing.
No matter the motivation, the reasons for adopting standards must be made clear to all, or the risk is to sign up to someone else’s agenda. Standards that reflect current and emerging practice encourage development of engaging online learning. Standards that limit or constrain creative use of technologies and media can stifle effective e-learning. The best advice is to focus on learning, involve those responsible for development and delivery of content, and engage instructors and learners in the process. (See Chapters 10 to 13.) With the establishment of a clear set of goals and outcomes for developing an e-learning program, selecting content and technology while applying standards becomes a less daunting task.
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In British Columbia standards for e-learning were developed in the context of existing practice and through the direct involvement of online practitioners (see the BC Ministry of Education’s “Standards for K–12 Distributed Learning in British Columbia” available at www.bced.gov.bc.ca/dist_learning/documents/dl_ standards.pdf). Standards from existing bodies were adopted and adapted to reflect existing, sound practice as well as to create a standards document that supported and guided the evolution of improved practice in the K– 12 system for BC.