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2 Information
3 Architectures
4 Mapping
5 Transforming
6 Transferring
7 Feedback
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3 The systems architectures that are likely to be involved

There is a clear need to clarify the systems architecture before being able to go forward with a strategy for interoperation and building interoperability. The technical questions of what software will have to be changed depends on this, but also managerial questions about who will take responsibility for which services; who owns which data; and who is responsible under the Data Protection Act for the various parts of the information when in their different locations.

Inter-institutional transfer

The simplest case that we are considering is where a learner transfers his or her records from one place to another. This assumes that learners want to entrust their personal development records or e-portfolios to one place at one time, and that this may change. This is very likely during education, where personal development planning may play an important role in the overall institutional teaching and learning strategy. Thus students may want to transfer all their relevant records from school to an FEI or HEI, from FE to HE, and from one HEI to another either when transferring courses, or progressing to a higher degree.

In this case, the principles of interoperability are clear, even if the practice is not. The systems in the sending institution must be able to export information in a standard format (dealt with in the mapping and transforming sections later), and the receiving institution must be able to import it. And there must be agreement over the acceptable means of transfer (see the later transforming section). But most critically, the information must make sense when transferred, and for this, detailed attention must be given not only to the selecting and mapping of the information, but also to the compatibility of the PDP-related programmes and processes which use the information in either institution.

In contrast, the systems within the institution need not be of concern to open standards. At the end of the learner's time at the institution, the information can all be brought together for transfer, and the receiving institution will unpack it and send relevant pieces to their various proper destination systems. The other internal systems do not need to adopt these interoperability standards.

Extended interoperation between systems or institutions

The other end of the spectrum is where there are several systems playing roles in the education or personal development of the learner at one time. This may be done in a variety of ways, for a variety of reasons.

Within an institution, there may be several systems each with some interest in information about learners. They all form part of what is called the "Managed Learning Environment" or MLE. Managing the information within an institution's MLE is the subject of much other work, and will not be covered further here.

Between institutions, a learner may be learning at more than one institution at the same time, or may be switching back and forth between institutions during the course of education. One approach to addressing this scenario is to develop what is in effect a Managed Learning Environment for the group of collaborating institutions.

The NIIMLE project architecture

NIIMLE, The Northern Ireland Integrated Managed Learning Environment, is an example of this approach. Rather than attempt to summarise what is an active ongoing project, the reader is referred to their site, and to their documentation, and technical specification [pdf]. The challenges that have had to be addressed include:

• responsibility for data protection;
• new MIS systems being installed in partner institutions;
• differences of technical architecture between partner institutions;
• finding the right people with authority in partner institutions.

The SHELL project architecture

The SHELL Project also addresses many of the same issues, as is shown by their overview. Unlike NIIMLE, the SHELL architecture involves a consortium-wide store of learner information.

When might it not be appropriate to use a standard specification for interoperation?

The requirement for interoperability standards comes into play at the point of interaction with other systems which may be unknown, or which may change, and which are not under the same systems umbrella and policy. Thus, for tightly-linked systems, it will only come into focus when information from those systems is required somewhere else. Clearly, if there is a proprietory solution to integrating the data across an MLE, it is unnecessary to make that conform to open standards.

It is the emphasis on Lifelong Learning that brings interoperability to centre-stage. Even with the most tightly-linked MLE, a lifelong perspective suggests that the information concerning learners in that MLE may be of relevance to the learners' personal development even after their involvement with that MLE has finished. Thus all MLEs should at least provide for export and import of learner information conforming to the emerging standards.

How do these architectures fit with a web services model?

The concept of web services cuts across the architectures discussed here. In a tightly-integrated MLE, it is likely that there are built-in ways of requesting and delivering information between the component parts; but in any looser configuration, based around Internet technology (whether public, or a private "intranet" approach) it makes sense to define the interactions between interoperating parts in terms of the services that each part offers to the other parts, with a well-defined, common technical interface.

This approach is favoured within the MLEs for Lifelong Learning programme, and is to be developed. There is a very useful discussion as a MS Word document by Scott Wilson on the JISC web site: "The case for a technical framework to support MLEs and e-Learning"

If you are a members of one of the JISC MLEs for Lifelong Learning projects, we are here to support you. For general and non-technical matters, please contact the Centre for Recording Achievement. For technical questions you may contact Simon Grant directly.

Please also send suggestions for additions or improvements to this page or site to Simon Grant.

Revised 2004-02-02 07:55:05