IMS Abstract Framework: Glossary
Version 1.0
|
IMS Abstract Framework: Glossary Version 1.0 |
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Document Name: IMS Abstract Framework: Glossary
Revision: 01 July 2003
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The IMS Abstract Framework (IAF) is a device to enable the IMS to describe the context within which it will continue to develop its eLearning technology specifications. This framework is not an attempt to define the 'IMS architecture', rather it is mechanism to define the set of interfaces for which IMS may or may not produce a set of interoperability specifications. In the cases where IMS does not produce a specification then every effort will be made to adopt or recommend a suitable specification from another organization.
Extensive experience in the development of the current IMS specifications has shown that agreement on key terminology is an essential component for success. The current set of IMS specifications are a rich source of agreed key term definitions within the IMS context but so far no single record of those definitions exists. This glossary is an attempt to create a single common record of all of the key words to be adopted within IMS documentation. It is stressed that the following terminology is not an attempt to create a normative set for the eLearning industry as a whole. Its normative context is limited to usage within the IMS Abstract Framework and the derived specifications, white papers, etc.
This is a 'living' document i.e., it is not archival in nature. Our ideas for various parts of the IAF are constantly being developed and so the information contained herein should always be considered in that context. This document is one of a set of closely related documents, the others being:
This glossary defines the key terms used within the abstract framework and the associated IMS specifications.
The rest of this document contains:
The structure of this document is:
The list of acronyms used within the IMS specifications is:
The glossary is described using three columns:
| Term | Definition | Source |
|---|---|---|
A |
|
|
| Abstraction |
A concept or generalization that specifies only those features of its instances relevant to a particular purpose. |
SC36 |
| Access |
An action (such as a query or direct hyperlink) by either a human or machine enabling the retrieval of data. |
IMS/DRI |
| Access Control |
A security technology
that selectively permits or prohibits certain types of data access
based on the identity of the accessing entity and the data object being
accessed. |
ISO |
| Access Management Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Access Management Service. |
IMS |
| Access Management Service |
The application of
data about users, user profiles and services to access control systems
so that authenticated users have access to those system, functions and
resources that they are authorized to use. Typically Access Management
Systems also seek to support single sign on, where the user is
challenged for a single name and password and has access to more than
one system or resource. |
|
| Accessibility |
Accessibility is
concerned with ensuring that products and technologies are capable of
supporting people with disabilities. The term disability is accepted in
its broadest sense and so both physical and cognitive accessibility
must be addressed. |
|
| Activity |
A discrete unit of learning that is sequenced. Activities may have associated resources
that represent content that can be delivered to the learner. Activities
can be organized in aggregations to form higher-level activities and
may be composed of multiple levels of sub-activities. Alternative: An instantiation of a node in the activity tree for a learner. |
IMS/SS |
| |
An action to be
undertaken by a role within a specified environment. There are two
types of activities: learning activities and support activities. |
IMS/LD |
| Activity Diagram |
An Activity Diagram
describes the sequencing of activities and includes support for
sequential and parallel behavior. These diagrams are particularly
useful for modelling workflow. |
UML |
| Activity Structure |
A container for
activities and/or other activity-structures allowing sequencing and
selection of its elements, and assigned to a role at a particular point
in the learning process. Arbitrarily complex structures of activities
can be formed, such as tree hierarchies. |
IMS/LD |
| Activity Tree |
The hierarchical
collection of content objects (activities) with associated rules and
specifications of learning behaviors, conditions and limits. The
activity tree describes a complex learning experience. Alternative: The representation of the parent-child relationships between activities. |
IMS/SS |
| Actor |
An Actor is a role that a user or other agent plays with respect to a system. Actors are a key part of a Use Case Diagram. |
|
| Adaptive Keyboard |
Adaptive keyboards
are designed for users with physical disabilities who cannot use a
standard keyboard. Users with reduced range of motion may require
smaller keyboards. Conversely, those without fine motor control may
require a keyboard that is somewhat larger. Keyboards that offer fewer
choices are helpful to users who benefit from a more structured
learning environment and one-handed keyboards are helpful for those who
can only type with one hand. |
IMS/Acc |
| Agent |
Software or a system component designed for a specific, automated task such as the discovery of Meta-data or to request Assets. |
IMS /DRI |
| Aggregated Content Repository |
A content repository aggregated from other content repositories. |
SCORM |
| Alert |
A message instigated from a repository and received by a resource utilizer often to inform a resource utilizer of new or updated meta-data and/or resources. |
IMS/DRI |
| Alt Text |
For blind or visually
impaired users, applications should provide equivalent access to all
visual aspects of learning technologies and content. Specifically,
developers should add text descriptions (alternative text or alt-text)
to all static images (e.g., pictures, logos, charts, links, other
graphics) so the text can then be read by a screen reader or output to
a Braille display. |
IMS/Acc |
| Alternative Access |
Alternative access
provides the disabled user with a learning activity that differs from
the activity used by the non-disabled user. However, the alternative
activity is designed to achieve the same learning objectives. For
example, a mobility-impaired student might be given the option of
conducting a science experiment in a virtual laboratory, where the
levels of dexterity, strength, and physical access are different from
those required in a physical laboratory. |
IMS/Acc |
| American Sign Language (ASL) |
A signing language used to annotate content as a substitute for audio information. |
IMS/Acc |
| ANSI TS130 Student Educational Record |
The ANSI TS130
contains the format and establishes the data contents of a Student
Educational Record (Transcript) Transaction Set for use within the
context of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) environment. The student
transcript is used by schools and school districts, and by
post-secondary educational institutions to transmit current and
historical records of educational accomplishment and other significant
information for students enrolled at the sending schools and
institutions. The transcript may be sent to other educational
institutions, to other agencies, or to prospective or current
employers. The student transcript contains personal history and
identifying information about the student, the current academic status,
dates of attendance, courses completed with grades earned, degrees and
diplomas awarded, health information (Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12
only), and testing information. |
ANSI |
| Application |
A system, system component, tool, or agent that uses the Application Services
to support an eLearning function. These are specific to the domain of
use (e.g., student system, course management system, etc.) and they can
vary from large, monolithic systems to very small agents. The IMS will
not be defining the full set of possible applications that can be
formed as a part of the abstract learning framework. |
|
| Application Layer |
When describing the
abstract framework it is useful, for completeness, to refer to the
layer where applications reside. Of particular importance is the
identification of the boundary abstraction that exists between the
framework and the application layer. |
IMS |
| Application Program Interface (API) |
An application program interface is an implementation of a Service Access Point (SAP) or collection of SAPs. A set of standard software interrupts, calls, functions, and data formats that can be used by an application program to access network services, devices, or operating systems. |
SC36 |
| Application Service |
A Service providing
functionality of particular importance to eLearning applications
including, but not limited to those relating to content delivery,
registration and enrolment, collaboration, sequencing, etc. |
IMS/OKI |
| Application Services Layer |
The Application Services Layer is one of the service layers defined within the IMS Abstract Framework. It contains the set of eLearning Application Services that are available to the set of Applications (represented by the Applications Layer) and these services will make the appropriate usage of the services available in the Common Services Layer and Infrastructure Layer. |
IMS |
| Architecture |
In the context of
eLearning, an architecture is a representation of a collection of
services which cooperate to provide a particular set of
electronic-based learning capabilities. The abstract framework can be
used to create any number of eLearning architectures. An eLearning
architecture may be constructed by the Application Profiling of the IMS
and other specifications. |
|
| Assessment |
Within the IMS QTI
specification, an Assessment is equivalent to a 'Test'. It contains the
collection of Items that are used to determine the level of mastery, or
otherwise, that a participant has on a particular subject. The
Assessment contains all of the necessary instructions to enable
variable sequencing of the Items and the corresponding aggregated
scoring for all of the Items to produce the final score. http://www.imsglobal.org/content/question/index.cfm |
IMS/QTI |
| Assessment Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Assessment Service. |
IMS |
| Assessment Engine |
An Assessment Engine
is the part of an eLearning system that is responsible for driving the
Assessment process from start to finish. This will include the
presentation of the assessment, quiz, test, etc., the processing of the
user responses and the reporting of the corresponding scores and other
management information. |
IMS/QTI |
| Assessment Result |
This is the data
structure that contains the detailed assessment information for a
particular attempt at the assessment. Each result can contain
information about one assessment only (including any contained sections
and items). http://www.imsglobal.org/content/question/index.cfm |
IMS/QTI |
| Assessment System |
A computer-based application designed to evaluate a person's level of understanding of a particular content area. |
|
| Asset Repository |
A computer-accessible
collection of electronic representations of media, text, images, sound,
Web pages, assessment objects or other pieces of data that can be
delivered to a Web client. |
SCORM |
| Asset |
Any digital resource that can be submitted to or requested from a Digital Repository.
In an IMS context, such a resource is typically used in instruction or
learning, and is either purposed as a learning object, a component of a
learning object, or a 'raw' information resource. While meta-data can
also be utilized as an asset, the model distinguishes between assets
and their associated meta-data. |
IMS/DRI |
| Assignable Unit |
The smallest element of a course that can be managed by a learning management system. |
AICC |
| Assistive Technology (AT) |
Assistive technology
is an umbrella term used to describe any product or technology-based
service that helps disabled people to live, learn, work, and enjoy
life. In the context of online education, AT refers to hardware and
software technologies that enable people with disabilities to use a
computer more effectively. |
IMS/Acc |
| Authentication |
Verifying a user's claimed identity. |
SC36 |
| Authentication Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Authentication Service. |
IMS/OKI |
| Authentication Service |
A service that verifies the identity of an OKI-agent and introduces that agent and its credentials to the application. |
OKI |
| Authorization |
The permission to perform certain operations or use certain methods or services. |
IEEE |
| Authorization Common Service |
A Service that allows
an application service to establish and query Authorizations. An
Authorization has three components: the Agent that is authorized; the
Function that the Agent is authorized to do; and the Qualifier
representing the context in which the Agent can perform the Function.
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Authorization service. |
IMS/OKI |
| Aviation Industry CBT Committee (AICC) |
The Aviation Industry
CBT Committee is a membership-based international forum that develops
recommendations on interoperable learning technology, principally for
the commercial aviation and related industries. As such its members
include both plane and equipment manufacturers, carriers, software and
multimedia vendors and a growing number of interested parties not
directly engaged in the sector, but nevertheless interested in the work
being done there. The AICC was responsible for the development of the
Computer Management Instruction (CMI) specification. http://www.aicc.org |
AICC |
B |
|
|
| Behavior |
The term behavior is
used to describe the ways in which a system, an application, an object,
a component, etc. is permitted to respond to stimuli. The behavior is
normally represented by a set of stable states across which the system
moves in response to stimuli that cause the transition. Behavior is
normally time dependent and so a pure data model representation is
insufficient. |
|
| Binding |
An application or mapping from one framework or specification to another. This word should not be used by itself without qualification and clear definition. XML-binding (the mapping of the corresponding information model into one of its XML equivalents) is the default realization of each the IMS specifications. |
SC36 IMS |
| Block |
An arbitrarily
defined grouping of structure elements. A block is composed of related
assignable units or other blocks. In the case of SCORM a block consists
of one or more SCOs. |
AICC |
C |
|
|
| Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) |
Cascading Stylesheets
(CSS), as used with HTML and defined by W3C, are able to alter the
display and formatting of all or part of the contents of the HTML file
to which they apply. For example, <H1> tags in the HTML file can
be designed to appear as bold, 15 point, and blue. But a different CSS
can instead render them as 30 point for a low-vision learner. CSS are,
however, capable of altering the formatting and display of selected
aspects of the entire contents of the HTML file. The browser will
display the whole HTML file to every user. http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/ |
W3C |
| Cataloguing Information |
Information about
content that facilitates its labelling, indexing, search, storage,
retrieval, execution, display, licensing, maintenance, or use. |
|
| CEN/ISSS |
The CEN in
co-operation with the European Commission's DG III & DG XIII has
set up the CEN/ISSS, a working group, to address European requirements
for Educational Technology. |
CEN |
| Certification |
In the IMS context,
Certification is the process undertaken to determine whether or not an
implementation of an IMS specification conforms to that specification
as stated by the associated conformance statement. |
IMS |
| Class |
The Class of an Object
is the abstract descriptor of a set of object instances. It describes
the set of objects instances that share the same attributes, operations
and relationship with other objects. The dependencies between classes
are shown using a Class Diagram. |
UML |
| Class Administration Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Class Administration Service. |
IMS |
| Class Administration Service |
A Service allowing
educational applications to use and manage information regarding
classes and people. In higher education implementations this service
typically defines the interface between educational applications and
student information systems. |
IMS/OKI |
| Class Diagram |
A Class Diagram
describes the objects in the system and the various kinds of static
relationships that exist among them. The static relationships are
Associations (a student may read a number of books) and Sub-types (a
student is a type of person). Class diagrams also show the attributes
and operations of a class and the constraints that apply to the way the
objects are connected e.g., the multiplicity. |
UML |
| Collaboration Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Collaboration Service. |
IMS |
| Collaboration Diagram |
A Collaboration Diagram is one form of Interaction Diagram. The Collaboration Diagram shows the exchange of messages between the objects for a particular use case. Unlike the Sequence Diagram the order of the messages is denoted by explicit numbering and not by their order in the collaboration diagram. |
UML |
| Collaboration Service |
A collection of
components that serve to manage the synchronous and asynchronous
interaction between any two or more users of the system. The service is
context neutral to the users role or profile and can be accessed from
any part of the system. |
IMS |
| Collaborative Learning |
Involves learning
activities based on two or more participants, including both
asynchronous (e.g., discussion board) and synchronous (e.g., chat,
video conferencing) systems. Standards based descriptions of
collaboration require descriptions of the participants involved (and
their different roles), the content involved, and the systems required
to facilitate collaboration (cf. Learning Design WG). |
|
| Commerce Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Commerce Service. |
IMS |
| Common Service |
A software service
that is common across a wide variety of enterprise application domains,
for instance finance and accounting, digital library, human resources,
etc. A software service that is foundational and can serve as critical
building blocks for higher-level domain specific service
implementations. |
IMS/OKI |
| Common Services Layer |
The Common Services Layer is one of the service layers defined within the IMS Abstract Framework. It contains the set of eLearning Common Services that are available to the set of Application Services (represented by the Applications Services Layer) and these services will make the appropriate usage of other services available in the Common Services Layer and Infrastructure Layer. |
IMS |
| Competency Management Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Competency Management Service. |
IMS |
| Competency Management Service |
A Service that allows
the management of the competencies-related aspects within an eLearning
system. This includes the management of a learner's competencies, the
creation of competency definitions and the association of these
definitions within learner content, etc. |
IMS |
| Component |
A Component is a
physical and replaceable part of a system that conforms to and provides
the realization of a set of interfaces. Classes and components are
similar however components physically exist and they consist of
operations i.e., they have attributes, that are reachable only through
their interfaces. The dependencies between a set of components is shown
using a Component Diagram. |
UML |
| Components |
The collection of
parts that are reusable within a learning design. The elements role,
activity-structure, learning-activity, support-activity and environment
are all included in the components section of an IMS Learning Design
document instance. |
IMS/LD |
| Component Diagram |
A Component Diagram shows the various Components
in a system and their dependencies. It is used to represent the
physical realization of a system. A Component Diagram can be combined
with a Deployment Diagram. This diagram should be used when the physical information is different from the associated logical information. |
UML |
| Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) |
A computer-based
process that facilitates and controls access to content, testing, and
tracking of relevant data to achieve a learning outcome. http://www.aicc.org |
AICC/ SCORM |
| Condition |
A rule used to
influence for flow of a play in a unit of learning. Used in conjunction
with properties, conditions add further refinement and personalization
facilities to a learning design. Conditions have the basic format: IF [expression] THEN [show, hide, or change something or notify someone]. The expressions are mostly defined on properties (e.g., IF pre-knowledge-English="4"). |
IMS/LD |
| Confidentiality |
The holding sensitive data in confidence, limited to an appropriate set of individuals or organizations. |
|
| Conformance |
In the IMS context
this is the statement of the properties that an implementation of an
IMS specification must possess in order to be defined as providing the
functionality defined within the specification. The implementation may
provide other functionality beyond the scope of the defined conformance. |
IMS |
| Conformance Profile |
This is the further
profiling of a Domain Profile to create a definitive statement of how
the specification(s) must be used to support conformance testing.
Successful completion of the corresponding conformance testing is used
to identify systems that are compliant with the conformance profile. |
IMS |
| Conformance Summary |
This is one part of
the conformance statement that is used in some of the first generation
IMS specifications. It is a summary that shows, in colloquial terms,
the capabilities of a particular implementation with respect to the
corresponding IMS specification. The other part of the conformance
statement is the Interoperability Statement. |
IMS |
| Content Aggregation |
The process of creating content by combining two or more existing pieces of content. |
|
| Content Management Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Content Management Service. |
IMS |
| Content Management Service |
A Service that
provides mechanisms for the creation, flexible management (e.g.,
aggregation, sequencing, dynamic rendering) and publishing of content.
This service allows educational applications to publish, deliver,
search for, and manage rights, role and meta-data information on
digital assets. |
|
| Content Package |
A unit of usable (and reusable) content as defined within the IMS Content Package Specification. An IMS Content Package consists of a logical description of the package (the Manifest) and the physical resources. http://www.imsglobal.org/content/packaging/index.cfm |
IMS/CP |
| Content Package Specification |
An information model
describing data structures that are used to provide interoperability of
Internet based content with content creation tools, learning management
systems (LMS), and run time environments. http://www.imsglobal.org/content/packaging/index.cfm |
IMS/CP |
| Corporate Training Management System (CTMS) |
A computer-based
application used to track training plans and schedules for employees
and/or customers, manage enrolments, record training outcomes, and
communicate training outcomes to other systems or people (e.g.,
managers, Human Resource Management System). |
|
| Course Catalogue |
This is a list of
courses that are available to a set of learners. This list will consist
of the course tile, its identifier plus any other appropriate
information. |
IMS/Ent |
| Course Construction |
Course Construction
refers to the assembly of learning objects or courseware objects within
a framework that accommodates their sequencing and assessment. |
|
| Course Element |
One of the three building blocks of a course, namely assignable units, blocks, and objectives. |
AICC |
| Course Structure |
The description of
all course elements, their relationships to each other, their
prerequisites, and their completion requirements. |
AICC |
| Creator |
An entity primarily responsible for making the content of a resource. |
IMS/DRI |
| Curriculum |
A set of courses or smaller learning units grouped according to one or more educational specializations. |
SC36 |
D |
|
|
| Database Management Common Service |
A Service that allows an application to access and update the contents of a database. |
IMS |
| Definition Model |
TBD. |
IMS/SS |
| Deliver |
To transport an asset from a digital repository to a resource utilizer in response to a request. |
IMS/DRI |
| Delivery Behavior Model |
The process that
validates that the content resources for the identified activity may be
delivered, i.e., none of the conditions that apply to the delivery of
the content for the activity and attempt have been or are being
violated. |
IMS/SS |
| Deployment Diagram |
A Deployment Diagram
shows the physical relationships among software and hardware components
in a delivered system. It can be used to show how Components and Objects
are routed and moved across a distributed system. This diagram should
be used when the physical information is different from the associated
logical information. |
UML |
| Digital Repositories Interoperability Specification |
A recommended set of
information models and protocols to enable interoperability between two
digital repositories during search, publish, and store operations. |
IMS/DRI |
| Digital Repository |
A collection of
digital assets and/or meta-data accessible via a network without prior
knowledge of the digital repository's structure. |
IMS/DRI |
| Digital Repository Management Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Digital Repository Management Service. |
IMS |
| Digital Repository Management Service |
A service that enable access to, and the management, of a Digital Repository. |
IMS |
| Digital Resource Management |
Management of a
digital resource through its entire lifecycle, including creation of
the resource and its meta-data, versioning, publishing, access
management, discovery, digital rights management,
preservation/archiving and destruction. |
|
| Digital Rights Management |
Digital Rights
Management (DRM) includes a range of functions to support the
management of intellectual property for digital resources. These
functions include description, identification, trading, protection,
monitoring and tracking of digital content. DRM systems also support
the expression of rights offers and agreements (e.g., licenses) for
content and all the parties involved (including rights holders). |
|
| Digital Rights Management Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Digital Rights Management Service. |
IMS |
| Digital Rights Management Service |
A Service that
provides mechanisms to enable permissions over learning object usage to
be offered, controlled, tracked, and managed. The DRM service also
provides for the management of rights holders and their entitlements
related to the usage of learning objects. |
|
| Directory |
Typically a digital
repository of information about network-accessible entities such as
services, other repositories, specifications, content objects, people,
and organizations that is managed, searchable, and organized according
to a specific logic such as alphabetical order. |
IMS/DRI |
| Directory Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Directory Service. |
IMS |
| Directory Service |
A service that
typically holds information about network-accessible entities such as
services, other repositories, specifications, content objects, people
and organizations, and provides a way of storing, operating on and
retrieving directory information that is both human and machine
accessible. Information required by other services such as an
authorization service or digital rights management service may be
provided by a directory service. |
|
| Discover |
An action resulting
from a query that involves presentation of results to the user.
Querying typically depends on meta-data being exposed for effective
discovery. Querying, browsing, 'following a path' are all aspects of
the discover function commonly called discovery. |
IMS/DRI |
| Discovery Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Discovery Service. |
IMS |
| Discovery Service |
A service that enables the discovery of learning content and other related information sources. |
IMS/DRI |
| Document Type Definition (DTD) |
The Document Type
Definition (DTD) was the primary XML binding control document format of
IMS but this has now been superseded by XSD (at present these bindings
are working to the May 2001 version of XML Schema). The DTD defines a
set of elements, their content models and attributes, and their simple
relationships. |
W3C |
| Domain Profile |
Customizing parts of
one or more standards and/or specifications to meet the needs of a
particular market or community i.e., a domain. A set of one or more
base standards and/or specifications, and where applicable the
identification of chosen classes, subsets, options, vocabularies and
parameters of those standards/specifications necessary for
accomplishing a particular function. In this context, the SCORM is an Application Profile. In general an Application Profile will not consist solely of IMS specifications. |
|
| Dublin Core |
(1) An information model for defining interoperability between content catalogues. (2) An organization that promotes development of meta-data standards and practices. |
DCMI |
| Dublin Core Metadata Initiative |
An open forum
engaged in the development of interoperable online meta-data standards
that support a broad range of purposes and business models. DCMI's
activities include consensus-driven working groups, global workshops,
conferences, standards liaison, and educational efforts to promote
widespread acceptance of meta-data standards and practices. |
DCMI |
E |
|
|
| Electronic Business XML (ebXML) |
The Electronic
Business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) is an international
initiative established by the United Nations Centre for Trade
Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and the Organization
for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) with a
mandate to undertake a 15-18 month program of work. The purpose of the
ebXML initiative is to research and identify the technical basis upon
which the global implementation of XML can be standardized. The goal is
to provide an XML-based open technical framework to enable XML to be
utilized in a consistent and uniform manner for the exchange of
electronic business data in application-to-application,
application-to-human, and human-to-application environments. http://www.ebxml.org |
ebXML |
| Enrolment Management |
Enrolment management
encompasses the initial creation of group membership and various
changes to that data over time. Examples of enrollment management
include learner enrollment in courses and instructor assignment to
courses. |
IMS/Ent |
| Enterprise Service |
The reworking of the IMS Enterprise Specification to support behavioral definitions. This is an aggregation of the Party Management Application Service, Group Management Application Service and Membership Management Application Service. |
IMS/ES |
| Enterprise Specification |
An information model
that supports the interoperability of information about people, groups,
and group affiliations between two or more systems. http://www.imsglobal.org/enterprise/index.cfm |
IMS/Ent |
| Enterprise System |
A computer
application that is used to store and manipulate information
representing people, groups, and affiliations within an organization. |
|
| Environment |
A structured collection of learning objects, services, and sub-environments within which activities take place. |
IMS/LD |
| Equivalent Access |
Equivalent access
provides the disabled user with content identical to that used by the
non-disabled user. For the disabled user however, that content is
presented using a different modality. Providing a course textbook in
Braille format, on audiotape, or in digital format are examples of
equivalent accessibility. Equivalent access should be provided whenever
possible and Alternative Access should be provided only
if equivalent access is not possible. However, there are numerous
examples where software developed for alternative access has become the
mainstream choice when its value to all learners was recognized. |
IMS/Acc |
| Exemplar Implementation |
A non-normative
implementation of a specification or set of specifications, most
frequently of a standard, that is looked to as a concrete example of
how an Application Profile could be implemented. |
|
| Expose |
To make meta-data available to resource utilizers for purposes of searching, gathering, and alerting. |
IMS/DRI |
| Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) |
Extensible Stylesheet
Language Transformations (XSLT) allow the selection and formatting of
particular parts of an XML file. They also allow the addition (within
the XSLT file itself) of other elements such as images, text, or video
not included in the default presentation. Thus, authors need only write
data files once but can specify a variety of presentations to suit
different needs. For example, using HTML to create multi-language
websites requires separate files for each language for each page. XSLTs
allow the stylesheet to select each language's text from the contents
of a single file for the page and display it together with any
language-specific images, audio, or video. http://www.w3c.org/Style/XSL/ |
W3C |
F |
|
|
| File Management Common Service |
A Service that
provides a way of storing and retrieving static content. It provides an
abstraction layer between the file system and the Application. |
IMS/OKI |
| File Transfer Protocol (FTP) |
An Internet
application protocol i.e., a part of the Internet Protocol Suite, for
transferring files of different types between computers over a TCP/IP
network. http://www.ietf.org/rfc |
IETF |
| Framework |
By itself, this term
has no meaning in IMS specifications, and should not be used in IMS
documents unless referring to the usage of the term referentially. |
|
G |
|
|
| Gateway |
Typically, a
functional interface to a digital repository that provides pathways to
either single or multiple search requests and results. Translations of
syntax may be performed by a gateway. |
IMS/DRI |
| Gather |
To identify, transport, and process meta-data that is exposed by a digital repository for the purposes of resource utilization. |
IMS/DRI |
| Gather Engine |
A software application commonly known as a Harvester. |
IMS/DRI |
| Generic Transport Sub-layer |
The Generic Transport is the bottom-most sub-layer of the Infrastructure Layer
in the abstract learning framework. It is the portion of the abstract
learning framework responsible for providing the actual end-to-end data
transport across the data network. This is based upon established
protocols such as FTP, SMTP, HTTP, HTTPS, etc. |
IMS |
| Global Elements |
A mechanism used in
order to be able to set and view properties during the teaching and
learning. There are four global elements: set-property, view-property,
set-property-group and view-property-group. Global elements are
designed to be included in any XML content schema by use of XML
namespaces (e.g., for inclusion in XHTML). |
IMS/LD |
| Grade-book |
A grade-book is a record of the grades, comments, attendance, and scores for a student or group. |
IMS/Ent |
| Group Management Application Service |
This is the application service definition within the Application Services Layer of the Group Management Service. |
IMS |
| Group Management Service |
Group management
services can include data from class creation and class scheduling, and
the ongoing maintenance of that data. A source system creates and
maintains group information, which needs to be shared with other
systems that are involved with group management functions. The flow of
group management information is not necessarily one way; some data may
be updated by a target system and passed back to the source system. |
IMS/ES |
H |
|
|
| Higher Education Knowledge and Technology Exchange (HEKATE) |
The Higher Education
Knowledge and Technology Exchange (HEKATE) is a not-for-profit
international exchange whose mission is to help shape the next
generation of education products and services. HEKATE's goal is to
offer innovative, transcultural approaches for 21st century learning
environments. Its members are individuals and organizations involved in
higher education, publishing, consulting, and research, as well as a
broad array of technology vendors. http://www.hekate.org |
|
| HR-XML |
The Human Resources
(HR-XML) Consortium is an independent, non-profit association dedicated
to the development and promotion of a standard suite of XML
specifications to enable e-commerce and the automation of human
resources-related data exchanges. http://www.hr-xml.org |
|
| Human Resource Management System (HRMS) |
A computer-based application that manages personnel records, financial data, benefits, and other functions for an organization. |
|
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) |
An Internet protocol
i.e., a part of the Internet Protocol Suite, which defines message
format and transmission for media objects in a TCP/IP network. HTTP is
typically used to transmit HTML documents between a web server and a
web client e.g., a browser. http://www.ietf.org/rfc |
IETF |
I |
|
|
| Identification Common Service |
This is the common service definition within the Common Services Layer of the Identification Service. |
IMS |
| Identification Service |
A service that is responsible for producing and making available Global/Local User Identifiers (GUIDs/LUIDs). |
|
| IEEE Personal & Privacy Information (PAPI) |
A terminated IEEE LTSC standardization activity similar, but of more limited scope, to that completed by IMS with their Learner Information Package Specification. |
IEEE |
| Implementation |
Within the context of IMS - the realization of a specification into data or a computer-based operation, as applicable. |
|
| IMS Abstract Framework (IAF) |
The abstract
representation of the systems, applications, components and
infrastructure used to provide eLearning. The abstract framework can be
considered a meta-architecture and as such it is not possible to create
an implementation of abstract learning framework. |
IMS |
| In-built Scoring Algorithms |
This is the set of Outcomes Processing scoring algorithms that are defined within the IMS QTI Specification.
These algorithms are characterized by a set of default parameters and
behavioral models that must be supported by an IMS QTI savvy Assessment Engine. |
IMS/QTI |
| Information Resources System |
A computer
application that enables discovery and delivery of information
resources. The application may operate with a single repository,
provide access to a set of related repositories or provide a single
interface to distributed heterogeneous resources. |
|
| Infoseeker |
Any user or agent attempting to discover, access, search, or gather assets. |
IMS/DRI |
| Infrastructure |
The mechanism through which the Application Components and Common Components
interact i.e., communication, messaging, discovery, workflow, security,
encryption, transaction. The infrastructure can be supplied through any
appropriate combination of communications technology. |
IMS |
| Infrastructure Layer |
The Infrastructure
Layer is the bottom layer in the abstract framework. This layer is
decomposed into several sub-layers which may, or may not, be realized
within any particular system implementation. The services defined
within the Infrastructure Layer are capable of supporting the services
in both the Application and Common Service layers. |
IMS |
| Initiator |
An Initiator is the
system, agent, etc. that starts, or initiates, the data exchange. As a
consequence it will send and, in general, receive data from the target Respondent(s). |
|
| Institute of Electronic & Electrical Engineering Learning Technology Standards Committee (IEEE LTSC) |
The IEEE Learning
Technology Standards Committee is the only industrial or professional
body engaged in the educational domain, which has a recognized formal
standing in standardization. Given the diversity of the forums
represented by the participants in the IEEE, there exist a large number
of working groups focused on specific activities, as well as more
horizontal activities (such as the Architecture and Reference Model and
the Glossary working groups) that attempt to tie the wider ranging work
together. http://ltsc.ieee.org |
IEEE |
| Institution Role |
The Institution Role identifies the type of role that an agent has within an institution. |
IMS/Ent |
| Instructional Content |
Instructional Content
refers to resource material(s) used to support learning - may consist
of textual, graphic or multimedia assets contextualized by learning
objectives or tasks. |
|
| Interaction Diagram |
Interaction Diagrams
are models that describe how groups of objects collaborate in some
behavior. There are two kinds of Interaction Diagram: Sequence Diagrams and Collaboration Diagrams. |
UML |
| Interface |
A shared boundary
between the layers of the abstract learning framework across which
information is passed. Types of interfaces are the User Interface and
SAPs. |
|
| Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) |
The IETF is
responsible for the development of the 'Internet' with respect to the
set of underlying protocols, services and support tools and techniques.
The IETF releases its technical work in the form of Request For
Comments (RFCs). The IETF was responsible for the creation of vCard. http://www.ietf.org |
IETF |
| Internet Protocol |
The primary
internetworking protocol defined by the IETF and a core component of
the Internet Protocol Suite. It is responsible for ensuring that the
data is correctly routed across a data network. http://www.ietf.org/rfc |
IETF |
| Interoperability Binding |
A binding that
supports interoperability between two systems, with no ambiguity.
Interoperability can occur at several levels within the layered
abstract framework and so the content must be clearly defined. |
|
| Interoperability Statement |
This is one part of
the conformance statement that is used in some of the first generation
IMS specifications. It is a detailed technical checklist that
identifies all of the feature capabilities of the implementation in
terms of the corresponding IMS specification functions. The other part
of the conformance statement is the Conformance Summary. |
IMS |
| ISO/IEC JCT1 SC36 |
The International
Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical
Commission has formed a Joint Technical Committee (JTC1) that is
focused on the area of Information Technology standardization. ISO/IEC
JTC1/SC36 (Sub Committee 36) is intended to address standardization in
the area of information technologies that support learning, education
and training. http://www.ISO/IEC.org/ISO/IEC/en/stdsdevelopment/tc/TC.html |
ISO/IEC |
| Item |
In the IMS QTI
specification, an Item is the smallest exchangeable object within
QTI-XML. An Item is more than a 'Question' in that it contains the
'Question', the presentation/rendering instructions, the response
processing to be applied to the participant's response(s), the feedback
that may be presented (including hints and solutions) and the meta-data
describing the Item. |
IMS/QTI |
| |