How the Digital Learning Connection Works:

1. Each participating content provider
   a) provides a list of books/titles for which common cartridge digital assets will be available by Fall 2009
   b) perform initial conformance testing on these cartridges by June 1, 2009

2. IMS GLC works with each participating content provider to:
   a) Work cooperatively to set up and test Common Cartridge authorization and download server(s)
   b) Witnesses tests of the cartridges specified in #1 above  in participating platform providers
   

3. IMS GLC publishes conformance results to the public via the online product directory

4. IMS GLC publishes test reports, developed software, or other artifacts to the Common Cartridge Alliance community

5. Participating content providers consider offering a discount on books/titles from #1 to participating institutions  during the time period of the program.

6. IMS Global Learning Consortium institutional members, Affiliates, and CC alliance members who have adopted a CC conformant platform are automatically accepted as participating institutions.

7. Other institutions may become participating institutions by becoming members of the Common Cartridge Alliance. Participating content providers may choose to sponsor institutions into the Common Cartridge Alliance to become a participating institution for a  minimum of two years.

8. IMS GLC works with each participating institution to:
   a) Witness tests of CCs detected, downloaded, and conformant in their operational configuration.
   b) Provide central location for logging of issues on CCs back to content providers

Digital Learning Connection Value to End-Users:

1. The program is designed to aid end users in utilizing cartridge assets, by allowing the LMS to automatically obtain course booklist from appropriate campus system, including publisher and ID.
2. The organization LMS will automatically query the appropriate publisher system to determine if there are cartridge assets available.
3. After querying the system, if there are cartridge assets available, the instructor will sees a prominent button alerting them and asking if they would like to download and install these assets. This increases awareness of the availability of digital assets by automatically making it known to the instructor. No searching of publisher site(s) is required.
4. An instructor may choose to download the cartridge assets, at which point they are installed in the LMS transparently using LTI between the LMS and the publisher system. This is much easier than what is required today where the instructor needs to manually download and install these assets. It also should reduce technical support requirements (helpdesk).
5. When the content is used (by students), the use is authorized directly with the publisher through the open authorization protocol of Common Cartridge.
6. (Future – Fall ’10) In v2 of Common Cartridge, we hope to have a version of “save and restore” using the Common Cartridge format. This will provide improved interoperability of content produced from one LMS for use in another. It will also provide a limited “insurance policy” if platform migration is required on a large scale.

More Information:

• Learning Tools Interoperability for Common Cartridge

View a short presentation by Dr. Charles Severance, IMS GLC Affiliates Coordinator about the use of Simple Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) to publish Common Cartridges

birm-cc-lti.mov (Quicktime Movie)

What are people saying about the Digital Learning Connection?

“Pearson Education believes that the Digital Learning Connection, based on the new IMS Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) protocol, will open up a new world of interactive digital content resources to educators by making them more accessible,” comments Jim Benhke, Chief Learning Officer, Pearson Education. 

“Penn State is pleased to be working with the IMS Global Learning Consortium to pilot the Digital Learning Connection Program,” said John Harwood, Senior Director, Teaching and Learning with Technology, Penn State. “The program will increase the incorporation of digital learning into our high enrollment courses by providing ease of use benefits to faculty, while simultaneously improving the technical support of digital content and applications from a variety of providers.” 

“ANGEL Learning is committed to the Common Cartridge and LTI standards and is pleased to be working with Penn State, Pearson, and other participants in the Digital Learning Connection,” commented Ray Henderson, Chief Products Officer, ANGEL Learning. “The Digital Learning Connection will accelerate the incorporation of a new generation of digital learning applications and content into the every day experience of teachers and learners.”

“McGraw-Hill strongly supports the IMS Digital Learning Connection initiative as we feel it will help provide our customers and their community with greater access to our relevant and useful digital content,” said Ed Stanford, President, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. "The initiative is consistent with our commitment to identifying and developing innovative digital solutions in support of teaching and learning at colleges and universities worldwide."

“eCollege is pleased to support open standards for digital content interoperability,” said Matt Leavy, CEO of eCollege. “We are especially pleased to support additional steps to make it easier for schools to access and deploy Common Cartridge content via LTI and the Digital Learning Connection.”

Participating Organizations include:

ANGEL Learning
Cengage Learning
eCollege
Open University UK
Jenzabar
McGraw-Hill
Pearson Education
Penn State
University of Michigan
Wimba