Enterprise Learning Systems and Applications Procurement (ELSAP)
The ELSAP project group is aimed at creating a template for baseline technical functions and features to support K-12 and higher education (HE) Request for Proposal (RFP, Technical Requirements) and procurement processes for learning systems and applications. In this template, the teaching and learning features, functionality and usability aspects (i.e., communication tools, assessment tools) will be identified as well as the technical and administration aspects (i.e., implementation, integration, hardware requirements). The ELSAP template is envisioned to be used as a tool for K-12 and HE institutions seeking to procure learning systems and applications that are provided as "bundled" or "unbundled" solutions and it can be used in whole or in part - depending on an institution's specific objectives for procurement. The ELSAP template would support educators who are planning to migrate from learning systems and applications or purchase and implement these systems for the first time. The initial work of the ELSAP project group will focus on categories of learning systems and applications that integrate into or around a Learning Management System (LMS) solution. A prioritized set of learning systems and applications has been confirmed by the ELSAP project group and is identified and defined below:
- LMS: Software for delivering, tracking and managing a learning environment. LMSs range from systems for managing training records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and offering features for online collaboration. Most LMSs are web-based to facilitate access to learning content and administration.
- Similar Terms: Course Management System (CMS), Managed Learning Environment (MLE), Learning Support System (LSS), Online Learning Centre (OLC) or Learning Platform (LP)
- Learning Content Management System (LCMS): An environment where instructional designers and developers can create, store, reuse, manage, and deliver learning content from a central object repository, usually a database.
- Similar Terms: Content Management System (CMS), Learning Objects Repository (LOR)
- ePortfolio: Collections of personal information about a learner that represent their accomplishments, goals, experiences, and other personalized records that a learner can present to schools, employers, or other entities.
Participants
The IMS Technical Advisory Board approved the ELSAP Charter in Ma r2009. Public Community participants may download a copy of the IMS ELSAP Charter
The Industry Challenge
The broad use of Learning Management Systems (LMS; aka Course Management System [CMS]) across K-20 education has become an embedded component of most schools' and campus' "Learning Enterprise" strategy. This process started in the latter part of the 20th century and has accelerated rapidly in the last several years. The need to deploy, maintain and integrate an LMS with other learning technologies (e.g. ePortfolio and Learning Content Management System [LCMS]) has become as standard as email or network connectivity. While the need for LCMSs to manage learning materials at the school, district, institution, or system level is becoming equally vital to providing a robust learning environment. At the same time, the list of delivered and expected features available with these platforms has also grown dramatically in both breadth and relative complexity.
While the LMS, LCMS and ePortfolio marketplace has continued to mature, campuses and schools find the need to move from first generation platforms to newer generation systems that provide the latest teaching resources demanded by an increasingly more sophisticated faculty and user community. Although competitive pressures to differentiate has driven innovation within the commercial and open-source LMS, LCMS, and ePortfolio developer world, there are indications that broad areas of the LMS (LCMS and ePortfolio) features are converging to a common list that most educators are seeking and most vendors are supplying in varying ways.
When campuses embark on procurement exercises to select a new LMS, LCMS, or ePortfolio solution, an objective method of examining and comparing available product platforms is paramount. RFPs are a common mechanism employed by organizations to objectively select products from the open market. Education providers frequently use RFPs as part of their procurement efforts. The work effort described in this project Charter (Phase 1) aims to provide a common Technical Section for use in the RFP process for procurement of LMS, LCMS, and/or ePortfolio independently (unbundled) or jointly (bundled vendor solution).
Rational & Solution
Creating an IMS GLC RFP template (Technical Requirements Section) is an activity that IMS GLC finds very important to support educators in managing their Learning Enterprise and relates directly to IMS GLC efforts associated with creating adoption practices for managing and enhancing the Learning Enterprise. Additionally, identifying and defining (from a functional perspective) IMS GLC technical specifications available to purchasers and end-users of LMS, LCMS, and ePortfolio, in a template that can be readily included in an RFP technical section, is of interest to IMS GLC interoperability work groups, as it will help to promote the use of IMS GLC standards and help to gain market adoption of these standards from the end-user perspective.
The RFP template could be used by any campus or school launching a product selection effort and would provide educators (and platform providers) with an invaluable tool to:
- Minimize the effort of a K-12 school or higher education institution in preparing an institution-, school- or district-specific RFP for procuring a LMS, LCMS and/or ePortfolio;
- Provide awareness to purchaser of IMS interoperability standards and associated functionality to help institutions integrate LMS, LCMS and ePortfolio systems;
- Provide first time purchasers with a list of features, functionality and interoperability standards that will enhance the installation, implementation, and ultimate usability of the selected system;
- Minimize the"reinvention of the wheel" as it relates to creating these documents;
- Provide educators who are embarking on LMS selection and procurement with a quality template, developed by schools and higher education institution learning technology leaders who have led successful LMS, LCMS, and ePortfolio procurements and have tremendous background and expertise in this area;
- Provide vendors with a clearer picture of what customers are expecting from their products (functionality, features and interoperability); and,
- Provide a tool to level-set product functionality expectations amongst vendor and customer during the procurement process.
Related Information
For related information, please visit:- Learning Technology Advisory Council (LTAC)
- Information Analytics (IA)
- Dynamic Instructional Content Exchange (DICE)
Further Information
For
information on the SIEL
project, please contact:
John Falchi
Chief Program Strategist
IMS Global Learning Consortium
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