Representation of Coordination Mechanisms in IMS LD

Abstract

Group interaction has to be meticulously designed to foster effective and efficient collaborative learning. The IMS Learning Design specification (IMS LD) can be used to create a formal representation of group interaction, and the model can then be used to scaffold group interaction by means of coordination support at runtime. In this chapter, we investigate the expressiveness of IMS LD in representing coordination mechanisms by using coordination theory as an analytical framework. We have found that IMS LD can represent almost all the basic coordination mechanisms. We have also identified some hurdles to be overcome in representing certain coordination mechanisms. According to coordination theory, common coordination mechanisms can be reused in different settings. We briefly explore the feasibility of representing coordination mechanisms at a high-level of abstraction, which will be easier for instruction designers and teachers to understand and use.

Key Terms in this Chapter

IMS LD: An open e-learning technical standard used to model teaching and learning processes.

CSCL Script: A formal description of an online collaborative learning design.

Coordination: The process of managing dependencies between activities (Malone & Crowston, 1994).

Learning Design: A description of a series of activities aiming at achieving learning objectives. In this chapter, the term learning design normally refers to the description of the learning process in IMS LD

Coordination mechanism: Refers to additional activities that can be used to manage dependencies (Malone & Crowston, 1994).

Group-Based Learning: An instructional strategy in which a small group of learners work together in a series of activities in order to achieve a shared learning objective.