Adaptive Collaboration Scripting with IMS LD

The IMS Learning Design specification is a widely known language that allows modelling of, amongst other learning designs, collaboration scripts in e-learning. Yet, it has been criticized for a number of shortcomings and specifically its lack of support for comprehensive adaptation features. We propose concrete extensions to the specification, which address a wide range of problems and omissions. The most important areas of modifications and amendments include: explicit representation of groups and corresponding collaboration contexts, as well as of artefacts as results of joint work; flexible integration of communication and collaboration services; a revamped script organization and sequencing model; a previously missing run-time model, with support for event- and exception- handling. The above are complemented by a wide range of adaptive interventions that can affect the script’s progress at run-time, tailor it to changing circumstances, and support learners. Last but not least, sophisticated scenarios are made possible through support for non-traditional collaboration script elements: the possibility to represent human involvement in adaptation decisions, ‘transactional’ action processing, loops and branches for controlling action execution, and the declaration of re-usable action sequences and complex expressions. Further to the proposed changes, examples are provided that highlight the novel possibilities afforded by these changes for advanced collaboration scripts.