JISC

Transcoder tool

Final report

A number of different approaches have been taken to standardising eLearning content over the past 8 years, resulting in materials being created in a range of formats. Standards in this area continue to diverge, with the standardisation of SCORM through ISO progressing on the one hand, and on the other new initiatives such as Common Cartridge.

Rather than attempting to harmonize the various specifications, a pragmatic solution is to instead provide a service to easily convert content between the various available formats. Currently, institutions have to use tools such as RELOAD to manually change content to fit their VLE. While RELOAD can accomplish this task, particularly the Content Re-Engineering Tool version developed under the TELCERT project, this requires considerable investment in time and expertise by individual support staff. By offering the content transformation as an online service, institutions are freed up from this requirement.

This service is especially important in Further Education, with materials created by the NLN programme, the BBC, and publishers using different packaging standards, and with relatively little technical expertise and resource available for managing the conversion process within the institutions. It is also likely that there will be additional need for such a service by BECTA to support other programmes such as the Learning Platform Framework for schools. This proposal has been discussed with BECTA and DCSF, both of
whom have expressed a strong interest in seeing such a service become available.

As well as direct use by individuals in institutions, the service may also be useful for adding value to other JISC services, such as JORUM.

Implementation strategy

The pilot service would operate in a very simple, easy-to-use fashion. Users upload one or more package files, which are stored as a temporary object in a backend store. The user then chooses a target format for the packages from a list of supported output formats, and enters their email address. The service then queues the conversion job, and executes it with one of a collection of programmed conversion routines. The converted output is then stored with a new address for downloading. When conversion is completed, the service notifies the user by email with the URL where they can download it.

We propose to trial the use of outsourced infrastructure web services from Amazon. Amazon offers very reasonably priced pay-per-use services for storage and processing capacity that scale with usage. These services, generally referred to as a "cloud computing platform" enable flexible service scaling, high reliability, and low entry costs. By adopting this approach the pilot service can transition from its "project" phase to a fully supported service in an efficient and cost-effective manner based on actual uptake by the sector.

Proposed workplan and budget

The focus of the first year is the development and deployment of the pilot service; the second year focuses on the marketing, evaluation, and enhancement of the service. Within six months of startup, it would be expected that an "alpha" service would be available, while at one year a "beta" service should in operation. By the end of the second year, the pilot should be in a position to recommend transition to full production status depending on the results of the evaluation.

The initial scope of the service is to address conversions between the most common eLearning content formats in use: IMS Content Packaging 1.1.3, IMS Content Packaging 1.1.4, IMS Content Packaging 1.2, SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and IMS Common Cartridge 1.0. This may be extended to additional formats if there is sufficient demand (a survey is currently underway). For example, the specific format profiles used for LearnDirect, BBC Jam, and NLN.