|
Please wait ......
OKI OSIDs- Overview
Terms of use
X
Terms of use
These contents have been obtained from the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site and edited for presentation. Please refer to the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site for additional information on terms of use.
Print
Open Knowledge Initiative
|
The Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) is a collaboration among leading universities and specification and standards organizations to support innovative learning technology in higher education. The result of this collaboration is an open and extensible architecture that specifies, in terms of Open Service Interface Definitions (OSIDs), how the components of an educational software environment communicate with each other and with other enterprise systems. OKI provides a modular development platform for building both traditional and innovative applications while leveraging existing and future infrastructure technologies.
The OKI OSIDs seek to standardize interfaces to basic functionality so that one application (an OSID consumer) can access specific data and functionality from another application (an OSID provider) in real time. For example, a digital asset management system can make its collections of assets accessible to a learning management system (LMS) by exposing an implementation of the Repository OSID. The LMS then need only be able to consume that OSID (i.e. be able to call functions in the digital asset management system as defined by the OSID). OKI OSIDs is designed for broad adoption in the higher education domain. It provides a stable, scalable base that supports the flexibility needed by higher education and commercial developers of educational software. |
Benefits
By clearly defining points of interoperability, the OKI framework allows the components of a complex learning environment to be developed and updated independently of each other. This leads to a number of important benefits:- Learning technologies appropriate for a range of teaching and learning requirements can be integrated together into a common environment. The needs of the Math department are not those of English department, and tools that work well for new users may not be adequate for seasoned users.
- Learning technology and content can be more easily shared among schools and departments. This provides a catalyst for cooperative and commercial development.
- There is a lower long term cost of software ownership because single components can be replaced or upgraded without requiring all other components to be modified.
- Modularity makes learning technology more stable, more reliable, able to grow with increased usage, and allows components to be updated without destabilizing other parts of the environment. OKI is based on technologies that have proven to be scalable and dependable in large scale enterprise computing environments.
- The architecture offers a standardized basis for learning technology software development. This reduces development effort and encourages the development of specialized components that integrate into larger systems.
Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) Web Site |
Terms of use
X
These contents have been obtained from the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site and edited for presentation. Please refer to the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site for additional information on terms of use.
Print
The Open Knowledge Initiative has produced a series of Open Service Interface Definitions (OSIDs) informed by a broad architectural view of the educational technology landscape. As learning management systems have become a core component of the campus information technology infrastructure, OKI seeks to simplify and enhance the creation of educational applications.
The OSID's are an abstraction layer between the programmer and the enterprise infrastructure systems of his or her campus. Each OSID is characterized by a tightly defined set of methods and strict boundaries. This approach offers a number of important benefits to applications designed to the OSIDs:- Simple integration with existing infrastructure
- Local innovations can be shared across campuses or universities
- Adaptation to new technology without destabilizing the overall environment
|
Defined OSIDs
Below are enumerated and briefly described the different interface definitions from OKI OSIDs:- Agent. The Agent Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) supports defining and using Agents and Groups. This OSID is called agent because this Service defines how an Agent is created, deleted, and accessed. A Group is an Agent that can contain other Agents or Groups. This Service defines how a Group is created and deleted as well as how a member of a Group is added, removed, and accessed.
- Assessment. The Assessment Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) supports creating, organizing, administrating, evaluating, storing and retrieving Assessments. Assessments are organized into Sections and within Sections into Items. Once composed, an Assess-ment can be Published in which case it is read to be Taken by an Agent (Student). Each Assessment, Section, or Item taken can have an Evaluation.
- Assessment. The Authentication Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) primarily supports invoking an authentication process. The implementation of this Service is responsible for gathering whatever information is appropriate to perform the authentication. The Service also supports testing if a user is authenticated, retuning the Agent Id that corresponds to the user, returning the types of authentication available, and destroying either all authentications or only those for a given type. The OSIDs can interact with information and resources over which some form of access control is required. Authentication and Authorization work together where Authentication ensures interactions are at the request an identified user and Authentication reports what the identified user can do.
- Authorization. The OSIDs cover services that are likely to involve restricted content and operations. The Authorization OSID provides a way to define who is authorized to do what, when. Authorizations associate Agents, which represent the user or another actor in the sys-tem, with Functions and Qualifiers. Before performing an operation, implementations will want to know if there is an Authorization that covers the operation. If the Agent is authorized, the operation can be attempted. If not, the operation is not allowed.
- CourseManagement. The CourseManagement Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) primarily sup-ports creating and managing a CourseCatalog. The catalog is organized into: CanonicalCourses (which are general and exist across terms), CourseOfferings for CanonicalCourses (which occur in a specific term, have a CourseGradeType, a Status, etc) and CourseSections for CourseOfferings (which have a meeting location, schedule, student roster, etc.). When used in concert, the OSIDs comprise a complete system with each Service focused exclusively on a particular area. For example, the roles related to a CourseOffering and CourseSection are defined through the Authorization OSID; coursework and course material can be defined in the Assessment and Reposi-tory OSIDs; course grades are assigned through the Grading OSID, and so on.
- Filing. The Filing Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides platform independent storage and management of files and directories. Files and directories may be associated with metadata such as owner, mimetype, quota and versions. Implementations may be built using file systems, databases, or a combination of both.
- Grading. The Grading Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) supports characterizing, storing and retrieving Grades. A Grade is specified with four elements: a GradeValue, GradeType, GradeScale, and ScoringDefinition. These four elements provide a general and flexible way to characterize a Grade. The Service also provides for managing GradeRecords, which join information about the Grade, the Agent (Student) whose Grade it is, and the object that was Graded. This Service also includes methods for iterating through the GradeTypes, GradeScales, and ScoringDefinitions supported by a particular implementation. One can also iterate through the GradableObjects included among the GradeRecords; and through the GradeRecords themselves.
- Hierarchy. The Hierarchy Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides a means of creating and traversing hierarchical structures of various types. These types include trees, forests, directed graphs with multiple parents, and directed cyclic graphs.
- Id. The Id Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) supports managing and using Ids.
- Logging. The Logging Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides a means of reading and writing entries to logs. The Service supports specified formats and priorities for each entry. Applications can use the Service to record activity for a production system while implementations of other OSIDs can use the Service to record detailed data during development, problem identification, performance, etc.
- Repository. The Repository Open Service Interface Definition covers storing and retrieving digital content, referred to as Assets, as well as information about the Assets. Assets, examples of which include: documents, course material, assessment item, images, video, audio, etc, reside in Repositories which have names and descriptions and which support a specific set of Asset Types. Repositories are themselves organized by the RepositoryManager that keeps track of repositories and supports certain operations such as searching for Assets across repositories. Associated with each Asset Type is a RecordStructure that defines the format of information comprising the Asset or information describing the Asset. An Asset can have content as well as Records, which are data in the format defined by the Asset’s RecordStructure. Assets may contain other Assets.
- Scheduling. The Scheduling Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides a means of associating Agents with specific activities (ScheduleItems) that have a specific start and end date and time. For each ScheduleItem, the Agent or Agents involved have a Status that reflects their level of commitment to the activity. There are provisions for both recurring ScheduleItems and for finding the times when a set of Agents are available.
- Shared. The Shared Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) supports implementing a Type abstract class, and defining primitive-type iterators. This OSID is called shared because many of the Services are used widely across other OSIDs. In particular: Id, Type, and TypeIterator are used extensively. Shared is also one of the first OSIDs one might implement. Without one’s own implementation or another’s, there is little one can do.
- SQL. The SQL Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides a means of storing, editing, and retrieving tabular data through the execution of SQL statements. The data store is presumed to be a relational database.
- Usermessaging. The Usermessaging Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides a means of sending Messages, subscribing to receive Messages, and receiving Messages. Each Message has a Type and Topic86 and what Messages are Received can be filtered by Type and Topic. Topic is not necessarily the subject of the Message. Messages can be sent to a specific subset of Subscribers or to all. Usermessaging is a general Service intended to address underlying mail, instant messaging or chant, and threaded discussion systems.
- Workflow. The Workflow Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) provides the means to define a Process comprised of Steps, each of which has Input Conditions and Output States. A Process exists to advance Work from an initial to a terminal Step. This advance is affected by WorkEvents that are performed as part of a Step, the result of which is a new Step Output State. WorkEvents are the result of Agents performing a specific Role in the Process. An implementation of the Workflow OSID supports a set of possible Input Conditions, Output States and the algorithmic support determine which Steps are available to be acted upon by which Agents at any specific point in the Process.
|
Terms of use
X
These contents have been obtained from the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site and edited for presentation. Please refer to the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site for additional information on terms of use.
Print
Title: Open Service Interface Definitions
Version: 2.0.0 (2004)
Release Date: 6 September 2005
Status: Final specification
Electronic version: Available in PDF format. |
Terms of use
X
These contents have been obtained from the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site and edited for presentation. Please refer to the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site for additional information on terms of use.
Print
OKI collaborates with leading organizations concerned with learning technology, including the IMS Global Learning Consortium and the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative, to define and extend its architectural framework.
OKI actively influences the work of the larger learning technology standards community by communicating the requirements of higher education.
As the architecture matures, O.K.I. will work through IMS Global Learning Consortium to assist vendors in building the next generation of tools for the educational marketplace. |
Terms of use
X
These contents have been obtained from the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site and edited for presentation. Please refer to the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) official Web site for additional information on terms of use.
Print
Since the introduction of the first OSID definitions in 2003, and the current version 2 OSIDs in 2004, the O.K.I. project has recieved countless kudos and complaints. OSID V3 strives to strengthen all that is right with the OSIDs while at the same time addressing the numerous issues that developers have raised over the years. From the troubles with Types, to issues with Iterators, and the general challenges raised through applying the OSID model to multiple programming languages OKI listened to what developers had to say.
In 2006 the OKI Project began the more formal process of eliciting RFCs and developing a new set of service patterns aimed at easing the task of developing using OSIDs, while at the same time increasing interoperability.
Features and benefits:- Improved web integration
- Per-User Session Management
- Hierarchical Typing
- Typing Through Interface Extensions
- Improved interoperability tests
- Interface-based search mechanism
- Searching within and paging results
- Asynchronous notifications
- Improved create & update of objects
- Clearer compliance definitions
- More precise method definitions
- Cataloging of OSID objects for organizing, tagging or workflow
|
Proposed New Services:- Provisioning for resource allocation
- Learning Objectives to link Course Management, Grading, Assessment and Repository
- Locale for internationalizing services and applications
- Configuration for managing both user and OSID profiles and configurations
- Installation for finding and installing OSIDs from remote registries
- Topology for managing complex object and spatial relationships
- Payment for e-commerce
|
|