1.

This document is a discussion paper that provides a summary of requirements, issues and actions relevant to developing a Learning System Architecture Framework for the Australian school education sector.

2.

The IMS Digital Repositories v1.0 Final specification, released January 30, 2003, provides recommendations for the interoperation of the most common repository functions. On the broadest level, this specification defines digital repositories as being any collection of resources that are accessible via a network without prior knowledge of the structure of the collection This specification is intended to utilize schemas already defined elsewhere (e.g., IMS Meta-Data and Content Packaging), rather than attempt to introduce any new schema.

3.

INSPIRAL (INveStigating Portals for Information Resources And Learning) is a research project funded by JISC to examine the institutional challenges and requirements involved in linking virtual and managed learning environments (VLEs and MLEs) with digital and hybrid libraries.

4.

The Australian Government Interoperability Framework addresses the information, business process and technical dimensions of interoperability. It sets the principles, standards and methodologies that support the delivery of integrated and seamless services. Interoperability describes the ability to work together to deliver services in a seamless, uniform and efficient manner across multiple organisations and information technology systems. Promoting interoperability between agencies is a key focus to achieving whole-of-government collaboration.

5.

This short video clip provides an overview of the Service Oriented Approach. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) overcomes the problem of integration and interoperability across multiple technologies. The SOA approach to linking software components and applications is transforming the way many organisations share data. This animated video illustrates very simply the concepts and the benefits of interoperability, by providing a service layer between systems.

6.

The Learning Architecture Framework is a reference document to support organisation and school planning. It articulates issues for consideration by ministers and departmental leaders. It provides vendors and industry partners with an overview of national strategic directions in school education.

7.

The page supplies some key standards used in the information community that are maintained by the Library of Congress. Their Web pages supply information on their maintenance and use. Other links connect to information on the Library's collection of standards and key standards-settings organizations.

8.

The Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) addresses what is perceived by many in higher education as a critical need: meaningful, coherent, modular, easy-to-use, web-based environments for assembling, delivering and accessing educational resources and activities. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its primary partner, Stanford University, are lead planners in the OKI Project. The initiative is sponsored by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. OKI is about:Tools that are sustainable, open source, and web-based to support teaching and learning (such as discussion forums, project team notebooks, portfolios, and grade-books); A system for assembling sets of web tools that can work together and with other campus systems. A community of planners and developers who create the basic system, tool builders (both commercial and academic), service providers who make the tools available, and students and instructors who teach and learn with the tools.

9.

Paper prepared in August 2003 by Dr Kathryn Moyle on behalf of education.au limited for consideration by the MCEETYA ICT in Schools Taskforce. This paper provides an introduction to open source software in the context of Australian schools. It is intended to provide the basis for developing some shared understandings about what open source software is; its benefits; its limitations; and it provides a brief scan of what is happening in Australian schools and sectors.There are several contexts that require consideration in order to discuss open source software and Australian school education: terminology; learning architectures: schools and software; software: a building block of learning architectures; how software is created; and the software market.

10.

This project was part of the Australian National Training Authority's Strategy 2000, which commenced the implementation of the Framework for National Collaboration in Flexible Learning in Vocational Education and Training 2000-2004. The site contains information on standards and guidelines used within the research, a background to the project, details of personnel involved, project reports, workshop papers and recommendations.