Towards a Web Service for Competence-based Learning and Testing

Adaptation to the learner’s knowledge level and competence-based course creation have been interesting topics in diverse e-learning research projects for years. Apart from these research activities, however, there is a powerful and emerging development of many open source learning management systems with little or no adaptation functionality. In order to bring together widespread and popular learning management systems and scientific-oriented approaches of competence-based personalisation, this paper presents a solution how a personalised e-learning approach can be applied to various Web-based learning management systems. A Web service approach is presented which enables and controls adaptation of learning management systems. The scientific basis is constituted by implementing the Competence-based Knowledge Space Theory which is a framework for representing knowledge domains as well as knowledge and competence levels of learners and for connecting them.