An Open and Service-Oriented Architecture to Support the Automation of Learning Scenarios

The specifications of automated learning scenarios can lead to advantages for virtual learning environments and important benefits for organizations, although research in this e-learning area has not addressed this issue. To achieve this goal, one requirement is to have an infrastructure able to support the execution of specifications of learning scenarios. This paper presents an open service-oriented architecture based on the Open Services Interface Definition (OSID) specifications proposed by the Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) and other normative specifications. The architecture is used as a technological infrastructure in a virtual learning environment with more than 40,000 students enrolled and has been tested as the infrastructure of a tool to automate specifications of learning scenarios. A case study has been used to test the suitability of the architecture and describe such a tool for the future. Elena García-Barriocanal Universidad de Alcalá, Spain