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. . . DITA XML: A unifying content reuse architecture for learning
While both learning objects and SCORM bring to the fore the need for sharable content, they both specifically leave open the question of a particular format or structure for this content. In fact, it can literally be said that SCORM is a packaging and delivery specification in search of a content model. This brings us to the third and most recent trend: DITA XML.
The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) provides an XML-based standard for creating and delivering content. Spawned from a workgroup effort at IBM and now an OASIS open standard, DITA has it roots in best practices for technical authoring.
It's thus no surprise that key characteristics of DITA directly address the crucial building blocks for developing reusable learning objects in general, and SCORM sharable content objects in particular. These DITA reuse characteristics include topics, topic types, domains, maps, and specialization:
* A DITA topic forms the most basic information unit -- short enough to be easily readable, but long enough to make sense on its own.
* A DITA topic type defines the role of a topic within an information set.
* A DITA domain defines vocabularies for common use across more than one topic type.
* A DITA map applies context to the topics. With maps, you organize different combinations of topics for different outputs and deliverables.
* Finally, DITA specialization provides a mechanism for deriving new topic types, new domains, and new map types as extensions to existing domains or types.
Can topic-based DITA XML provide the basis for developing an information architecture for single-sourced XML learning content? This article builds directly on the rich background about reusable content and e-learning delivery in the learning and training fields. Here in Part 1, the authors posit a set of extensions to DITA XML that provide the starting point for a unifying content model for learning. In Part 2, they test their assumptions against pilot content from a training course developed to support a component feature of IBM® DB2 Query Monitor™, and then report their findings and suggest important next steps.
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DITA XML: A unifying content reuse architecture for learning
While both learning objects and SCORM bring to the fore the need for sharable content, they both specifically leave open the question of a particular format or structure for this content. In fact, it can literally be said that SCORM is a packaging and delivery specification in search of a content model. This brings us to the third and most recent trend: DITA XML.
The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) provides an XML-based standard for creating and delivering content. Spawned from a workgroup effort at IBM and now an OASIS open standard, DITA has it roots in best practices for technical authoring.
It's thus no surprise that key characteristics of DITA directly address the crucial building blocks for developing reusable learning objects in general, and SCORM sharable content objects in particular. These DITA reuse characteristics include topics, topic types, domains, maps, and specialization:
* A DITA topic forms the most basic information unit -- short enough to be easily readable, but long enough to make sense on its own.
* A DITA topic type defines the role of a topic within an information set.
* A DITA domain defines vocabularies for common use across more than one topic type.
* A DITA map applies context to the topics. With maps, you organize different combinations of topics for different outputs and deliverables.
* Finally, DITA specialization provides a mechanism for deriving new topic types, new domains, and new map types as extensions to existing domains or types.
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The challenges
In the initial project design stage and during the pilot implementation stage, we faced several challenges related to making the move to topic-based, information-typed content development.
Thinking in topics
First, from past experience in developing the original course, we focused on telling a story with a narrative approach to content development where one piece of information flows easily into the next. In this approach, course developers give little regard to the categorization of the content into content types. For example, conceptual information often freely mixes with the reference and task information needed to support the concept.
A major challenge we faced in reworking the pilot content as topic-based DITA involved the mindset change to thinking of the content as discrete chunks of information, rather than as one single, long-flowing narrative.
Structuring content with information types
Second, in addition to learning how to break down our content into topic-based units, we also needed to apply discipline in how we assigned specific topic types to that content. This required us to take what was formerly a mixed paragraph, or maybe a whole page of information, and chunk it down into discrete topics that contained individual types of information, with respect to concept, task, or reference types.
We discovered the key rule we needed to abide by: Each chunk of information has to be a complete thought about a single type of content. It has to convey the knowledge of that one specific piece of information without directly overlapping with information in other topic-based chunks.
Minding the context
Finally, we faced the predicament that, after chunking the information down into individual types, the role of the content within the overall learning context can get lost. In this case, it might at first appear difficult to break up the information into topics and types by these rules; it's tempting to resort to the usual narrative approach and simply leave the content intact as a way of ensuring the original completeness of thought.
The challenge here is to learn how not only to assign content to one of the agreed-upon topic types (concept, task, or reference), but also to mind the context of the overall learning objective. It's crucial to know where each topic resides within the learning objective, as provided by the essential context defined in the DITA map. The individual DITA topics have no inherent context in themselves, but acquire context according to their role within the map.
In a nutshell, authoring and delivering content using topics and information types is a skill that takes time and experience to learn how to apply to content.
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