Advanced Distributed Learning

ADL ("Advanced Distributed Learning") The ADL Initiative was established in 1997 to standardize and modernize training and education management and delivery. The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD P&R) oversees the ADL Initiative. The vision of the ADL Initiative is to provide access to the highest-quality learning and performance aiding that can be tailored to individual needs and delivered cost-effectively, at the right time and in the right place.

The ADL Initiative developed SCORM and the ADL Registry. ADL uses structured and collaborative methods to convene multi-national groups from industry, academia, and government who develop the learning standards, tools, and content. For additional information regarding the ADL Initiative, SCORM, and the ADL Registry, refer to the following web sites: ADL Initiative and SCORM: [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/alexandria/index.aspx] ADL Registry: [http://adlregistry.adlnet.gov]

SCORM

The Sharable Content Object Reference Model, integrates a set of related technical standards, specifications, and guidelines designed to meet SCORM’s high-level requirements—accessible, reusable, interoperable, and durable content and systems. SCORM content can be delivered to learners via any SCORM-compliant Learning Management System (LMS) using the same version of SCORM.

SCORM was developed as a result of extensive collaboration across the public and private sectors. President Clinton issued an Executive Order identifying ADL as the model other Federal Agencies should follow in developing and distributing online learning in the Federal Government. DOD subsequently issued a Directive requiring the military to adopt SCORM. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have also assumed major roles in promoting use of ADL and the SCORM standard. DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1322.26 Development, Management, and Delivery of Distributed Learning. DoDI 1322.26 imposes the following requirements related to SCORM content developed by and for the US Department of Defense:
* Embedded training and distributed learning shall be the first option to meet DoD training requirements
* DoD components shall share training resources to the maximum extent possible
* All acquired or developed systems and content packages shall conform to SCORM (current version)

SCORM is now the "de facto" standard for e-learning content around the world. It has been adopted not only in the US government, but also in K-12 education, higher education, and corporate training around the world. Hundreds of learning management system vendors have produced SCORM-compliant systems on which SCORM content can be deployed.

ADL Registry

The ADL Registry was developed by the ADL Initiative and is the central search point for the discovery of DoD training, education, performance, and decision-aiding content that can be redeployed, rearranged, repurposed, and rewritten. In much the same way that a card from the card catalog contains descriptive information about books in a library, the ADL Registry contains all of the registered entries that contain metadata about the content in a repository.

The ADL Registry provides centrally searchable information, in the form of metadata records (not actual content). The metadata describes many different kinds of objects to enable their discovery and reuse regardless of their location or origin. Like SCORM, DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1322.26 Development, Management, and Delivery of Distributed Learning. DoDI 1322.26 requires that all acquired or developed SCORM content packages shall include metadata, be registered in the ADL-R, and be maintained in DoD Components’ repositories that are searchable and accessible.

Future of ADL and SCORM

Like other DoD research and development efforts (the Internet and GPS for example), ADL currently plans to transition stewardship of SCORM to the [http://www.letsi.org International Federation for Learning-Education-Teaching Systems Interoperability (LETSI)] . The ADL Initiative will continue to maintain SCORM 2004 for the US Department of Defense and will continue to engage in research and development efforts for other advanced learning technologies and standards. In addition to the ADL Registry, another current focus area is the integration of learning standards with S1000D, a technical specification for the life cycle management of technical data. S1000D is being adopted, along with SCORM, throughout the DoD.

ee also

*SCORM
*Computer aided instruction
*Educational technology
*Learning management system

References

* [http://www.adlnet.gov/scorm/ Official ADL SCORM overview]
* [http://adlnet.gov/News/articles/index.aspx?ID=480/ ADL Guidelines for Creating Reusable Content with SCORM 2004]

External links

ADL Co-Lab Network

* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/alexandria/index.aspx Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory Hub (Alexandria, Virginia)] : The ADL Co-Lab Hub coordinates the operations of the ADL Co-Labs
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/joint/index.aspx Joint Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory (Orlando, Florida)] : Supports the integration of training and technology for the DoD
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/jptc/index.aspx Advanced Distributed Learning Job Performance Lab (Alexandria, Virginia)] : Their mission is to act as a catalyst for the advancement of research, development and implementation of dynamic capability-based job performance technology solutions across the Department of Defense
* [http://www.academiccolab.org/ Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory (Madison, Wisconsin)] : Supports the evaluation and testing of ADL tools to enhance Academia
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/workforce/index.aspx Workforce Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory (Memphis, Tennessee)] : Facilitation of SCORM Implementation In Industry

* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/unitedkingdom/index.aspx United Kingdom Advanced Distributed Learning Partnership Laboratory (Telford, England)] : This UK Partnership Lab promotes the development and acceptance of global e-learning standards
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/canada/index.aspx Canada Advanced Distributed Learning Partnership Laboratory (Ottawa, Canada)] : Support ADL implementation with the Canadian DND
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/australia/index.aspx Australia ADL Partnership Laboratory (Brisbane, Australia)]
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/korea/index.aspx Korea ADL Partnership Laboratory (Seoul, Korea)]
* [http://www.adlnet.gov/colabs/mexico/index.aspx Latin American and Caribbean Regions ADL Partnership Laboratory (Ejidos de Huipulco, Mexico)]
* Norway ADL Partnership Laboratory (Oslo, Norway)

Open Forum for Advancement of Distributed Learning

* [http://www.adlexchange.com/ Global Forum for Knowledge Innovators and Entrepreneurs]