Innovative Authoring Tools for Online-Courses with Assignments - Integrating Heterogeneous Tools of e-Learning Platforms into Hybrid Application Solutions

Abstract

This paper is concerned with an essential topic in e-learning - course content authoring. Besides supporting the concept of Competence-Based Learning (CBL) our solution is aiming to make effective use of an open integration architecture fostering the interoperability of hybrid e-learning solutions. Modern scenarios ask for interoperable software solutions to seamlessly integrate existing e-learning infrastructures and legacy tools with innovative technologies while being cognitively efficient to handle. In this way, prospective users are enabled to use them seamlessly without learning overheads. At the same time, methods of Learning Design (LD) in combination with CBL are getting more and more important to produce and maintain easy to facilitate solutions. Our approach of developing a competence-based course-authoring and assignment-support software bridges the gaps between Moodle and established legacy infrastructures by embedding existing legacy tools via Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). The underlying conceptual architecture for this integration approach and its components will be introduced; furthermore a Moodle plugin will be outlined, which enables Moodle for LD- and CBL-support including corresponding data exchange with our course authoring tool. The paper concludes with an outlook on future plans for our research and development.