ILIAS

ILIAS is a free learning platform that helps both Internet -based teaching and learning materials are created ( for e-learning) and made available, as well as communication and cooperation among teachers and learners, testing and evaluation, and educational structures for complete courses realized can. The possible uses of the software are also reflected in the name of ILIAS, which is an abbreviation for Integrated Learning, Information and Work Cooperation System.

Formation and development

ILIAS is published since 2000 under the GNU General Public License. The software therefore is available to everyone free use and development available. ILIAS can be operated entirely based on open source components such as Apache server, MySQL or PostgreSQL database and PHP. The use of an Oracle database is possible. ILIAS is the first open source LMS that supports the most important e -learning standard SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 and since version 3 XML-based.

The software was developed at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Cologne in 1997/98 as part of the VIRTUS project. Objectives of VIRTUS were to supplement the classroom teaching through the use of new information and communication technologies ( ICT), time and place independent studying, and improved communication between students and teachers.

Due to the great interest of other universities ILIAS was published in 2000 as open source software under the General Public License ( GPL). Between 2002 and 2004, a major redevelopment of the technological base was (modular, object-oriented, XML - based RBAC), which became effective as of version 3.

The software development was carried many years of cooperation network ILIAS open source, were involved in the institutions ( esp. academia ). 2009, the perpetuation of the project. Since then, the support and development of the software is eV in the hands of the association ILIAS open source e -learning in which individuals, businesses, educational institutions and service providers involved ILIAS. Coordinators of software development are Matthias Kunkel and - since 2005 - Alexander Killing. Services and remediation work are now also offered by commercial service company.

Use

Since 2000 ILIAS comes as open source software at numerous universities, colleges and training institutions in different countries to use (as of end 2009: approximately 2500 known reference installations). Meanwhile, many companies and government organizations are a platform for training and further education. Among the largest known reference installations include the Federal Employment Agency with more than 100,000 users. Since 2006, NATO used as ILIAS learning platform.

ILIAS functionality

Concept

Unlike many learning platforms from the Anglo -Saxon ILIAS is fixed not only on learning and work in courses. Rather, ILIAS mostly oriented towards the idea of the library and enables the delivery of learning and working materials in all areas of the platform. Content can also be made available to non-registered users. Also, a shop system for the marketing of educational content is available.

Personalization

ILIAS offers on the " Personal Desktop ", the workplace and notice board of each user, some options for customization of the learning environment:

  • Displaying the occupied and selected courses, learning modules, forums, working groups, etc.
  • Administration of the personal profile: password management, language for user interface ( 20 languages ​​)
  • Bookmark management
  • Personal and public notes
  • Individual configuration of RSS web feeds
  • Schedule and timetable
  • Individual setting for the reception of internal emails
  • Individual Learning Progress Report
  • Public profile for the provision of personal information
  • Personal portfolios and personal blogs
  • Personal work space for uploading their own files

The visual components of the " Personal Desktop " are customizable in display, arrangement and detail.

Learning and course management

As a central element on a ILIAS installation courses and groups offer numerous ways to support the flow of courses, seminars or training courses:

  • Automated registration
  • Learning planning for courses
  • Timed and test- sensitive release of learning materials
  • Objective - oriented delivery of learning materials
  • Management of campus events
  • Monitoring learning progress for course members
  • Collective response of the course members via e -mail
  • Automatic and manual generation of notifications ( News) to price-sensitive events and topics
  • Calendar for managing appointments within a course (called sessions)

Cooperation

There are several features that are designed to promote cooperation and mutual understanding:

  • Group system Members Galleries Automatically generated
  • Shared Diary

Communication

To contact various communication functions are available:

  • Integrated Mail System ( file attachments, mail sending to external addresses )
  • Creating sends messages to groups and course members
  • Chat with chat rooms for courses and groups, as well as public chat rooms
  • Forums ( Moderator Function, file attachments, notification of new / answered posts, export, Forum Statistics)
  • Mediacasts, so far for MP3, Flash, GIF and PNG
  • Interfaces to virtual classrooms ( commercial and open source third-party software )

Test and survey

With the help of tests learners can receive an assessment of their knowledge, tested or are preparing for exams. At various universities the ILIAS test system is also used for online exams.

  • Different question types ( multiple choice, cloze, including fault tolerance, numerical question, text - subset, supply and assembly tasks with drag & drop support, image map, free text questions, imported Java applets)
  • Reuse of questions from pools
  • Automatic random selection of questions
  • QTI interface to import externally created questions
  • Definition of editing options, such as processing time, allowed tests etc.
  • Free customizable touch schemes including ECTS Information
  • Differentiated evaluation of results ( including exports )
  • Online testing with computer -user control and supervision function

Also an integrated survey instrument is available, also different, reusable and importable question types and a differentiated evaluation of results provides, as well as:

  • Creating adaptive questionnaires
  • And anonymous public polls

Competence Management

Since version 4.2 ILIAS also offers a competence management, which allows both the self-assessment of a user as well as external assessments by colleagues.

  • Creation and management of competencies and hierarchical authority structures
  • Templates for rapid acquisition of competence frameworks
  • Self-assessment
  • External assessment via survey with 360 ° feedback
  • Comparison of self - assessment and external assessment in network diagram
  • Create and manage job profiles with learning recommendations per proficiency level

Authoring

A) Integrated authoring environment

ILIAS offers an integrated authoring environment with the help of study materials of text and multimedia elements to Web-based training sessions ( WBT ) can be compiled:

  • XML -based, optional support for JavaScript
  • Import from Open Office
  • Export ( XML, HTML, SCORM 1.2)
  • Standard formats ( " stylesheets " )
  • LaTeX support, such as for formula representation
  • Internal links to other learning objects
  • Automatic verification of external hyperlinks
  • Print and download function for learners
  • Metadata support at all levels of content according to LOM Standard

B ) Integrated SCORM Editor

Since version 4.0 ILIAS also offers a built-in editor for creating SCORM 1.2 and 2004, 3rd Edition learning modules. The most important features to support the requirements of interoperability, especially the adjustment / further processing of content created by third parties:

  • Supports style sheets ( multiple possible integrated editor )
  • Editable page templates ( use optional)
  • Editable table templates ( use optional)
  • Integrated question types (export with learning module)
  • Stand-alone glossary ( export with learning module)
  • Export as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, HTML and ISO
  • Exported SCORM modules can be used as " editable " in other ILIAS installations imported 4.0 and further processed there.

Import existing content

There are various import interfaces for SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, AICC - and HTML-based learning modules for the provision of already existing content. ILIAS is a Learning Management System (LMS) certified for SCORM conformance level LMS RTE3 (1.2) and SCORM 2004 3rd Edition.

Using the Open Office plugin eLAIX and offline learning modules can be created and imported.

Functions for system administration

  • Flexible role-based permission system (RBAC) global / local roles
  • Automatically generated local forums, chat, groups and courses roles
  • Roles templates
  • Inheritance rights, including possible disruption and protective role
  • Authentication options: CAS, LDAP, SOAP, RADIUS, and Shibboleth
  • Automatic password generation / start receiving
  • Automatic role assignment by e- mail domain
  • Flexible adaptation of the graphic design over templates / skins
  • Client capability
  • Extensive web service interface (SOAP)

ILIAS objects

The following object types can be created within an installation:

All objects are created in ILIAS in the magazine. This, coming from the library area metaphor for a library magazine, includes a tree structure in which stored the ILIAS objects and thus be controlled via the system of rights of access (similar to the root directory of a file system ). Content objects may thereby be stored as references at various points of the tree.

Sharable Content Object Reference Model Aware (disambiguation) Learning object metadata Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee Central Authentication Service
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