Melbourne Declaration

The key agenda of "Advancing ADL through Global Collaboration Forum" I have been attending in the last few days is to find out a way to take up the stewardship of that thing we generally call "SCORM". In preparation of the discussion, Neil Mclean and Robby Robson have put forward two discussion papers, linked respectively to the authors' names.

It is clear in the discussion that it is NOT the intention of the US Department of Defence funded ADL Initiative to give up SCORM and its related technologies. Rather, it is a way forward to further advance the vision of creating a global interoperable infrastructure for advanced distributed learning.

Three meanings to the term "ADL" need to be clear to understand the "Melbourne Declaration". ADL may refer to the US Department of Defence funded ADL initiative. The term may also mean the vision and/or infrastructure of advanced distributed learning. Yet another meaning may refer to the community which supported, adopted and have given input to the vision. At this point in time, it was agreed that the what as in "Stewardship of What" referred to in Robby's paper should be deferred. Instead, the discussion was focussed on creating a sustainable global stewardship.

The final and official declaration is not available yet. Here is what I have taken down as the discussion progresses:

The US Department of Defence sponsored the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative in 1997 with the goal of enabling of the highest quality education and training, delivered any time and anywhere (ADL processes). The ADL models are now widely adopted in many different contexts and sectors for the implementing technology-based learning on a global scale.

In celebrating the achievement, the Melbourne forum, Advancing ADL Through Global Collaboration, endorses the following points as a means of creating and maintaining the momentum for the further international advancement, development and deployment of advanced learning technology initiatives:

• Scalable sustainable and global infrastructure is of critical importance in fulfilling the many visions for teaching, learning, education, training and performance support.


• Global interoperability, based on open standards, is key to achieving the vision.


• An international collaborative approach will optimise the advancement, development and maintenance of this infrastructure


• Current ADL community has provided some of foundation stones for building this infrastructure.


• The continuing involvement of the ADL Initiative will be critical to any collaborative venture.


• The forming of a global stewardship is an effective means to achieve the above.

Actions

• An international stewardship organisation shall be established and become fully functional within a three year period.


• The ADL Initiative in collaboration with international community will convene, as soon as possible, an interim working group to develop a planning framework and timetable for the creation and commissioning of the proposed international stewardship organisation.

Tags: Melbourne declaration, SCORM