scope:

This Standard describes a data model to support the interchange of agreed upon data elements and their values between a learning-related content object and a runtime service (RTS) used to support learning management. This Standard does not specify the means of communication between a content object and an RTS nor how any component of a learning environment shall behave in response to receiving data in the form specified. This Standard is based on a related data model defined in "Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) Guidelines For Interoperability," version 3.5 [B1], by the Aviation Industry CBT Committee (AICC).¹ To balance the need to support existing implementations with the need to make technical corrections and support emerging practice, this Standard selectively includes those data elements from the CMI specification that are commonly implemented, renames some data elements taken from the CMI specification to clarify their intended meaning, modifies the data types of data elements taken from the CMI specification to reflect ISO standard data types and internationalization requirements, removes some organizational structures used in the CMI specification to group data elements that are specific to the AICC community of practice and not generally applicable, and introduces some data elements not present in the CMI specification to correct known technical deficiencies in data elements taken from that specification.

Purpose

There is widespread acknowledgement that the data model for content object communication defined in the AICC "Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) Guidelines for Interoperability," version 3.5 [B1], has broad applicability to systems used for learning management. The purpose of this Standard is to build consensus around, resolve ambiguities in, and correct defects in the AICC data model for the data exchanged between learning-related content objects and an RTS used to support learning management.

¹The numbers in brackets correspond to those of the bibliography in Annex A.