OpenEd Blog Learning Object Repository Search specification underway

Previous efforts to allow resource search from learning management systems and other educational tools have focused on utilizing the Learning Tools Interoperability standard from IMS. LTI has been designed to allow launching an assessment platform or a game from the LMS. It suits that purpose well and has broad adoption for that purpose. But the existing LTI standard applied to the resource search problem can be summarized as: each resource library acts as a learning tool provider to provide a shopping cart of resources back to the LMS or other learning tool consumer. In the early days of supplementary resource usage this discontinuity may have been acceptable. In 2017 teaching with supplemental instructional resources, or blended learning, is done by most teachers extremely frequently as part of their daily instruction. Moving to another tool just to find an appropriate resource is unnecessarily distracting to the teacher. It is possible to make the resource search process from learning management system much more seamless and intuitive by allowing LMSes and other tools to call REST web services to the resource library providers. IMS Global has formed a new task force called Learning Object Repository Search (LORS) to address this problem. The resulting specification will enable educational platforms such as learning management systems to directly search Learning Object Repositories. Adam Blum from OpenEd and Tom Ingram from Escambia County Schools are co-chairing this task force.More than fifty people representing dozens of educational institutions and suppliers are participating. OpenEd and SAFARI Montage are among the LORs which will support LORS. There are many educational tool vendors represented as well. We would like to see a few more LMSes participating. If you use an LMS ask your vendor ask if they will support the LORS standard to allow you to directly search your LOR of choice, without switching user interfaces. Direct seamless access to just the right blended resource for each student right from each teacher's learning management system should produce dramatic improvements in student outcomes. A standard for resource search will make this that much easier to do with a broader set of tools.