The FY18 Broad Area Announcement (BAA)

[Outreach, ADL]

The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative has begun the next cycle of learning to further the strategic goals of modernization, policy development, and community support throughout critical areas within the field of distributed learning.  The FY18 Broad Area Announcement (BAA) builds on ADLI’s Total Learning Architecture (TLA), an architecture to modernize education and training platforms to enable interoperability of disparate systems, enabling them to be used together as a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to securely share relevant learning data including granular learning experience information, competency frameworks, learner profiles and metadata about learning and training content.

The FY18 BAA outlines four areas of research supporting TLA:

(1) TLA Data Visualization and Associated Learning Analytics.  Development of models, prototypes, and specifications for analyzing, interpreting, and visualizing this data is the next key step in unlocking the potential of distributed learning.

(2) TLA Content and Pedagogical (Andragogical) Model.  ADL seeks to define a scientifically based model for designing next-generation learning experiences (i.e., generalizable theory building) and for developing an associated corpus of content for empirical testing (i.e., applied exemplar development).

(3) TLA Learning Experience System Incorporation.  ADL developed the xAPI standard to allow learning systems to communicate student experiences to learning management systems - a key component of the TLA.  ADL seeks to provide feedback to, and participate in ongoing development of, the TLA specifications, integrate prototype TLA specifications into an existing learning experience system, and incorporating that learning experience system into annual TLA testing.

     (4) Pervasive Learning System (PERLS) – Personal Self-Regulated Learning and Training.   As part of a demonstration of TLA platforms and capabilities, ADL seeks to maturate, integrate, and testing of the PERLS personal assistant for learning capability.  

Detailed information can be found at: http://adlnet.gov/adl-collaboration/baa-fy2018.

ADL encourages your participation! For questions or clarification, please call:

Dr. Van E. Brewer

External R&D Lead

Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative

van.bre...@adlnet.gov

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Outreach Team

Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative

Web: adlnet.gov 

Office: 571-480-4640

Direct: 571-480-4649

outr...@adlnet.gov

  

[mjdavi...@gmail.com]

Just received this announcement.  It says this is due tomorrow on the website.  Is this an error?

MJ 

[Johnson, Andy]

Hey MJ, not an error - not sure why this group wasn't on the original announcement, I would have guessed it would have been on Outreach's original distribution list.  While there is a "deadline" of tomorrow, papers can be submitted afterwards and still considered as long as funding is available.  However, funding may be completely spent within the first "batch" of submissions.  We won't be exactly sure when that cutoff will be as we will wait until we have reviewed all submitted white papers, but we can guarantee it will not be before Dec 29th.  Given that no hours will be logged until Jan 2nd, one would have at least that long.  Given the short timeline, we know we have to start allocating some funding early, but I would definitely apply late over not applying at all.  That's all I can say within my bounds as a contractor. 

My advice to anyone getting this information for the first time who is interested in submitting, say by Jan 15th, to contact Mr. Brewer referenced above with your plans (including which topic) so that you can be on our radar. 

Thanks,

Andy

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Andy Johnson

Specifications and Standards Manager

Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative

Web: adlnet.gov

Office: 608-318-0049

andy.joh...@adlnet.gov

  

[mjdavi...@gmail.com]

Thank you Andy