SPLICE Smart Learning Content Protocol

[Cay Horstmann]

Hi, after the SPLICE 2023 working group, some of you joined a working group for standardizing the embedding of interactive JavaScript elements into learning systems.

This is meant to help the authors of such elements (code tracers, Parsons puzzles, circuit diagrams, state machines, KV maps, whatever), so that their creations can be consumed by many learning systems.

And it is meant to help builders of learning systems by providing them with a set of activities that can be readily plugged into their systems, without having to source them from scratch.

It is a small effort--just agreement on a standard protocol for the communication between the interactive element and the learning system.

I put up a strawman proposal at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X6Vx6Em67t8Vp4Vecnmc-7OblVewJJKDFIJUrvRAvdc/edit#heading=h.r0syp685x130

In the last 12 months, there have been a couple of implementations that show feasibility. With very little effort, I got js-parsons, JSAV, and CodeCheck tracer exercises to work with the strawman. The CodeCheck assignment system can use them all.

However, it's fair to say that the idea hasn't taken the world by storm. I contacted a couple of the larger learning systems providers, and they didn't see the need, either because they had all the interactive elements that they needed, or extension mechanisms (not easy in my eyes) to add others.

Unfortunately, this year's SPLICE workshop conflicts with my travel schedule, but I'd like to keep this effort alive for a bit longer in the hope that its time will come. If you'd like to chat about it, or see some demos, during SIGCSE, or any time over Zoom, please drop me a note.

Cheers,

Cay

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Cay S. Horstmann | http://horstmann.com | mailto:c...@horstmann.com