Open protocols for web-based educational materials

Using computers to deliver instructional material should be an excellent match of technology to education. Countless products meant to enhance or replace the classroom experience are currently available, yet few are utilized in spite of the national drive to increase the use of educational technology in our schools. Factors behind this under-utilization are complex but include expense, lack of flexibility, the proprietary nature of the products, and lack of teacher training, support, and time. Any computer-based instructional tool should incorporate the following characteristics in order to maximize utility and flexibility while minimizing cost and time: (1) be cross-platform, (2) separate content from delivery, (3) provide creation, editing, and delivery capabilities, and (4) use open standards. Our work proposes partitioning educational software along lines of expertise: open source authoring and presentation tools, open protocols for instructional design, and separate content created using the most appropriate application programs. We show the feasibility of meeting all the requirements with this approach using XML and Java