Objective Purpose Within DELTA, CTA belongs to the set of 200-series or System and Technology projects: its aim is to contribute to the harmonization of the technologies which underlie learning. It therefore reaches across the other 200-series projects to explore the ways in which their results may be integrated with one another, and with other relevant technologies being standardized elsewhere. Background and Rationale From its inception, the CTA has been understood as a central plank in the overall strategy of the DELTA programme. It relates to one of the main objectives of DELTA: "To harmonize technologies, systems and infrastructures, and their adaptation to optimally convey learning services Europe-wide." In the context of the CTA this objective is interpreted as implying not just the harmonization of existing technologies, systems and infrastructures, but also a long-term view of the requirements of the key players and the identification of a framework for future work in this area. The Project is motivated by the recognition that technology-supported learning of the 1980's has been characterised by fragmentation - "islands of implementation" representing a diversity of approaches to course development and presentation, as well as the technological basis of production, delivery and support. While diversity is expected, and is in many ways a positive feature, of a developing field, it also has considerable negative effects. The inability to benefit from the economies of scale keeps costs high for both providers and learners. This, in turn, reduces access by learners to opportunities created by distance- and open learning, which in turn leads to slow market development, thus completing a vicious circle of slow, fragmented growth. Therefore, the CTA Project is broad in its conception ranging over also some of the other goals of the DELTA Programme, which include: improving the access to and the performance of learning services in Europe, improving the market competitiveness of the training industry. Overall, the CTA Project, like DELTA itself aims to foster the development of Advanced Learning Technology in Europe in order to meet the growing training needs of a rapidly changing world in which there is an ever increasing demand for a more highly skilled workforce and hence retraining programmes to keep step with technological change. The CTA will provide both a forum for establishing standards within the DELTA community (i.e. DELTA standards), and a channel between this particular standards forum and the wider context of existing and emerging de facto and de-jure standards outside DELTA, upon which DELTA standards will be built. The CTA Handbook, consisting of 11 volumes, has been produced. The Management Summary is aimed at senior decision makers who wish to gain an overview of the relevance of the CTA. The CTA Overview plus Annex is aimed at learning professionals interested in the CTA, and the Open Communication Interface plus Annex is aimed at telematics implementors. The Common Information Space plus Annex is aimed at database implementors whereas the Common User Interface plus Annex is aimed at user interface experts. The CTA Scenarios and ELT Framework, plus Annexes, are aimed at learning professionals who wish to use the Common Training Architecture.Approach The project is conceived along lines similar to the process of standards development, namely: 1. development of common understanding and terminology 2. development of common frameworks 3. specification of functional requirements 4. exploration of technical options and development of standards profiles 5. development of validation and conformance testing methods 6. dissemination of results. The starting point for the work is the identification of the scope of advanced learning technologies, in terms of practical scenarios. On the basis of these scenarios, a system architecture (the Common Training Architecture) will be developed. An architecture is defined as a framework of functional components, embracing a set of standards, conventions, rules, and processes (in which there is human involvement). All of these have to support the integration of a wide range of (information technology based) products and services, enabling them to be used effectively. Once in place, the scenarios and the architecture will provide the basis of the more detailed specification of requirements, to be undertaken by each of the parallel work packages dealing with the Open Communication Interface (OCI), Multi-media databases, and the Common User Interface (CUI), respectively. Output The main contributions of the Project will be: to propose a framework which is descriptive of the technology-supported training systems currently in use or proposed for the near future (the "Common Training Architecture") to define within this framework the interfaces where standards can be applied to research, collate and where necessary propose a set of standards profiles and options in the context of the Common Training Architecture to develop the architecture, the standards profiles and options in close cooperation with other DELTA projects and present its conclusions to the DELTA community for validation and endorsement to seek the endorsement of its recommendations among the wider educational and training community following these endorsements, to seek to influence the relevant standards bodies in respect of the recommendations. During the course of the project, workshops will be organized and progress reports will be made at DELTA Consultation Meetings, and written summaries distributed through the activities of horizontal projects involved in DELTA dissemination. Outside the DELTA Community, dissemination is expected to take place through: the T3RT project, to the education and training industry at large links with working groups of formal standardisation bodies. The ultimate means of dissemination, however, will be the CTA Handbook. This will contain output from the Project at all stages: Scenarios where harmonisation issues will become apparent Specified requirements which the CTA work addresses Recommended technical solutions in the form of standards profiles Validation procedures for each of the recommended set of technical solutions. Impact The main reason for standardization is the existence of a wide range of products and services in the market place which are available as separate entities but need to work together in specific applications. Unless the individual components of, say, a technology-based training system can work together harmoniously the training objective will be reached only partially, if at all. In addition, standardization aims to define and ensure performance and quality attributes of products and systems, safety and reliability features, as well as clear methods of testing and measuring these attributes and features. Effective standards which have gained wide acceptance can reduce uncertainties, eg interrelation to purchasing decisions, and in this way encourage the development of a market place. This, in turn, will stimulate the entry of new producers and system providers into the market and so increase the choice available to users. The CTA Project is, therefore, directed towards all aspects of the market sector in which the technologies which underlie flexible and distance learning are employed. Its success will be measured by the extent to which its recommendations are validated and accepted by the DELTA Community. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabasessocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementemployment Programme(s) FP3-DELTA 2 - Specific programme of research and technological development (EEC) in the field of telematic systems in areas of general interest - Flexible and distance learning (DELTA) -, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator EPOS International EU contribution No data Address Zuercherstrasse 111 8640 Rapperswil Switzerland See on map Total cost No data
