The CourseManagement
Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) is an
O.K.I.
The Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) is an organization responsible for the specification of software interfaces comprising a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based on high level service definitions. The OKI specifically focuses on educatio ...
specification which supports the creation and management of a course catalog (''CourseCatalog''). OSIDs are programmatic interfaces which comprise a
service-oriented architecture
In software engineering, service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that focuses on discrete services instead of a monolithic design. By consequence, it is also applied in the field of software design where services are provided ...
for designing and building
reusable and
interoperable
Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...
software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated software documentation, documentation and data (computing), data. This is in contrast to Computer hardware, hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
...
.
The CourseCatalog is organized into:
* ''CanonicalCourses'' describe general courses of study and exist across
academic term
An academic term (or simply term) is a portion of an academic year, the time during which an educational institution holds classes. The schedules adopted vary widely.
In most countries, the academic year begins in late summer or early autumn and ...
s.
* ''CourseOfferings'' describe an offering of a CanonicalCourse during a specific academic term.
* ''CourseSections'' describe a meeting of a CourseOffering including location, scheduling and membership information.
When used in concert, the OSIDs comprise a complete
system with each
service focused exclusively on a particular area. For example, the
role
A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behavior and may have a given indivi ...
s related to a CourseOffering are defined through the
Authorization OSID
The Authorization Open Service Interface Definition (OSID) is an O.K.I. specification which provides the means to define who is authorized to do what, when. OSIDs are programmatic interfaces which comprise a Service Oriented Architecture for des ...
, course work and materials can be defined in the
Repository OSID, and course grades are assigned through the
Grading OSID. This factoring of the problem space allows for different implementations of each of these services to be used independently from each other within the same Course Management software package.
See also
*
Course management system
A virtual learning environment (VLE) in educational technology is a web-based platform for the digital aspects of courses of study, usually within educational institutions. They present resources, activities, and interactions within a course struc ...
External links
OSID v2.0 CourseManagement Documentation (PDF)
Software architecture