Background
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), and the Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education (MPOEs) use the Cyber Home Learning System (CHLS) to improve the quality of public education and to reduce private education expenses. The first pilot project was launched in three cities in Korea in 2004, and was implemented nationwide in 2005. More than two million learners and several thousand teachers and parent-tutors now participate. To learn more, visit http://english.keris.or.kr/es_main/index.jsp
The competition for college admissions in the Republic of Korea is intense. One of the biggest educational and social issues is getting learners through the college entrance examination. Learners typically begin their preparation for this exam in elementary school and increase their efforts through high school as the exam approaches. To prepare, parents send their children to for-profit private schools where they can study to improve their scores on the entrance exam. As a result, private tutoring is in high demand and costs are increasing each year.
Business Situation
Sixteen independently operated LMSs support CHLS services: customized learning through self-paced tutorials, assessment using a randomized test bank, teacher interaction, and career counseling. KERIS wrote agreements for provincial offices to collaborate and share tutorial instruction. Each office then developed self-paced SCORM-compliant content in a standard format that was shared across the provinces using an LCMS and SCORM-complaint content packaging tool. KERIS developed and distributed these tools as open source software.
Outcomes
CHLS used SCORM 2004 sequencing and navigation to move learners appropriately through the content. CHLS also adapted the Korean National Standard (KS) education metadata specification, KEM (Korea Educational Metadata). KEM is based on Dublin Core (DC) Metadata and the IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM).
Challenges
CHLS faces challenges dealing with the granularity and aggregation levels in the design phase. They have also experienced sequencing challenges with auxiliary resources and collaborative learning and are researching solutions to these issues. They are also interested in offering more complex content such as games and simulations.
Best Practices
KERIS developed and distributed a visual tool with a user-friendly interface and wizard to create sequencing. CHLS has only three sequencing and navigation templates: a linear model, a branching model, and a remediation model. The branching model gives learners two options, further study or supplementary study. This is the most popular strategy. The remediation model requires learners to repeat lessons until they pass an assessment. The branching and the remediation models automatically branch based on the assessment score. Standardizing on three sequencing and navigation templates makes the learning experience easier for learners and saves time and money during the development of new courses.
Contact
Mr. Yong-Sang Cho, zzosang@keris.or.kr