ICOPER Deliverable D-2.3 - ISURE: Report on implementation and validation of a standardized model for learning needs analysis and the provision of learning opportunities

This deliverable reports on prototypical implementation and validation of standardized models for learning needs, learning outcomes and learning opportunities. The report first (Section 2) introduces a study, analysis and discussion on learning needs in higher education institutions. A survey, with interviews, for understanding current practice of analysis of learning needs was developed. The aim of this work is to draw a picture on how learners think of their own learning needs, and how learning opportunity designers see themselves as providing for learners' learning needs. Requirements for good practice on connecting learning needs and opportunities are discussed and the main requirement is that the overall process clearly needs to involve both the learner and the provider. As a proof of concept for the adoption and added value of standards related to learning outcomes and learning opportunities in ICOPER project, Section 3 introduces prototypical applications that make use of learning outcomes and learning opportunities standards developed or adopted in this project. Applications covered the different phases of outcome-based online education, including defining and adding learning outcomes to a central repository for future reuse, linking learning opportunities and learning designs to learning opportunities, finding and publishing relevant learning opportunities, tracking learners achieved learning outcomes and sharing learners’ achievements. The evaluation of those prototypes revealed that target users appreciated the new added outcome-based functionalities. Recommendations, for different stakeholders, in regard to learning outcomes and learning opportunities specifications, functions and adoption are provided in Section 4. Those recommendations are formulated based on the findings of the evaluation of user experience with developed prototypes.